Easy to make Beef Taquitos are here just in time for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta! Seasoned ground beef is mixed with an array of ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and flavorful pepper jack cheese, then rolled up in a soft flour tortilla before being baked to crispy perfection.

Beef taquitos on a white plate with a fork.

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5-Star Review

“I used leftover beef pot roast for this recipe (instead of ground beef) and it was absolutely DELICIOUS. Family all raved. Great as an appetizer, dinner (pair with some beans and rice!) or just a snack. Thanks so much!” -Jessica

Easy Beef Taquitos Recipe

As someone who loves Mexican cuisine, I always look forward to celebrating Cinco de Mayo with flavorful, traditional dishes. To mark the occasion, I created my own take on beef taquitos so they are both easy to make and adaptable to whatever I have on hand. Sometimes I’ll use ground beef, leftover beef, or even swap in ground chicken or pork if that’s what’s lingering in the fridge.

Though classic taquitos are actually made with corn tortillas, I created this recipe using flour tortillas as they are less prone to breaking. Though technically, with flour tortillas, they are called flautas, but what’s in a name anyway? They are delicious regardless.

When I serve these taquitos to a crowd, I love making a taquito bar with individual bowls for each topping so guests can choose whichever ones they like. And if I want to kick up the spice a touch, I’ll add a pinch of cayenne pepper with the taco seasoning, opt for a spicy salsa, or go all in with a ghost pepper jack cheese!

Recipe Card

Beef Taquitos Recipe

4.70 from 20 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 taquitos
Author: Becky Hardin
featured beef taquitos.
Cheesy beef cooked with sour cream and salsa is served inside of warm tortillas for a tasty snack!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. ground beef I used 85% but leaner also works as does leftover shredded beef or beef carnitas
  • 1 oz. taco seasoning store-bought or homemade (1 packet)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese (½ brick)
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup salsa store-bought or homemade
  • 1 cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese for less spicy taquitos, opt for Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend
  • 8 tortillas corn or flour

Optional Toppings

Video

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or jellyroll pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  • In a large pan set over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink.
    1 lb. ground beef
  • Add the taco seasoning and stir to combine.
    1 oz. taco seasoning
  • Mix in the cream cheese until melted and hot.
    4 oz. cream cheese
  • Stir in the sour cream and salsa.
    ½ cup salsa, ½ cup sour cream
  • Remove the pan from the stove. Add the cheese and mix until melted and well combined.
    1 cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Microwave the tortillas for 10 seconds to soften.
    8 tortillas
  • Assemble the taquitos. Place a tortilla on a clean work surface. Add a scoop of the beef filling on one side of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and assembled.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes until crispy. Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
    salsa, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese

Equipment

  • 9×13 Baking Pan
Serving: 1taquitoCalories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 18gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 784mgPotassium: 295mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 799IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Beef Taquitos Step by Step

Cooked ground beef in a skillet.

Cook the beef: Preheat your oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or jellyroll pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Over medium-high heat, in a large pan, cook 1 lb. ground beef until no pink remains and the meat begins to sizzle.

Add 1 oz. taco seasoning to the ground beef and mix well so it gets combined with the meat.

Cooked seasoned ground beef with cream cheese in a skillet.

Add the cream cheese: Stir in 4 oz. cream cheese, breaking up the brick until it melts and creates a creamy texture.

Cooked ground beef with cream cheese and sour cream in a skillet.

Add the sour cream and salsa: Stir in ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup salsa, and mix until well blended and the meat takes on a lighter color.

Cooked beef taquito filling with cheese in a skillet.

Melt the cheese: Remove the pan from the stove and add 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, stirring until melted and well combined.

A flour tortilla with beef taquito filling laid on the bottom half.

Assemble the taquitos: Microwave 8 flour tortillas for 10 seconds to soften. This makes them easier to work with. Place a tortilla on a clean work surface and add a scoop of the beef filling to one side, and flatten it out. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam-side down in the greased pan. This will keep the tortillas wrapped up and the filling inside while they bake. Repeat this process until all the tortillas are filled and assembled.

