Baked Taquitos | Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Meal

The great thing about Taquitos is they can be a snack, a lunch, an appetizer or a dinner. They're so versatile! The even greater thing about this recipe is that these are baked, so they're healthier, AND they're freezer friendly. So you can make these with whatever you have on hand and throw them in the freezer for heating whenever you want!

Ingredients for Taquitos

The best part of making taquitos is that it's a perfect way to use up leftovers and fill them with your favorites. Here are our favorite ingredients:

• Corn Tortillas
• Diced Chicken
• Black Beans — drained
• Corn Kernels
• Salsa — any kind you fancy
• Shredded Cheese
• Cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make taquitos

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  
• In a medium bowl, combine chicken, black beans, corn, salsa and cheese (or your favorite fillings).

• Wrap 10 tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave on high for 2 minutes. This will make the tortillas easy to roll and will keep them from cracking. Repeat with next 10.
  
• Scoop a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture and place in a line on each tortilla. Roll tortilla around filling. Place on rimmed sheet pan seam side down leaving room around each taquito.

• Brush taquitos with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. 
  
• Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy. See notes for instructions on freezing.

Mexican food for the win!

If you could only have one type of food for the rest of your life what would you have? Mine, hands down, would be Mexican. Maybe it's because I grew up in southern California and that being the predominate food there, it reminds me of home. 

When we first moved away, we went to the Pacific Northwest, and for all the amazing things they have (fish!), the Mexican food stinks.

Seriously, their idea of a "wet" burrito was a small drizzle of salsa (imagine my face with utter disappointment here). You need to drench that sucker in enchilada sauce, it should be swimming! This was when I decided to step up my own Mexican food game.

Taquitos are perfect for whatever you've got on hand

This recipe is all about what you already have in the pantry. That is one of the reasons these taquitos are fantastic. Use what you have on hand and simplify your dinner and your life!

This is my go-to recipe of meat, beans, corn and cheese, but really, it's hard to go wrong with your filling. Last week I filled these with red pepper, rice, onion and pinto beans, since I had leftovers that needed to be used up, (waste not, want not) and they were great!

How to prep your taquitos

The key here is to microwave the tortillas in a wet paper towel to make them pliable (this is super important!). Otherwise they will be impossible to roll. Brushing with olive oil will give them that fried crunch, but with none of the oily fried fat. So, no need to worry about eating as many as your heart, or stomach, desires.

How to freeze and reheat taquitos

Freezing taquitos is very simple. You will need to bake them ahead of time. Bake 20 minutes in a 425 degree F oven. This will make them awesome to eat right away and prep them for enjoying later.

To freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment paper to keep them from sticking. Place the taquitos on the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, making sure they're not touching. Remove and place all taquitos in a Ziploc Freezer bag.

They will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months if you use meat. If they're vegetarian, they can last for 6 months. Be sure to label your bag with the date!

To reheat your taquitos, preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (this link is to my absolute favorite baking spray, but it is MUCH cheaper at Williams Sonoma). Place your taquitos on the baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for about 20 minutes or until hot to the middle. Enjoy!