Beef Taquitos
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These easy Beef Taquitos are made with a flavorful shredded beef and cheese mixture, then baked or air fried to crispy perfection. They’re perfect for meal prep—you can freeze them after assembling and cook straight from frozen for a quick, family-friendly dinner!
“I wish I could give this a 6! Absolutely delish. The taquitos freeze and defrost beautifully. I’m making my second batch in 2 weeks to stock the freezer.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Eileen
This post is sponsored by Hy-Vee (Columbia).
Why Readers Love This Recipe
- Only requires a handful of simple ingredients.
- Incredible flavor and texture. All ages love this one!
- Very easy to prepare.
- Awesome for meal prep and great for busy weeknights.
- Like our Creamy Chicken Taquitos, you can cook them straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer in minutes!
Ingredients
- Boneless Beef Chuck Roast – Ok, this is a HUGE TIP! I got mine from the Hy-Vee butcher counter, and they were so helpful! I learned that you can:
- ask your butcher for a fresh cut (they will cut it right off the beef slab instead of taking something that may have sat for days in the meat case),
- ask for the most tender cut (they should know where it is), and
- ask them to trim all visible fat. This will save you so much time and give you the best product at no extra cost!
- Taco seasoning – Use a store-bought packet like Siete brand or use our homemade taco seasoning recipe.
- Cream cheese – Adds creaminess and tanginess to the meat mixture.
- Salsa – I highly recommend using medium or hot salsa, because the heat gets very tamped down once the meat is wrapped in the tortilla with cheese.
- Tortillas – Your choice of a taco-sized flour tortilla, but I prefer whole wheat for a little healthier option. Stacy’s Whole Wheat Tortillas in health food stores are delicious and have clean ingredients.
- Shredded cheddar – We used shredded cheddar but pepper jack cheese will work too. (Did you know you can freeze cheese?)
Order Groceries from Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee has everything you’ll need for this recipe. Order your groceries now from Hy-Vee for pick-up or have them delivered via Instacart.
Be sure to use your Hy-Vee Perks number when ordering to get rewards and discounts on gas!
How to Make Beef Taquitos
Making these easy, crispy beef taquitos only requires three steps.
Cook the Chuck Roast
When it comes to cooking the roast, we suggest doing it one of two ways–in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot. Detailed instructions are in the recipe at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick overview of each method:
Cooking Method #1: Slow Cooker
To make this in the slow cooker, place the roast in the insert and rub the taco seasoning over all sides of the meat.
Add the broth. Close the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds.
Cooking Method #2: Instant Pot
To make Beef Taquitos using the Instant Pot, cut up the chuck roast into 2×2 inch pieces. Cutting it up ensures even, fast-cooking, and fall-apart beef.
Place the meat in the Instant Pot and toss with the taco seasoning. Top with the broth. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
Finish the Filling
After the meat has been fully cooked, you’ll move on to assembling the taquitos. First, you’ll need to shred the beef.
Move it to a wooden cutting board and use two forks to pull it apart. Discard the remaining liquid in the cooker and return the beef to it.
Stir in the cream cheese and salsa until well combined and melted.
Assemble Taquitos
Arrange the tortillas on a clean, flat surface. Using a slotted spoon, top each tortilla with an equal amount of the beef mixture (about 1/4 cup), leaving a little room at the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out. Top each with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up the tortillas very tightly.
Bake the Taquitos
Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the racks in the upper and lower thirds.
Spray two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper. (Or, use one baking sheet to cook half the taquitos and freeze the rest to bake later.)
Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom halfway through the cooking time, until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are golden brown.
Note: I also included air fryer instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Freeze Beef Taquitos
Beef taquitos can be easily prepped as a freezer meal. One of the best things about having a stash of taquitos in the freezer is they can be cooked straight from frozen! This makes them a great meal to have on hand for busy nights when everyone eats at a different time. They’d also make a great freezer meal for 1-2 people.
Freeze It For Later: Prep the meat mixture and roll the taquitos. Then, place rolled up tortillas side-by-side in a single later in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: When ready to cook, you have two options:
Method 1 (Thawed): Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave using the defrost setting. Bake or air fry as directed, beginning with Step 6.
Method 2 (Frozen): Follow Step 6 through 8 in the recipe below with these changes:
- If cooking in the oven, cover the frozen taquitos with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until golden brown and completely warmed through.
- If cooking in the air fryer, it will take about 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and completely warmed through.
Side Dish Ideas
Try some of our favorite sides dishes to go with these taquitos next time you make them.
Recipe FAQs
The consistency can vary depending on the type of beef and salsa you use. I usually drain off most of the liquid but leave a few tablespoons to keep the meat moist. It should be fairly thick.
Yes! Cover the frozen taquitos with foil after spraying them with cooking spray. Then, bake for about 25 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.
Or you can cook these from frozen in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray and add in the taquitos (make sure to leave a little room around each one). Spray the tops with cooking spray and air fry for 8-12 minutes, until crispy, golden, and heated through.
Yes! In fact, one of our most popular recipes is Creamy Chicken Taquitos. They can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot as well.
Tip: Freeze Leftover Tortillas
If you have leftover tortillas, did you know you can freeze them? Here is the best way to freeze tortillas for later.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Beef Taquitos
Making Beef Taquitos with a chuck roast in the slow cooker or Instant Pot is a breeze. The flavorful, moist beef is shredded, mixed with cream cheese & salsa, and then wrapped in a tortilla. Once beef taquitos are prepped, they can be baked, air fried, or frozen for later.
