Satisfy your craving for crunch with these golden crisp vegetarian bean and cheese taquitos. Filled with a creamy, chile-spiced bean and cheese mixture, these tightly-rolled taco-like treats are oven-baked to perfection. Dip into your favorite salsa and munch the crunch!
Click here to PIN Vegetarian Baked Bean and Cheese Taquitos.
Ditch the store-bought taquitos–these homemade vegetarian taquitos far surpass the frozen ones at the grocery store. Recently, while pushing my cart past a display of those deep-fried meat-filled ready-to-bake taquitos, I remembered the healthier vegetarian taquito recipe hiding in the corner of this blog’s archives. Unearthed, here it is, freshly revised and ready to tempt your taste buds!
Taquitos or flautas–what’s the difference?
Although they have different names, they’re essentially twins. Taquitos, looking like skinny tacos, are tortillas rolled around a filling. Flautas, taking their name from the Spanish word for flute, also involve tortillas rolled around a filling.
Traditionally, taquitos are made with corn tortillas and then deep-fried to a crunchy finish. On the other hand, flautas tend to be made with flour tortillas. Either way, you can choose between corn tortillas or flour tortillas, it’s your option.
Bottom line–Skip the unhealthy frying. These bean and cheese taquitos (aka flautas), and are baked to pleasing crispness.
Vegetarian bean and cheese taquitos are a breeze to prepare. Follow these simple steps:
- Make the filling:
Mash beans with chlpotle pepper, onion, cilantro, and a bit of cheddar cheese. You can use pinto beans or black beans.
- Soften the tortillas:
Warm the tortillas until they’re just pliable for easy rolling. One way is to place them on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and pop them in the oven for a few minutes, like for these chard enchiladas. Alternatively, you can brush the tortillas with olive oil and soften them in the oven.
Caution: Warm tortillas just until pliable–you want to be able to easily roll them around the filling. - Fill the tortillas:
Spread a few tablespoons of the bean mixture onto the softened tortillas. Then roll them up tightly like you would a rug. Place the rolled tortillas on a baking sheet with the edges down.
- Bake to perfection:
Spray the rolls with a healthy cooking spray and bake in a hot oven until they turn golden and crisp.
While the filled rollups bake, whip up a creamy avocado sauce for dipping and drizzling. Use this recipe for quick and easy avocado crema. Or use your favorite red or green salsa for a simple dip.
Can you freeze these taquitos for later?
Bake first and then let them cool down. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until they’re frozen hard. Transfer the frozen baked taquitos to a freezer-strength storage bag. They keep well up to about 4 months. When you’re ready for snacks or dinner, bake them frozen in a preheated 400° F oven for 15-20 minutes, until they’re hot and crispy. Resist the urge to let them thaw before baking.
Serving suggestions:
For a light supper, serve three or four crispy bean and cheese taquitos along with a simple salad of shredded lettuce and matchstick-cut jicama.
Pair with refreshing Ginger Beer Mexican Mules, or skip the tequila for a non-alcoholic option.
Instead of Taco Tuesday, make it Taquito Tuesday! With creamy spiced beans and cheese and craveable crunch, they’re sure to please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Recipe notes for Baked Bean and Cheese Taquitos aka Flautas:
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- Make these super easy with canned beans and cooking spray. If you’re planning ahead, cook your beans from scratch. If you wish, use a can of refried beans instead of whole beans.
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- If you don’t have cooking spray, generously oil the filled tortillas using your hands or a pastry brush.
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- Be mindful not to overfill the tortillas or they might rip. You also want to seal the tortillas tightly when rolling to prevent them from opening during baking.
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- Even if you leave an inch open on each side of the tortilla, some filling might spill out while baking. Don’t worry: it happens most of the time.
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- I like Mi Rancho tortillas. Both their corn and flour tortillas have a clean list of ingredients–no hydrogenated fats. Given the choice, I gravitate to corn tortillas for taquitos. That said, for me the ideal tortilla for taquito flautas is one made with a mix of corn and wheat flour. I’ve found such tortillas at Whole Foods.
Note: For baking spray, I’ve converted to avocado oil cooking spray instead of canola oil spray. I’ve been reading about canola oil and am steering away from it. Definitely avocado oil is a healthier oil. You can also use a quality olive oil spray.
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Healthy Bean and Cheese Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1 can (15-ounce) beans, rinsed and drained (see note)
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 1 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobe (If you like spicy heat, add a bit more.)
- 3 ounces grated white cheddar cheese or jalapeño jack cheese, optional
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 8 (6-inch) corn or wheat flour tortillas (see note)
- cooking spray, or avocado oil, or olive oil
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ½ cup matchstick lengths of jicama optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- Put the beans, green onions, chipotle pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in the workbowl of a food processor. Add the cheese and cilantro. Process until the mixture is mostly smooth. You can also use a potato masher or fork, mashing into a spreadable mix. It’s ok if the beans aren’t completely mashed.
- Lightly spray both sides of the tortillas with avocado spray (or brush with olive oil) and arrange on the prepared sheet pans. Heat in the oven just until they are pliable, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Spread about 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture down the middle of a softened warm tortilla, leaving about 1-inch on either end. (See notes.)Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the tortilla as tightly as possible. Place them on a sheet pans, seam side down. Press gently to insure the seam stays closed. Generously spray with the cooking spray, or brush generously with avocado oil..
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a bit crispy. They will get crisper as they cool. Some filling will likely spill out when baking. No worries.
- Serve with avocado crema or your favorite salsa. For a full meal, serve with a leafy green salad, something as simple as shredded lettuce with jicama and radish.
Notes
- Choose either pinto beans or black beans for your filling.
- Canned refried bean are another option.
- If you wish, substitute 1 1/2 cups cooked from scratch beans.
- To make these gluten free, use corn tortillas.
- Given the choice, I opt for corn over flour. That said, for me the ideal tortilla for taquitos is made with a mix of corn and wheat flour. Look for such tortillas at Whole Foods.
- If you use flour tortillas, you might want to double the filling.
- Make sure the tortilla isn't overfilled or it will rip. You also want to seal the tortilla tightly so it stays closed while baking.
- Even when you leave an inch on either side unfilled some filling might spill out when baking.
- You can make these ahead of time to serve later: Bake first and then let them cool down. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until they're frozen hard, then transfer them to a freezer-strength storage bag. They keep well up to about 5 months. When ready to re-heat, do not thaw. Bake from the freezer to a preheated 400° F oven for 15-20 minutes, until the taquitos are hot and crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Depending on the brands you use and substitutions you made, and how much you actually eat, the numbers may vary. Numbers do not include the vegetable spray, the avocado crema or the lettuce and optional jicama.
They sound delicious! · 6 July, 2023
Thank you Kalyn! · 15 July, 2023