Taquitos can be cooked in an air fryer for approximately 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking them halfway through and making sure they are not touching.

Learn how to cook taquitos in an air fryer for an easy snack! For both homemade and frozen taquitos, use these Air Fryer Taquito instructions!

What Are Taquitos?

Taquitos are a Mexican food consisting of small, rolled up tortillas with a filling of beef, chicken, or cheese (a little variety for dieters). It is filled and then perfectly deep-fried. If you’re not sure what the distinction between taquitos and flautas is, flautas made in an air fryer are made with corn tortillas, while taquitos are made with flour tortillas.

A fairly easy recipe to prepare on your own, but using frozen taquitos in an air fryer makes things simpler.

Trader Joes and Whole Foods brands have no artificial ingredients if you’re looking for something a little healthier. Taquitos without gluten are available from the brand Feel Good Foods, which uses healthier ingredients.

Also Check: 20+ Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes 2023 – Tasty & Delicious

Can You Make Taquitos in An Air Fryer?

Yes, I would argue that the air fryer is the best way to make taquitos! Taquitos are already pre-packaged with instructions on how to reheat them in the oven or microwave depending on your preference for sogginess. You can cook perfectly crispy taquitos in the air fryer in just 6 to 8 minutes!

Do You Need to Thaw First?

It’s not necessary to thaw these first. Frozen and straight out of the freezer, they are to be air fried. It’s amazing how simple it is to cook frozen tacos in an air fryer right out of the freezer. These taquitos or flautas are cooked to perfection by the hot air circulation!

How to Cook Air Fryer Frozen Taquitos Or Flautas

One of our favorite snacks and finger foods is air-fried frozen taquitos! Seriously, the air fryer makes them super crispy and amazing. The tortilla’s interior is perfect, and the exterior is crisp and crunchy. We frequently make them from scratch, and if you’re feeling ambitious, you can find our taquito recipe on our sister website. You’ll still be satisfied if you air fry frozen taquitos, though, if you’re in a pinch.

• A light oil spray helps. They do not dry out too quickly because of the oil.
• In the air fryer, don’t cram them in too tightly. Leave some space between the taquitos so the hot air can cook all sides.
• Additionally, stacking them is not a good idea. Try to arrange them all in a single layer. The stacking could lead to the breaking and bending.

Preheating the Air Fryer

the air fryer to 400F. Your model might need to be manually turned on and allowed to warm up for 3-5 minutes.

If your air fryer basket is made of aluminum, you can add oil or cooking spray; however, if it’s made of non-stick, you should not. Cooking sprays ruin the finish and will make the food in the non-stick basket STICK.

For the best results, place the frozen taquitos in the air fryer in a single layer with room around them. Do not stack them on top of each other, as they won’t turn out as crisp.

Cooking Time

To ensure they are cooking evenly, check them after 5 minutes and set the air fryer for an 8-minute cook time. If necessary, you can flip them over.

We cooked our frozen taquitos in the air fryer for 8 minutes, but you can cook them for longer if you want them to be more crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Flipping the taquitos is not necessary for even cooking, but we found the result was better to check them and move them around after 5 minutes.
• Be sure not to overcrowd your fryer, as the taquitos won’t cook as evenly.
• Adding a dipping sauce or side adds variety to each bite and makes it more fun eat!
• If you have a non-stick air fryer basket, don’t use cooking spray. If you have an aluminum air frying tray, you COULD add a spritz.

How Long to Cook Taquitos in An Air Fryer

The length of time it takes for taquitos in the air fryer depends on a few factors:

• Using an air fryer with a rack, I was able to cook my taquitos in just 6 minutes, but using a bucket air fryer took around 7 minutes.
• Taquito quantity: The cooking time will increase with the number of taquitos. Taquitos that are crowded and in contact with one another won’t be as crispy and will take longer to prepare.
• Taquitos: Homemade vs. Frozen – Homemade taquitos take about a minute less time to prepare than frozen ones.

Frozen Taquitos in Air Fryer

370 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-6 minutes, depending on the brand of frozen taquitos you use. I only cook the José Olé taquitos for 4 minutes because I’ve discovered that the filling spills out easily. You might want to cook the wrap longer if you like your wraps really crispy, but you’ll lose more fillings.

You can cook the frozen Delimex taquitos for up to 6 minutes to get a perfectly crispy wrap because the filling doesn’t spill out very easily. However, keep an eye on them because if you cook them for too long, they will still burst at the seam, just like all frozen taquitos.

Air Fryer Homemade Taquitos

My absolute favorite homemade taquito recipe are these Buffalo Chicken Taquitos. They are very flavorful, only need five ingredients, and don’t contain any unidentified fillers or preservatives. They are very simple to customize to your tastes, and they will be prepared very quickly.

Taquitos made from scratch function best when cooked quickly at a high temperature. It’s ideal to cook for 3 to 6 minutes at 390 degrees F.

Difference Between Taquitos and Flautas?

The tortillas are everything. Taquitos and flautas are typically made with corn tortillas and flour tortillas, respectively. What are these delicious rolled treats? Here’s what Wikipedia says: “A taquito, tacos dorados, rolled taco, or flauta is a Mexican food dish that typically consists of a tiny tortilla that has been filled with beef, cheese, or chicken. After filling, the tortilla is deep-fried or crisp-fried. Sour cream and guacamole are two common toppings for this dish.” When you’re cooking these start with a small batch first to see what the best timing is for your preferred texture. Brands differ so much on the size, so if they’re thicker they might take longer to cook. Furthermore, adjust timing so they are less crisp if you prefer your flautas a little softer.

How Do I Make Taquitos from Scratch?

You’ll need to prepare a few things in advance if you prefer to make these homemade taquitos from scratch. Brown lean ground beef and add taco seasoning to make beef taquitos. Place the seasoned meat into the center of each tortilla and carefully wrap until they are fully closed. Place into the air fryer basket seam side down. Taquitos should be air-fried at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken taquitos are an alternative. You can use rotisserie chicken or even freshly cooked chicken breasts to shred. Scoop the cheesy chicken filling into the center of the tortillas after adding a little cream cheese and green chilies to the mixture. Seam side down, insert into the air fryer basket. For golden brown and fully cooked food, air fry for 4–5 minutes at 400°F.

What Can I Serve With Air Fryer Taquitos?

If you’re making this dish into a meal, think about serving air fryer flautas or taquitos with sides like Spanish rice, black beans, and refried beans.

There are a ton of different taquito brands to choose from. The frozen taquitos I’m craving on any given day are probably the best! Since chicken and beef are two foods that I genuinely enjoy, I am always willing to try either.

FAQs

Try the following Air Fryer recipes if you are interested!