Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Shredded Beef Taquitos
Easy shredded beef taquitos are a crowd pleaser. Serve them, loaded with your fave toppings, at parties and your next Taco Tuesday.
As a parent of young kiddos, I am always on the hunt for kiddo friendly foods. Foods that I don’t have to negotiate with them to eat. Foods that they can eat with their fingers because they think it’s fun. And food that doesn’t take much time because I am busy.
Taquitos fit into all of these categories! And when you make Shredded Beef Taquitos with already made shredded beef, these become a 30 minute meal. And 30 minute meals are perfect for busy families!
How do you make taquitos?
Traditionally taquitos are deep fried. However, for ease, you can ditch the deep fryer and bake these.
STEP #1 To ensure that the tortillas get that crispy brown exterior, all you need to do is lightly pan fry the tortillas before stuffing. This not only helps them crisp up, but it also helps make the tortilla pliable so that it doesn’t rip when you stuff it.
STEP #2: Place about 2 tablespoons of shredded beef at one edge of the tortilla.
STEP #3: Roll away from you until the tortilla is rolled up.
STEP #4: Bake on a baking sheet until browned.
DES’ TIP: To help keep the taquitos closed, make sure you bake them with the seam side down.
What are the best toppings?
One of the best parts about tacos is the toppings. And taquitos are no different! You can top these with any of the traditional taco toppings. Around here we like to top them with shredded lettuce, cheese and guacamole.
And of course we like to dunk them in some taco sauce. And if you like your hot sauce with a little kick, be sure to try may Habanero Hot Sauce.
Looking for more taco recipes? Try these!
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Cream Sauce
Chorizo and Black Bean Taquitos
If you’d like some more beef recipes, here are some of my favorites!
Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Sauce
Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2009. It was updated with new tips, a video and step by step photos in 2020.
Shredded Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 3.3 pound beef roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tablespoons canola oil
- 10 corn tortillas I used white, but you can use yellow as well
- 2 cups cooked shredded beef recipe follows
- 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded lettuce
- guacamole
- non-stick spray
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together salt, pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, cumin and oregano.
- Rub mixture all over beef roast to completely coat.
- In a large pan heat olive oil. Brown roast on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
- Place in slow cooker. Add onion and garlic. Pour in water and beef broth. Cover and cook for 8 hours.
- Remove from slow cooker and shred.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry each tortilla one at a time until soft, about 30 seconds per side (you want them soft so that you can roll them). Add more oil if needed. Transfer to plate using a paper towel to separate each tortilla.
- To assemble, spoon 2 tablespoons of meat mixture into tortilla and roll closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all are rolled.
- Bake in oven for 15 -20 minutes or until ends start to brown. Remove and sprinkle cheese on top. Turn oven setting to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven.
- Top with shredded lettuce and guacamole. Serve with salsa for dipping.
Notes
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
EmmyA
December 21, 2021 at 8:15 amNever mind about the size, I put my glasses on🤦🏻♀️
EmmyA
December 21, 2021 at 8:13 amUmm, what size beef roast?
Rachel Page
August 13, 2015 at 6:33 pmI made this yesterday. Definitely a hit!
Mark Boone
October 5, 2013 at 9:57 amthey are not taquitos if they are not fried
Maralyn Woods
April 22, 2014 at 7:49 pmI agree, Mark, but she is frying the tortillas so maybe the whole thing will be crispy and nice and greasy. Yum.
Rebecca
June 7, 2013 at 7:45 pmI want to make these but do you think it would work using cubed beef chunks? The ones classically used for stew?
Deseree
June 8, 2013 at 9:35 pmRebecca- My only concern with the stew beef chunks is that they are best when cooked for a long time like in a stew otherwise they can be pretty chewy. If you want to braise those first and then cook them until tender then they would work. I hope this helps!
Deb
February 13, 2013 at 12:57 pmCan’t wait to try these with shredded beef I just bought at Costco. How easy!
Deseree
January 31, 2013 at 6:21 pmDebbie- I think that would work just fine. Hope you and your guests enjoy them! :)
Debbie
January 31, 2013 at 2:36 amThis recipe sounds good! Going to make it tonight but I have a question-how well do they come out if i were to roll them tonight and refrigerate them overnight and bake tomorrow night when guest arrive? TIA!
Tammi
December 18, 2012 at 7:41 pmExcellent recipe! Family loved them. I used a smaller tri tip roast adjusting spices accordingly. Turned out great! Thank you. First time making taquitos. Tasted just as good if not better than restaurant style.
Michael
November 25, 2012 at 8:02 pmHaha, I grew up in Vancouver also, and loved Muchas Gracias too. I have been able to find similar restaurants in every town I have lived except here in Texas! I have been craving these very badly tonight!
boneman
November 24, 2012 at 12:48 pm– 10 corn tortillas (I used white, but you can use yellow as well)
this statement needs a size please. in Europe, Holland to be exact, there is limits on the supply of products of this nature, Mexican that is. i create and serve a verity of cultural foods to my family, particularly Mexican, since i have been retired. the diameter of corn tortillas here are about 10 inches. please realize that the corn tortillas only just came back on the store shelf in that last three months. i store as many as i can until i decide to master the process.
i observe, by the Taquitos of my choice, that they are rolled with little overlap according to the photos. by that i assume that the diameter of the tortilla is probably 8 inches. rhetorical, it is a question….
to conclude, can you give me a recommended diameter to achieve the perfect product.
