Ground Beef Baked Taquitos - Real Life Dinner

Baked Taquitos are so much fun to eat. These Ground Beef Baked Taquitos are filled with a delicious ground beef mixture that the whole family is bound to love. This simple meal comes together so quickly and is adaptable to what you have on hand. They pair perfectly with a batch of our favorite Stove Top Spanish Rice or Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice.

The nice thing about a recipe like this is you can use what you have on hand. You can use whatever size tortilla you happen to have on hand, and you can use pinto beans and smash them as you stir or a can of refried beans, if you have one in your cupboard. I used tomato sauce and diced green chilis in mine, but you could add your favorite salsa instead of those two ingredients. You can even use Homemade Taco Seasoning in place of a packet, if you feel like whipping some up.

I love recipes like this and can’t wait to hear how you like this one!

Serve with…

STEP-BY-STEP PICTURES ON HOW TO MAKE GROUND BEEF BAKED TAQUITOS

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips about how to make Ground Beef Baked Taquitos

can I make the taquitos in advance?

Yes. Prepare the filling, roll the filling up in the tortillas, and place the taquitos on a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for a day or two. You can also layer the taquitos in a large Ziploc bag instead of placing them on a baking sheet in the fridge.

can I substitute chicken or pork for the ground beef?

Yes, but the chicken or pork needs to be precooked first. For a delicious chicken taquito recipe, try my Easy Baked Chicken Taquitos.

DO I HAVE TO BRUSH THE taquitos WITH OIL before baking them?

They need to either be brushed with a little canola or vegetable oil or sprayed lightly with cooking spray. This helps them crisp up when they bake.

CAN I FREEZE THE taquitos?

Yes, you can definitely freeze taquitos. The best way is to freeze them before baking them. Lay them in flat layers in a large Ziploc bag and place them in the freezer. You can bake them straight out of the freezer. There’s no need to thaw the taquitos first.

Tips:

You can substitute 1 cup of your favorite salsa for the tomato sauce and green chilis.
Use a masher to break down the pinto beans, leaving some of them whole. You want the texture of having some of them smashed and some of them whole.
You can use a can of refried beans in place of the pinto beans.

chef’s tools:

Ground Beef Baked Taquitos

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

So much fun to make and eat, these Ground Beef Baked Taquitos are packed with protein and a handheld dinner your kids (and you) will love.

Author: Maria

Recipe type: Easy Dinner/Ground Beef

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

8-12 tortillas (depends on what size you use)
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, diced
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed) or refried beans
1 taco seasoning packet
½ cup (4 ounces) tomato sauce (If you make my Stove Top Rice to go with the taquitos, you can use the other 4 ounces for the rice.)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilis
2 cups shredded cheese
Oil or cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the beef, the diced onion, salt, and pepper in a large nonstick skillet. Cook until the meat is nicely browned and the onions are cooked.
Next, add the drained and rinsed pinto beans and use a masher to kind of squish them, leaving some of them whole.
Add the taco packet, tomato sauce, and diced green chilis. Mix until well combined, and then let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes.
Next, spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
To make the taquitos, place a small amount of cheese across a tortilla, scoop ¼ cup or so of the filling over the cheese (see pictures), and then roll the tortilla nice and tight. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the cheese and meat mixture are gone.
Before baking, generously spray the top of the taquitos with cooking spray or use a basting brush to brush them lightly with canola or vegetable oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until taquitos are nicely browned. If desired, you can turn them over and place them under the broiler for a minute at the end to crisp up the bottom side.
Dip in your favorite sides, like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
Enjoy!