Air Fryer Beef Taquitos are the perfect game day finger food! The flavored ground beef mixture that fills each of these perfectly air fried crunchy taquitos is sure to make your mouth water. Make them for your next get together with friends!
Is it football season already? We have just a few weeks left to go before it’s all about what jersey you’re wearing and what beer you’ll be serving at your game party, so don’t forget to add appetizer recipes to that ever-growing list of football season necessities!
Fortunately, these air fryer beef taquitos will likely relieve some stress from that list instead of adding to it.
The key words here are “air fryer,” which is kind of a code phrase for “easy recipe!” These taquitos are pretty simple to assemble and air fry, so you can make them right before your guests arrive without breaking a nervous sweat.
Even if you’re not a football watching fanatic, that’s okay!
These beef taquitos are delicious when served at pretty much any occasion. Birthday parties, cocktail hours, or just as a weeknight delight for yourself – there’s never a bad time to sit back and enjoy a deliciously air fried beef taquito.
Ingredients for air fryer beef taquitos
The ground beef mixture calls for:
- Ground beef – Lean ground beef works best!
- Yellow onion – A white onion can also be used in a pinch.
- Green pepper – Be sure to dice this up into fairly small pieces.
- Garlic powder – This helps to create a wonderful savory depth in the filling.
- Paprika – I love this for the color, and the very slight added sweetness.
- Olive oil – Avocado oil can be substituted.
- Salt and pepper – Be careful how much of each of these you add.
To assemble the taquitos, you’ll need:
- Eggs – Just 2 will be enough.
- Corn tortillas – Be sure to buy soft corn tortillas!
- Mexican cheese – Buy a big enough bag of shredded Mexican cheese that you can get 2 cups out of it.
- Corn husk – You’ll need to tear these into long strips.
Why are these beef taquitos air fried?
Listen, I love a traditional fried taquito just as much as the next gal… even when they’re from the gas station!
However, sometimes I just don’t feel like dealing with and eating all that oil they’re fried in. It also stinks up your house and everything! That’s why I love using the air fryer for these taquitos! I still get the perfect crunch every time, without all the oil.
Keep that air fryer plugged in!
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Air Fryer Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
For the ground beef mixture:
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium green pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
- Salt and pepper to taste
For assembling the taquitos:
- 2 eggs
- 24 soft corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- Corn husk torn into long strips, or kitchen string cut into 7” long sections
Instructions
For the ground beef mixture:
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and sauté onions together with the green peppers, stirring until the onions sweated and turned slightly brown and the green peppers softened.
- Add ground beef, stirring and breaking down any large pieces. Sauté until the meat turned slightly brown
- Add garlic powder and paprika and continue to sauté until the ground beef are fully cooked and slightly crispy
- Take the pan off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste
Assembling the taquitos:
- Transfer the ground beef mixture into a bowl, stirring continuously to let the mixture cools.
- Whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl
- Once the ground beef mixture is cool (about 5-10 minutes), add eggs and mix well
- On a clean work surface or a plate, lay down one corn husk strip (or kitchen string) sideways (in horizontal position). Place a soft corn tortilla on top of the strip
- Put 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese on the tortilla, forming a line from top to bottom (vertically). Add 1-1/2 tablespoon of ground beef mixture on top of the cheese
- Roll the tortilla. Start by taking the right side and bring it over to the left, covering the cheese and meat mixture. Tuck the edge under the filling mixture, then slowly and as tight as possible, roll the tortilla. Tie the corn husk strip/kitchen string securely around the middle of the roll. Push any filling that might have come out of the ends back into roll and cut off excess length of the strip/string
- Repeat the process for the remainder of the tortillas
Air-frying the taquitos:
- Spray the base and sides of your air-fryer basket with avocado oil spray, including the extra rack (if available).
- Place as many taquitos in the basket and rack as you can without crowding them and spray the top with avocado oil spray.
- If using the extra rack, set the heat to 375°F and timer to 8 minutes. Check the taquitos on the extra rack after 8 minutes, leave the ones on the basket below. Once the top surface is brown and crispy, flip them over so the bottom side can get crispy as well. Fry for another 4 minutes and check again, adding another 2 minutes of cooking time if necessary. Once they are brown and crispy, remove the taquitos on the top layer along with the rack. Flip the remaining taquitos over so the bottom side can get crispy, and fry for another 4 minutes.
- If using only one basket, set the heat to 375°F and timer to 6 minutes. Check the taquitos and once the top surface is brown and crispy, flip them over so the bottom side can get crispy as well. Fry for another 3 minutes. Once top and bottom side are golden brown and crispy, take the taquitos out of the fryer. Add 2 minutes of additional time if the taquitos are not yet crispy.
- Repeat the process for the remainder of the taquitos.
- Serve immediately (see notes for suggested toppings)