Full disclosure: before coming up with this recipe, the only taquitos I’ve had were the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s. And I didn’t like them. I didn’t hate them either, but I was left feeling pretty meh about the idea of taquitos after that. I was going to do this recipe as tacos, but for some reason, I thought, “No, I’m going to do taquitos instead! Yes, mushroom taquitos! That’s the ticket!” After a little bit of Googling, I realized that taquitos were fried. Could they be baked instead?
Yes! It is possible to bake taquitos! I found this out after some more Googling (what did we do before Google?!) and finding a recipe for Baked Chicken Taquitos on the Whole Foods website. I was a little bit put off by their method of soaking the tortillas in warm broth before filling them, so I skipped that and simply warmed the tortillas instead, which is what I do when I make enchiladas.
Many times when you bake something instead of frying it, it really pales in comparison to the fried version. You try to convince yourself that it’s just as good, but y’all know those oven fries just aren’t the same as fried fries. You know it! Maybe since my previous taquito experience is only the frozen variety, I don’t have the best basis to make a comparison, but I was surprised by how good these were–despite not being fried, they still turned out crispy. And between the crispy exterior and the flavorful mushroom filling, these were a pretty big hit with both me and the husband. If you’re not a mushroom fan, try substituting zucchini or yellow squash instead.
Baked vegetarian taquitos with portabella mushrooms, onions, and queso fresco.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3 large portabella mushrooms, coarsely chopped or pulsed in a food processor
- 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
- 1/2 c. crumbled queso fresco
- 12-6 inch corn tortillas, warmed according to package
- cooking spray or olive oil mister
- salsa (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika; cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and chipotle and cook until liquid from mushrooms evaporates, about 8 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, cilantro, and cheese.
- Divide taquito filling evenly between the 12 tortillas; place the filling on one end of tortilla and roll tightly. Place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spray top of taquitos with additional spray and bake for 12 minutes, or until crunchy. Serve with salsa.
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Taquito. Such a fun word to say. Taquito.
Sorry.
Ooh hey! I think I have corn tortillas left! Score!
I know! For a while I really wanted a chihuahua and I resolved to name him (or her) Taquito. Wouldn’t that have been great? But then my husband had to go and be the voice of reason and remind me that we already have 4 cats.
They look very, very good! I don’t mind the oven taste over the fried taste myself.
I like things that are oven-fried and I appreciate that they’re less heavy, but I miss the crunchiness & crispness that you get with frying.
I’ve had the Trader Joe taquito’s, they were ok. Yours look fantastic!
Thank you! I had the vegetarian taquitos from Trader Joe’s and I think they might have been filled with refried beans, which I’m not crazy about to begin with. They were very bland…
I don’t know if I’ve ever tried taquitos, but that’s probably because I’ve never seen a version like yours! They sound pretty easy to make too, so I should give them a try sometime!
I only had them that one time–most of the time when I see them on a menu, they’re made with meat. But I think I’m going to make them more often now that I know how easy (and tasty) they are!
This looks so good. And I am away all weekend so will have to wait two weeks until I can give it a try.
Pam
Thank you! I hope you like them if you try them.
This is such an awesome idea! I love everything included in this recipe, and this looks so easy to make. Do you think whole wheat tortillas would negatively affect the taste of this dish?
Thank you! I’ve never tried baking whole wheat tortillas, so I’m not sure. I think any differences would be more textural–the corn tortillas are a little thicker than the wheat ones.
I’m not a fan of mushrooms but I love taquitos. I’ve had them with beef, chicken and potato. Trader Joes are ok, but homemade is much better!!
Ooh, potato taquitos! I’ve never seen those before–I bet they’d be really good!
Never had Trader Joes, but yours look wonderful. I love oven “fried” stuff.
I like oven-fried foods too, although I do think French fries taste better when they’re actually fried!
Oh these look really good!!
Love a baked option over fried. I just do not do fried foods.
Really!? There are some fried foods that are a little over-the-top for me, but in general, I love the crispiness of things that are fried. I hate the greasiness, though, so I always oven bake things myself, but when I go to a restaurant, I always order a side of fries.
The only taquitos I’ve had were from Taco Bell (gross!). These look amazing – you are a great cook & I’m in awe of your photography skills.
Ha! I think Taco Bell was the first time I had heard of taquitos, but the ones they sell all have meat in them, so I’ve never had them. (I do have a shameful love for Taco Bell potato tacos though, even though I know they’re absolutely disgusting.)
Ooh, that sounds so yummy!
I never heard or would ever have though of putting mushrooms in Taquitos, but I would definitely want to try this!
Yeah, I guess these aren’t very traditional, huh?
Someone else commented that she had tried potato taquitos and now I really want to make those!
go to central Mexico, they have a lot of veggie tacos, taquitos (flautas as we know them in Northen Mexico), quesadillas, tlayudas, and tlacoyos.
I have mixed mushroom feelings. Sometimes I love them and other times-eh. But I think I’d really like this. They look amazing, even baked!
Thank you! You know, there was a time when I didn’t like mushrooms–I think a lot of people are squicked out by the texture. But now I love them!
Looks absolutely delicious and I would have never thought of making this! Glad I saw your link from Momma Can’s blog.
Thank you!
And thanks for stopping by too!
I love portabellos! These look so delicious!
Thank you! I think it’s hard to not like them as a vegetarian–that’s usually the default vegetarian menu item at a lot of restaurants.
Wait- I thought you hated mushrooms? Heehee…
These look SO good! I’ve had the TJ’s ones too and am not a huge fan. I LOVE their tamales though. Have you tried them?
I haven’t had the tamales from Trader Joe’s, but Whole Foods used to sell the most amazing frozen tamales. I don’t remember the name of the brand, but they had all these crazy vegetarian fillings. I need to try making tamales someday…
You are feeding my love for Mexican food and my new love for mushrooms. These looks delicious. I can’t wait to try them!
Ooh, and if you love Mexican food, you can definitely spice these up a little more!
I made them pretty mild!
These look really good! I’m trying to incorporate more vegetarian dinners into our diet so I’m taking notes
Thank you! I think the best way to gradually add more vegetarian meals to your diet is to forego the fake meats and concentrate on foods you already like. Because with the fake meats, you’re always thinking, “Well, real beef tastes better!”
We’ve actually tried some of the Morningstar Farms fake meat products and both enjoyed them (even my rare steak-loving husband), except for actual soy burgers. Then I did some research on the type of soy that is used in these products are some people are saying those are unhealthy too. Can you ever win?
Yeah, if you’re trying to avoid processed foods, the Morningstar stuff isn’t a good idea! I try to find burgers that are made with grains, nuts, beans, and veggies instead of soy, although if you’re looking for something that imitates meat, those aren’t going to work.
These look great. I much prefer the taste of baked foods, fried just seems too greasy.
Thank you! These definitely aren’t greasy at all, but they still manage to be crispy.
These look yummy! I love mushrooms, especially portabellas!