8 beef taquitos on a baking sheet.

Bake the taquitos: Bake for about 15 minutes until the tortillas start to get crispy and turn a slight golden color.

A fork holding a halved taquito upright to show the filling on a white plate.

Serve: Serve the taquitos with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

How to Store  

Store leftover beef taquitos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Freeze beef taquitos individually wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time.

Overhead view of 2 beef taquitos on a white plate garnished with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Serving Suggestions

These cheesy, beefy, warm, and flavorful beef taquitos are worth celebrating. This Cinco de Mayo, I am serving them with a tall margarita to really get the party started! I’ll set out some bowls with creamy guacamole, homemade pico de gallo, sour cream, and shredded cheese, and serve them with a side of cilantro lime rice and refried beans.

more mexican recipes to try

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.70 from 20 votes (12 ratings without comment)
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15 Comments
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Kristy
Kristy
September 8, 2024 3:26 pm

4 stars
I’ve made this recipe a few times and my family loves it! I saw the instructions for freezing, however I’m curious about just
freezing the filling (making tonight and used up all the tortillas we had). I was thinking of freezing the remainder of the filling in freezer ziploc bags, and then letting it defrost in the fridge for a quick weeknight meal at a later date. Thoughts on this? How long do you think it would keep in the freezer? Thanks in advance for any input and for a fabulous recipe.

Samantha Marceau
Samantha Marceau
September 9, 2024 8:35 am
Reply to  Kristy

The filling should keep for up to 3 months in the freezer!

Reoma Colvin
Reoma Colvin
October 17, 2023 5:52 pm

3 stars
Please change the ingredients to flour tortillas only. I used corn and they split while baking in the oven. We ate them with a knife and fork and they tasted great. They just would have been better if they stayed intact.

Samantha Marceau
Samantha Marceau
October 18, 2023 9:24 am
Reply to  Reoma Colvin

Hi Reoma, corn tortillas are the traditional choice, but they do require a bit more prep! Try warming them in the microwave or in a hot pan for a few seconds to make them more pliable!

Karen Becker
Karen Becker
July 1, 2023 11:28 pm

5 stars
Great recipe! Made it for dinner tonight and my husband and son loved it.

Jessica
Jessica
January 26, 2023 10:45 am

5 stars
I used leftover beef pot roast for this recipe (instead of ground beef) and it was absolutely DELICIOUS. Family all raved. Great as an appetizer, dinner (pair with some beans and rice!) or just a snack. Thanks so much!

Brian
Brian
October 7, 2022 9:41 pm

5 stars
This was really easy and really good! Quick Friday night meal by the fire. First time making these.
I like spicy so I added hot salsa- that was good. I bought a jalapeño but forgot to put it in. Next time. Still had a nice kick. The filling was easy to make. Great texture — that’s key for something like this. Will make again for sure

BC6B26C1-F85C-4080-9688-6070C6945A10.jpeg
Samantha Marceau
Samantha Marceau
October 10, 2022 9:17 am
Reply to  Brian

Looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing, Brian!

Leslie
Leslie
April 26, 2022 11:29 am

5 stars
Easy weeknight meal for our family. We fully enjoyed it

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
May 3, 2022 12:23 pm
Reply to  Leslie

Thanks for sharing, Leslie!

Tina
Tina
March 28, 2022 2:59 pm

5 stars
My husband loved these. Thank you so much

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
April 4, 2022 11:14 am
Reply to  Tina

Thanks for stopping by!

Tina
Tina
March 26, 2022 4:14 pm

My

Grace
Grace
March 24, 2022 11:13 am

5 stars
I was wondering if I could make these in the air fryer? I live in Arizona and try not to use the oven unless I absolutely have to. If it’s possible, what temperature and time would you reccomend?

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
March 24, 2022 3:57 pm
Reply to  Grace

I imagine you could, I haven’t tested it that way yet though!