Crispitos are made with ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, and seasonings. They’re tightly wrapped in a flour and corn tortilla shell and are perfect for dipping in your favorite queso sauce, salsa, or sour cream. This recipe resembles your school cafeteria nostalgia, only we kick it up a few notches.
Homemade Beef Crispitos Copycat – straight from your high school cafeteria!
These are not the beef crispitos straight from your high school cafeteria, though they resemble them and will bring back nostalgic memories. Our version is healthier and perhaps you might say it’s more visually appealing and tasty.
High school lunchroom versions simply include ground beef, some seasoning wrapped in the tortilla shell. They’re often seen served with a cheese sauce.
Baking con Brio: Lunchroom Nostalgia: Baked Beef Crispitos
Crispitos can be either baked or fried, depending on your preference. If you prefer a more crispy outcome and don’t mind the grease, frying them in oil will achieve this.
However, if you want to skip the extra calories then baking them will your choice preference.
Homemade Crispy Mexican Beef Taquitos (Flautas)
You might be wondering what the difference is between crispitos, taquitos, and flautas. Can the names be used interchangeably?
Crispitos. Crispitos are basically a Mexican dish that has a filling made from beef or chicken that is rolled tightly inside a tortilla shell or roll sheets and is fried and served crisp.
Taquitos. Taquitos are typically made with smaller corn tortilla shells. They can include beef or chicken wrapped tightly in the shell along with cheese and any other custom toppings that are desired.
Flautas. Flautas are usually made with large burrito size or quesadilla size flour tortilla shells. They can include beef or chicken filling rolled tightly in the shell, along with cheese and any other desired filling ingredients.
FAQ
Following are questions that are asked most frequently about making crispitos recipe beef. We trust you’ll find them helpful. If you have a question that’s not listed here, just let us know.
What can I serve air fryer taquitos (flautas) with?
Here are some sides that you might enjoy with your beef crispitos:
white rice
salsa
sour cream
Pico de Gallo
shredded lettuce
refried beans
tortilla chips
guacamole
What’s the best way to store, and for how long?
Like most foods, we think crispitos with beef are best when served fresh. But if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Or place them in the freezer in a zipped freezer bag or airtight storage container for up to three months.
What’s the best way to reheat?
We do not recommend reheating crispitos in the microwave because they become soggy. The best way to reheat them is in the oven or air fryer to maintain the crispness. Place them on a baking sheet and reheat at 375F degrees until warmed through for about 6 minutes.
How do you make ground beef crispitos at home?
Ground beef crispitos can be homemade in the comfort of your own home, using our recipe below. They are even more healthy than lunchroom nostalgia.
Where did the recipe for crispitos come from?
Chicken crispitos are thought to have originated in Mexican cuisine. They’re adapted according to each creator’s preference.
Where can I get a recipe for chili crispitos?
To make chili crispitos, just follow the instructions in the recipe variations section below.
What kind of meat do you use for chicken crispitos?
You can use any kind of chicken meat that you prefer. Chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken legs, chicken tenderloins, all work well. If you want to use a shortcut, pick up a rotisserie chicken to use for your chicken crispitos. All you have to do is cut it up.
Can you use foil in the air fryer?
Yes, foil can be used in the bottom of your air fryer pan to make clean up easier. Parchment paper can also be used.
Should you use corn or flour tortillas for Air Fryer Taquitos?
If you can find a tortilla shell that uses a combination of corn and flour, that’s ideal. If not, we recommend using flour tortillas. Plain corn tortillas tend to dry out too quickly and break easily.
Where does the color of crispitos come from?
The orangish, yellowish color from commercially made beef crispitos is thought to mainly come from turmeric seasoning.
Air Frying Frozen Taquitos, Beef & Chicken
If you have frozen your crispitos or taquitos and you’re ready to air fry them, you can do so by placing them directly in the air fryer. No need to thaw them first. You’ll want to compensate the cook time for the fact that they’re frozen by adding 3-5 minutes of additional frying time.
