Description
These Crispy Jalapeno Popper Beef Taquitos are a deliciously spicy and cheesy twist on traditional taquitos, featuring a savory beef filling with fresh jalapenos, cream cheese, and Pepper Jack cheese, rolled in tortillas and pan-fried to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Tortillas
- 12 TortillaLand raw medium tortillas
Beef Filling
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 2-4 jalapenos, seeded, deveined, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup salsa (medium for more of a kick)
- 2 cups freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (for frying, optional)
Instructions
- Cook the beef and vegetables: Add the ground beef, jalapenos, and chopped onions to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the onions are softened and the beef is cooked through. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Drain off any excess fat from the skillet.
- Make the filling: Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and dried oregano to the beef mixture. Then add the salsa and softened cream cheese. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 cup of the freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese until melted. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Assemble the taquitos: Lay out each raw tortilla and add a heaping 1/4 cup of the beef filling to the bottom third of the tortilla. Top each filling portion with a heaping tablespoon of the remaining Pepper Jack cheese. Roll up the tortillas tightly to encase the filling.
- Cook the taquitos: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (optional but recommended for extra crispiness). Working in batches, place the rolled taquitos seam-side down in the skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides, carefully rotating as needed to crisp evenly.
Notes
- For milder heat, reduce the amount of jalapenos or remove seeds completely.
- Use medium salsa for a stronger kick or mild salsa to tone down the spice.
- You can bake taquitos at 400°F for 15-20 minutes as a lighter alternative, flipping halfway through for even crispiness.
- Be sure to roll tortillas tightly to prevent filling from spilling during cooking.
- Drain excess fat from cooked beef to avoid soggy taquitos.