Ingredients
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 tablespoons taco seasoning or 2 store-bought packets
- 1 (approx. 3 pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup medium (or hot) salsa
- 16 (8-inch) flour tortillas (I prefer whole wheat for more fiber)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cooking spray
- Optional toppings: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Season the Roast: Add the broth and taco seasoning to a slow cooker or Instant Pot and whisk until combined. Only if making this in the Instant Pot, cut the roast into 2×2 inch pieces first (this is essential!). Place the cut up roast in an Instant Pot or the whole roast in a slow cooker and turn it around so it gets coated in the sauce on all sides.
- Cook the Roast: Cover and cook the roast using one of these methods:
- Slow Cooker: Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds.
- Instant Pot: Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Shred Meat: Transfer the beef to a cutting board and discard most of the remaining liquid in the cooker (I usually leave a few tablespoons in the bottom to help keep the meat moist). Using two forks, shred the meat and return it to the cooker.
- Finish Meat Mixture: Stir in the cream cheese and salsa until well combined and melted.
- Roll Taquitos: Arrange the tortillas on a clean, flat surface. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, leaving a little room at the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out. Top the beef with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up the tortillas very tightly.
- Bake or Air Fry Taquitos: Choose one of these cooking methods:
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper. (Or, use one baking sheet to cook half the taquitos and freeze the rest to bake later.) Arrange the taquitos seam-side down on the baking sheets, leaving a little room around each one. Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom halfway through the cooking time, until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are golden brown.
- Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray. Once air fryer is preheated, spray the basket with cooking spray and place prepared taquitos into the insert, seam side down so they don’t open up during cooking. (Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Work in batches.) Air fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown and warmed through.
- Serve: Serve warm with your favorite Mexican toppings.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1 to 5. Place the rolled-up taquitos (before baking) in a single layer in one or two gallon-sized freezer bags (really squeeze them in) Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Note: Have your favorite toppings on hand to complete this meal. Two options:
- After Thawing: Follow Steps 6 through 7.
- From Frozen: Follow Step 6 and 7 with these changes:
- If cooking in the oven, cover the frozen taquitos with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until golden brown and completely warmed through.
- If cooking in the air fryer, it will take about 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and completely warmed through.
Notes/Tips
- Recipe Updates: After retesting on 4/8/25, I updated this recipe to include more taco seasoning and salsa to add in more flavor. I doubled both of those amounts.
- I’d suggest using medium or hot salsa. The flavors get muted when mixed with the cream cheese and wrapped in the tortilla. If you want even more flavor, add in additional chili powder and cayenne powder to the meat mixture.
- Storage Tip: A great way to store this freezer meal or leftovers is in our favorite reusable freezer bags.
- If you like these, you’ll LOVE our Creamy Chicken Taquitos (for the slow cooker) or Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.
Would this work in an air fryer also instead of the oven from frozen?
Hi Steph. We recently added a post for Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos! You can follow the directions on that post here: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/air-fryer-chicken-taquitos/
You have the serving size at the top as 2 but at the bottom as 1. Just want to verify before I assume. Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Nicole. The recipe makes 8 taquitos and we think 2 per person is ideal. The nutrition information is for 1 taquito. Let us know how you like them when you do make them!
Put this recipe on for a busy morning dinner cause you literally just have to throw the roast in the pot with taco seasoning. Then the evening put together is super minimal and very good. Made it dairy free by subbing guacamole for cream cheese and topping with dairy-free cheese shreds.
Yes! So true Brandy. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
My family really loved these! I was surprised because my husband is a picky eater. Made enough to freeze for a meal later.
Love to win those picky eaters over. Thanks for the review Emily!
Very good eats!
Thanks Ken! We think so too. 🙂
I was making last minute so I had to tweak the ingredients used – but these were a DEFINITE HIT with my entire family!
I didn’t have time to defrost and cook a roast, so instead I used browned ground beef, adding in the taco seasoning during browning and left out the beef broth since it didn’t seem necessary. I’m so happy I doubled the recipe and used the “freeze for later instructions” for the taquitos we didn’t plan to eat last night. The Creamy Chicken Taquitos are now in our near dinner-plan future!
Hi Kim! I am so glad you shared your tweak and how it turned out. Love that you’ve found a family winner that is easily doubled and frozen for later!
I made these with corn tortillas; I did have to heat them up before filling and rolling to prevent breaking. When I baked them (from frozen!), I put a layer of enchilada sauce underneath and on top, then sprinkled on some cheese. They were absolutely delicious and I will definitely be repeating the recipe!
Mmmm. The addition of the enchilada sauce sounds so good Misty! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and let others know of your changes.
Made these with ground beef tonight. Super fast and easy. Just omitted beef broth and browned the beef in a pan with cream cheese, taco seasoning and salsa. Delicious and simple!
Great tips Trista! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Could these be made with corn tortillas for those following gluten free diets?
Unfortunately, corn tortillas don’t hold up well for this recipe and especially when making it as a freezer meal. I would suggest trying a gluten-free tortilla, although I know some of those can break easily depending on the brand, too.
I’ve made this 3 or 4 times now. This last time I tried the instant pot instead of the slow cooker, still amazing! My family loooves this recipe! (My husband can’t have onion so I have to skip the salsa and use canned diced tomatoes with chilis, works great!)
Thanks for the feedback, Jessica. Really glad it works for your family so well, even with the tweaks.
I wish I could give this a 6! Absolutely delish. They freeze/defrost beautifully. I’m making my second batch in 2 weeks to stock the freezer. I used arm roast because that’s what I had from my CSA. Also added cilantro to instapot. I used the taco seasoning recipe as well.
That’s great to hear, Eileen. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and some tips, too!