Looking for a way to change up taco night, but still need dinner on the table in a hurry? These baked veggie taquitos are here for you! Still tacos, just cuter!
Taco Tuesday on a Cinco de Mayo? YES PLEASE! At least we’ve got that going for us during this COVID-19 stay at home craziness. If you’re looking for a change up from your usual Mexican soft taco recipe, then this will do the trick. Crunchy, cheesy, and full of flavor! You’ve got to try these Baked Veggie Taquitos that kids love for this Taco Tuesday makeover.
These are like high protein vegetarian tacos that kids can manhandle without completely dumping out all the good stuff!
Give Taco Tuesday a facelift this week with these easy oven baked vegetarian taquitos that may become the family’s new Mexican favorite!
What’s a Taquito?
Taquito means “little taco” & it’s like a burrito’s skinny crunchy cousin. Usually, they’re fried to make them crispy. But, this recipe achieves all that crunchy glory in the oven.
You can use flour or corn tortillas for this recipe. I used corn here, but we rotate depending on what’s in the fridge.
The filling can be beef, chicken, vegetarian taco meat, or beans & cheese. This recipe moves away from the traditional black or refried beans and uses protein packed chickpeas instead.
Different & super tasty! These veggie taquitos are what my kids LOVE on Taco Tuesday!
How to Roll the Veggie Taquitos
Okay, so there are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re rolling up these little guys for the first time. You want to be able to roll them without them splitting & you want to roll the taquitos so they stay together.
First, and foremost — spray your pan generously before you start rolling. You don’t want anything sticking to the pan. You’re going to have to flip these over mid-way through the cooking process.
Second, and almost equally important — heat up your tortillas before you start rolling. Corn tortillas will SPLIT if they aren’t warm enough. Pop them in the micro for a few seconds to get them nice and steamy.
Finally, don’t overstuff! You want the filling to stay inside the taquitos. If you overstuff, then it may not stay wrapped when you flip them. Also, the filling could run out and make a mess. Less is more.
Because these are baked taquitos, you don’t have to worry so much about them coming unrolled in the cooking process. As long as they don’t split, the taquitos will stay “glued” together thanks to the lovely cheese inside. Fried taquitos are a different story all together, and they are a lot more hassle.
Baked taquitos are definitely the way to go for a quick weeknight dinner!
Baked Veggie Taquitos
Easy & crispy baked taquitos kids love!
Ingredients
- 2 Cans Garbanzo Beans (Chickpea)
- 1 Can Ro-Tel Original (or mild)
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion diced
- ½ Bell Pepper diced
- 1 package Taco Seasoning
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 15 Corn Tortillas*
- Toppings (Optional): Guacamole, Salsa, Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° while you prepare the filling.
- Saute oil, onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Then, add the can of Rotel and taco seasoning packet. Cook until some of the liquid has evaporated.
- Drain and rinse the cans of garbanzo beans. Then, add beans to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then, using a potato masher (or the back of a wooden spoon), mash the garbanzo bean mixture well. Not all beans have to be mashed. It will still be chunky. This is just to make the filling stick together a bit inside the tortillas.
- The trick to making sure the corn tortillas don't split is to warm them in the microwave for a few seconds. You want each tortilla to be warm but not too hot to handle. About 30-45 seconds per 5 tortillas should work for most microwaves. Definitely don't skip this step!
- Create an assembly line with the bean filling, cheese, & tortillas.
- Before you begin rolling the taquitos, generously spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Line up about 5 tortillas. First, add about 2-3 tablespoons worth of cheese to each tortilla. Then, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling. Then, starting with the bottom part of the tortilla, wrap it over the filling snuggly. Then roll upwards. Place finished taquito in the pan. Continue on with the remaining. Placing each one next to the other until you have a filled casserole dish of taquitos.
- Finally, use your cooking spray to generously coat the tops and sides of the taquitos. This will help the tops get crispy.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Bottoms will begin to crisp nicely. (If not, then cook for 5 minutes longer). Once bottoms are crispy, then flip each taquito over to brown the tops. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes & serve with your favorite salsas or guac!
Notes
- I use corn tortillas for this recipe, but you can definitely use flour if you prefer. My family likes both, so we rotate depending on our mood!
- Just a reminder to SPRAY your pan!
- Also, be careful with the corn tortillas. They can be a bit fragile depending on the brand you use. So, you may have some that split if they aren't warmed up enough before you start rolling!
Kid Friendly Mexican Taco Night Menu
Try something new this Taco Tuesday! This bean and cheese taquito recipe is such a fun twist on the same old taco night. These “little tacos” are packed full of veggie goodness–you’re SO gonna pat yourself on the back for making these. The kids are going to love dipping this veggie awesomeness in their favorite salsa, and they won’t even miss the meat!
And, your taco night is Pinterest (and platter) worthy for sure with these crunchy little taquitos. I swear these are gonna be your newest addiction!
Finally, no Mexican Taco Night Menu is complete without a Rita, amiright? If you’re looking for the worlds EASIEST margarita (ONLY 2 ingredients!) head on over to Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Limeade Margarita STAT!
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