PS i also experience that excessive oil temperature will considerably change the structure of the tortilla after frying. I’m not sure if it’s also a problem of too thick of a tortilla layer… help me out there…
Gourmet Secrets
June 28, 2012 at 2:04 pmThey look delicious, nice and easy to make.
jamie
June 19, 2012 at 6:05 pmthanks for the recipe!!!! i think that i will make it for my family!!
Tom
December 18, 2011 at 10:30 amA nice, simple, easy to prepare recipe with excellent directions. Thanks so much! I ran across this recipe while trying to find a use for the leftover chuck roast I made the day before. I added your spices to the already cooked meat and went from there. Much healthier than frying, too! Thanks for sharing!
pam
May 17, 2011 at 2:09 amTHANKS FOR THE SO CAL RESTAURANT- ALBERTO’S ROLLED TACO RECIPE. YUM!!
Robyn
January 29, 2011 at 9:39 pmI just stumbled upon your blog while looking for a taquito recipe. Very funny coincidence; I’m from Vancouver, too! I LOVE Muchas Gracias! Super Taco Express was another hole-in-the-wall favorite of mine too. This recipe looks really good, I’m probably going to make them for the Super Bowl, thanks!
Greg
March 27, 2010 at 5:36 pmThank you for the Shredded Beef Technique […truely the heart and soul of authentic taquitos.]
Are “Taquitos: The M-R-E of Choice(?)”
I’ve heard frequently that Taquitos fed the Conquisadoras in the field and on the march across much of the present day United States. –These boys saw about hallf of our country between 1640 and 1750.
Supposedlly, their taquito recipe was good for weeks without refriguraion.
In Los Angele, California, legend tells that “The Taquito Stand on Olvera Street” has been making “The Same Taquitos con Guacamole” in the same exact location since before the founding of El Pueblo de Los Angeles de la Cala (1781).
Olvera Street (and Plaza) is less than 200 yards long (original type vendor stalls.
The Taquito stand is the last stall on the North-East terminess of Olvara Street.
If you find yourself near Civic Center in Los Ageles, you are a five minute cab-ride away from these little gems. If you happen to be in The Santa Fe Union Station,
just walk across the street (Alameda), it’s the first Vendor on your left.
—–Feliz Gusto
Deseree
May 30, 2009 at 7:53 amI hope you enjoy them oneshotbeyond!
That sounds wonderful Young Foodie Jedi! I am glad it worked so well for you and I will definitely have to give those oven dried tomatoes a try. Thanks for the link!
Young Foodie Jedi
May 25, 2009 at 12:08 pmI did try the slow roasting. Started with a 2 pound chuck roast, your spice blend, 1 can of beef broth and a couple cups of water (liquid nearly covered the roast). 250 degrees for about 6 hours. More than enough time. Fell apart as I was pulling it out of the pot. I cooled the broth in the fridge, skimmed off the fat and froze the broth for later. (i’m thinking onion soup).
A nice tip: since the oven was on for 6 hours, I also whipped up a batch of Dara’s oven dried canned tomatoes which got pureed into the most intense tomato paste/spread you will ever taste. Really.
http://inpraiseofleftovers.com/2009/04/17/daras-oven-dried-tomatoes/
Extra bonus: my house smelled awesome.
oneshotbeyond
May 19, 2009 at 10:25 amanother dish I haven’t made at home-YET. You are inspiring me to do so!
Deseree
May 18, 2009 at 4:51 pmThanks Marta! You can never have enough guacamole and cheese!
You’re welcome elizabeth!
Thanks Zoe! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks Ponquereta! Thanks for the tip on the original name for these and I bet they would be good with sour cream. Then again, just about everything is good with sour cream :)
Lori: I have family in San Diego and we love going to all of the little Mexican fast food shacks you have down there! On a recent trip we tried Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista and loved love loved it! You are so luck to be so close to so many excellent Mexican places.
I hope you and your family enjoy them Cathy!
Young Foodie Jedi: I do think that that should work just fine. I did something similar with my pot roast recipe just because I was too lazy to get my crock pot out of the attic and it turned out perfect. Let me know how it goes!
Young Foodie Jedi
May 18, 2009 at 3:36 pmAny suggestions for those of us w/o a crockpot? I’m thinking that it’s similar to a brisket, which cooks at 350 for 3-4 hours. Think it’ll work here?
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer
May 18, 2009 at 11:15 amThese look so DAMN good – We are big anything Mexican in this house and what a great addition to rotation!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
May 18, 2009 at 6:12 amFun! This is the sort of thing that we pick up in little Mexican fast food shacks around here in San Diego. Love them w/ guac & cheese. Have never tried to do them myself though!
Ponquereta
May 18, 2009 at 1:00 ami love how you explained everything step by step, specially how you kept it simple and delicious, they are originally called, flautas and are also great with sour cream.
zoe
May 16, 2009 at 7:47 pmyum! just the meat itself sounds amazing! Time to bust out the crock pot!
Elizabeth F.
May 16, 2009 at 8:58 amI love taquitos and have never attempted them at home. I think I will soon, thanks for sharing this recipe!
Marta
May 15, 2009 at 4:53 pmYummy!! I love recreating my favourite restaurant dishes at home because then you can control what goes in it (getting rid of some unhealthy stuff) and you make sure you maximize your favourite components. I’d turn up the dial on guacamole and cheese, just like you did!!! Lovely presentation :)