The Best Ground Beef Taquitos in the Air Fryer

These are the best ground beef taquitos in the air fryer and they could not be easier! Corn tortillas and an easy ground beef filling air fried until crispy. Serve with cilantro, green onions, avocados or guacamole, and crumbled feta for a fun meal or appetizer. This is a great way to stretch a pound of ground beef. These can be customized to your families liking and are very budget friendly!

Highlights of these air fryer beef taquitos:

• Family friendly, these can be customized to anyone’s liking!
• Can be made with corn tortillas or flour tortillas
• No oily mess or deep frying involved
• A budget friendly way to stretch ground beef
• Easy dinner for weeknights
• Can substitute pre-made frozen taquitos
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week

Quick Steps:

• Brown ground beef
• Add in salsa and other spices as desired
• Warm corn or flour tortillas
• Fill and roll tortillas
• Air fry until crispy and golden brown
• Top with favorite toppings and enjoy

Grocery List & Substitutions:

• Corn or flour tortillas, could use low carb or keto tortillas
• Taco seasoning
• Lean ground beef, could make chicken taquitos and substitute a chicken filling, you could also substitute store-bought taco meat or leftover shredded chuck roast
• Salsa of choice
• Shredded cheese if desired, such as Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese
• Green onions, cilantro, avocado, or sour cream for topping

These easy air fryer beef taquitos are freezer friendly. Make the beef mixture, fill, and roll taquitos according to recipe. Make sure taquitos are wrapped tightly. Place in a single layer on a sheet tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a labeled zip top bag and store for up to 2 months. These can be cooked from frozen, just increase the time.

Tools I used for this air fryer recipe:

• Glasslock Glass Food Storage Containers – the square containers are the perfect size for lunches, stain proof, and they are dishwasher safe. Great for storing leftovers.
• Tongs – a must have kitchen tool!
• Instant 6 qt. Air Fryer – Sleek and functional, the perfect size for 2-3 people.

Topping ideas:

• Sliced green onions or pickled red onion
• Fresh jalapenos or pickled jalapeno
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Avocado slices
• Guacamole
• Chopped cilantro
• Pico de Gallo
• Limes
• Crumbled feta
• Green chilies
• Black olives
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Chopped onions or onion slices

The toppings are my favorite part, see above for fun topping ideas! You can serve these buffet style and let guests dish up their own toppings. These taquitos are always a great recipe for an easy meal!

If you like this easy air fryer recipe, check out these other air fryer recipes…

Homemade Chicken Patties in the Air Fryer

Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Meal Prep Air Fryer Beef Meatballs

Air Fryer Pigs In a Blanket Recipe

Quick & Easy Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Bowls

How long to cook taquitos in the air fryer?

These homemade taquitos only take 6-8 minutes in the air fryer. The meat mixture is already cooked so all we need to do is crisp up the tortillas. If you are air frying frozen taquitos they will need 5-8 more minutes so everything is warmed through. Flip taquitos half way through but make sure the seam side is sealed.

Are frozen taquitos good in the air fryer?

Yes! These homemade beef taquitos can be premade and kept in the freezer until needed. Simply pop a few frozen taquitos in the air fryer when desired, just up the cooking time. You can also use store-bought frozen taquitos, follow package directions – just swap the air fryer for the conventional oven.

How can I get extra crispy taquitos in the air fryer?

You can give your taquitos a spray of cooking spray before air fryer to make sure they get nice and crispy. Also make sure you flip them half way through so nothing gets soggy.

Instructions for the air fryer taquitos recipe:

• In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until cooked through*. Season with taco seasoning or your own spice blend. Mix in salsa, stir to combine. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Warm corn tortillas in the oven or microwave, you want these softened a bit so they do not tear. Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the beef mixture, don’t over fill. Gently roll tortillas, placing them seam side down on a sheet pan. Repeat until all of the filling has been used.
• Preheat your air fryer using the “air fry” setting, at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, once preheated add in rolled taquitos, seem side down in a single layer*. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crispy, flipping halfway through. Enjoy immediately with your favorite toppings.

Notes:

*There should not be much fat after cooking the ground beef, if there is drain the excess fat before seasoning the meat. 

*You want to air fry these in a single layer, you may need to cook in batches. Keep cooked taquitos warm in a 250 degree oven if needed. 

Crispy golden-brown ground beef taquitos made without the mess of oil frying!

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to see it! Take a picture and post to Instagram with the tag @theheartylife and the hashtag #theheartylife – You can also leave me a question or comment below! If you’ve tried this recipe, feel free to give it a star rating on the recipe above.