Taquitos are one of those foods that I will eat an unreasonable amount of without noticing. These braised beef taquitos are extremely simple and can be made in large batches at a time. I also made an avocado crema and pico de gallo which will be included in the recipe.
How to prepare tortillas?
Corn vs flour tortillas for braised beef taquitos
Traditionally, corn tortillas are used but flour tortillas work just as well. The issue many people run into with corn tortillas is them breaking during the rolling process. This issue is caused by a firm tortilla that hasn’t been properly warmed up.
How to warm up corn tortillas
- Wrap 4 corn tortillas in a damp paper towel
- Microwave for 30 seconds
After the 30 seconds of microwaving, the tortillas will go from firm and rigid to soft and rollable.
Tips for rolling braised beef taquitos
- Start with less filling and work your way up as you get more comfortable.
- Make sure you roll the tortilla as tight as possible without ripping it.
- Place the toothpick as close to the edge as possible to prevent it from rolling when fried.
What cut of meat is the best?
Any type of braising meat will work well for this recipe, but I used beef chuck because it is most affordable. A great choice of meat would be short ribs, but they are much more expensive in comparison.
Spices in braised beef taquitos
Again, this part is completely up to your personal preference. You can add fresh garlic, thyme rosemary, and bay leaves, but I kept it as simple as possible. In addition to the onions and beef stock, I added chili, onion, and garlic powder.
Braised Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
Taquito assembly
- 15 corn tortillas (6 inch)
- damp paper towel
- 15 toothpicks
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ yellow onion (diced)
Beef
- 1.5 lbs chuck roast
- 1 yellow onion (sliced)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 L beef stock
Avocado crema
- 1 large avocado
- 1 large handful cilantro
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ lime (juiced)
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp water
Pico de gallo
- 1 tomato (diced)
- ½ yellow onion (diced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Beef
- In a hot pan, sear your meat with 1 tbsp of oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned.1.5 lbs chuck roast
- Place meat into a pressure cooker along with sliced yellow onions, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and beef stock. Make sure there is enough stock to cover meat.1 yellow onion, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 L beef stock
- Pressure cook for 45 minutes or until meat is fall apart tender.
- Allow the meat to slightly cook then shred using your hands or utensils.
Avocado crema
- Prepare avocado crema while waiting for beef to cook.
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.1 large avocado, 1 large handful cilantro, ½ cup sour cream, ½ lime, ½ tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp water
- If your blender is getting stuck, slowly add ½ tbsp of water until it blends.
Pico de gallo
- Prepare pico de gallo while waiting for beef to cook.
- Dice tomatoes and onions then combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix and season to taste with salt and pepper.1 tomato, ½ yellow onion, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, black pepper
Taquitos assembly & cook
- Wrap 4 tortillas at a time in a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds to soften. If using flour tortillas, you may skip this step.15 corn tortillas, damp paper towel
- Add 2 tbsp of shredded meat onto one side of the tortilla, add cheese, and diced onion.1 cup shredded mozzarella, ½ yellow onion
- Tightly roll the tortilla from one side to the other and skewer with tooth to keep it rolled. Repeat for remaining tortillas.15 toothpicks
- Fry in a shallow layer of oil at 350F for 3-5 minutes or brush with oil and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes until crisp.
- Top with avocado crema and pico de gallo.
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out another taco recipe here:
