Taquitos are the absolute best way to use Mexican dinner leftovers. Taco Tuesday can easily become Taquito Thursday. 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. We've created a recipe to follow below, but here are our favorite go-to taquito ingredients:

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

Guide for How to make perfect baked taquitos

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray rimmed sheet pan with nonstick 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. Remove and enjoy! See below & notes for instructions on freezing.

Taquitos - the perfect answer for leftovers

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, or leftover, 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 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. Prepare taquitos per recipe all the way through baking. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Once completely cool, place taquitos on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with and place in the freezer for 1 hour, making sure they're not touching. Remove and place all taquitos in a Ziploc Freezer bag.

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

To reheat in oven - preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place your taquitos on the baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes or until hot in the middle.

To reheat in the air fryer - 400°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden and crispy. For best results, spray lightly with oil and don't overcrowd the basket.

What to serve with Taquitos

I love to include guacamole, sour cream and salsa on the side of taquitos, but they're truly fantastic with our Restaurant Style Refried Beans or Garlic Jalapeño Pinto Beans and fresh Pico de Gallo.

Leftovers from our Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, Korean BBQ Nachos, Double Decker Tacos, Ultimate Carnitas Burritos, or our Healthy Chicken and Rice Bake will all make amazing leftover taquitos!