How to make taquitos:
Here are our instructions to make easy crispitos recipe beef.
Easy Crispitos: 3 Steps
The three main steps to easy crispitos include making the beef filling, cooking, and preparing any toppings or dip.
Ingredients
corn and flour blend tortilla shells or flour tortilla shells
1 pound ground beef
1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
pinch of ground pepper
cooking oil
Optional Garnish:
tomato
onion
shredded lettuce
sour cream
guacamole
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Add seasonings including cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano to the beef. Mix well.
3. Add beef mixture to the tortilla shell and roll tightly.
4. Rub oil on all sides of the crispitos.
5. Add taquitos to a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until they’re golden brown.
6. Garnish. Serve with dip, salsa, sour cream of your choice and enjoy.
Beef Filling:
To make the beef filling we add salt, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper to the mix.
Veggie Filling:
If you like vegetables, you might opt to add some vegetables inside your crispitos. We often like to add chopped tomatoes, diced sweet onion, and shredded lettuce.
Guacamole:
Our favorite way to make guacamole is by using a fresh avocado, garlic, salt, lime juice, and sugar. Use a large avocado and remove it from its skin. Mash the avocado, add a pinch of salt, fresh garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, and 1 tsp sugar. Stir well and serve while fresh.
To Freeze Taquitos:
We recommend eating your crispitos, taquitos, and flaurtas while they’re hot and fresh. But if you have leftovers that you need to freeze, that can be done. To freeze taquitos, wrap them in a zipped freezer bag and place them in the freezer for up to three months.
Recipe Variations
Following are recipe variations for crispitos recipe beef.
Air Fryer Beef Taquitos
To make air fryer beef taquitos, use our recipe above for crispitos. Then cook in a 350F degree air fryer for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Chili Crispitos Recipe
Chili crispitos can be made using your favorite chili recipe or canned chili as a shortcut. Just add the chili and shredded cheese or any other desired ingredients. Then roll the crispito and cook as instructed in the recipe above. If you’re looking for a chili recipe to make this, here’s one of our favorites.
Beef and Bean Crispitos
Been and bean crispitos are a fun recipe variation. Just add the desired amount of refried beans to the meat mixture. Cook as otherwise directed.
Air Fryer Beef and Bean Taquitos
Air fryer beef and bean taquitos are made by using the recipe above and adding the desired amount of refried beans to the beef mixture. Cook them for about 8 minutes in a 350F degree air fryer, or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Shredded Beef Taquitos
Another variation on the beef recipe crispitos is to use shredded beef instead of ground beef. The shredded beef should be cooked in advance in a Dutch oven or in a slow cooker. It’s then wrapped in the flour tortilla shell with seasonings and cheese and cooked using the recipe above.
Tips for Making the Perfect Shredded Beef Taquitos
To make perfect shredded beef taquitos, use moist meat that has been fully cooked before wrapping it in the tortilla shell. Include a bit of the drippings in the meat mixture to add moisture. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the shredded beef will dry out.
These Easy Air Fryer Beef and Bean Taquitos are the perfect air fryer beef recipe!
Of course being the best recipe is a matter of opinion, but we think beef and bean taquitos are easy and delicious.
Tips for making Air Fryer Taquitos
An important aspect of making air fryer taquitos is to watch them closely so that they become golden brown and crispy, but not too done. We recommend frying them for about 8 minutes at 350F degrees.
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Crispitos Beef Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 10 corn and flour blend tortilla shells or flour tortilla shells
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- pinch of ground pepper
- cooking oil
Optional Garnish:
- tomato
- onion
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
- guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Add seasonings including cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano to the beef. Mix well.
- Add beef mixture to the tortilla shell and roll tightly.
- Rub oil on all sides of the crispitos.
- Add taquitos to a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until they’re golden brown
- Garnish. Serve with dip, salsa, sour cream of your choice and enjoy.
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