Description
These Crispy Jalapeño Popper Beef Taquitos combine spiced ground beef with creamy jalapeño popper-style filling wrapped in warm tortillas and pan-fried to a golden crisp. Perfect as a savory appetizer or main dish, these taquitos feature smoky, spicy, and cheesy flavors that are sure to please any crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 2-4 jalapeños, seeded, deveined, and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup medium heat salsa
- 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese
Assembly
- 12 TortillaLand raw medium tortillas
- 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese
Cooking
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional, for frying)
Instructions
- Cook the Beef Mixture: Add the ground beef, diced jalapeños, and chopped onions to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the onions soften and the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Add Seasonings and Cream Cheese: Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and dried oregano. Follow by adding the salsa and softened cream cheese. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir frequently until the cream cheese has completely melted.
- Melt in Cheese: Stir in 1 cup of freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese into the beef mixture until fully melted and combined. Remove skillet from heat.
- Assemble Taquitos: Lay out each raw tortilla and spoon a heaping ¼ cup of the beef filling onto the bottom third of the tortilla. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the remaining Pepper Jack cheese on top of the filling. Tightly roll up each tortilla to encase the filling.
- Fry Taquitos: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (using oil is optional but recommended for extra crispiness). Working in batches, add the rolled taquitos and cook, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides, approximately 10-12 minutes total.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of jalapeños to control the spiciness to your liking.
- Using raw tortillas is key for achieving the crispy texture after frying.
- If you prefer, these taquitos can also be baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Drain excess grease after cooking the beef to prevent soggy taquitos.
- Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or extra salsa for dipping.
