Making frozen taquitos in the air fryer is fast, requires almost no clean-up and doesn’t call for any extra oil. These crispy rolls are perfect for a fast appetizer or meal.

 

One of my favorite things about air fryers is that they do a great job of crisping up food. Everything from egg rolls to waffle fries, this cooking method provides the perfect amount of crunch. That’s why I love cooking frozen taquitos in the air fryer. The crispy tortilla roll is so good and in my opinion, tastes just like it came out of the deep fryer without the extra oil.

What is a taquito?

Taquito is Spanish for “small taco”. They are typically made of a rolled up tortilla that has a filling of cheese, chicken, beef or beans inside. It’s then fried to perfection and often served alongside extra toppings or dips.

What is the difference between taquitos and flautas?

There is not much of a difference. Taquitos are typically made with a corn tortilla and a flauta is made with a flour tortilla. The names tend to be used to refer to the same thing, in fact several companies use the name interchangeably.

What you need

Frozen taquitos – Choose your favorite frozen taquito brand. Most brands precook the taquitos so it’s just important to heat them up before eating. (The pictures shown are of Jose Ole chicken and cheese in flour tortillas. )

Air Fryer – I use a 5.8 quart Cosori. I like the square basket because you are able to fit more food. The instructions will be the same regardless of the model you have.

How to make

You can find full, printable ingredients, instructions and video at the bottom of this post.

This is my favorite method for cooking frozen taquitos. No preheating, no thawing and done in less than 10 minutes.

1. Remove frozen taquitos from packaging and place them in the air fryer basket. I can usually fit 6-7 in mine without stacking.
2. Cook at 390 degrees F for 3 minutes, flip them over and cook at 390 degrees F for another 3-4 minutes or until they
3. Carefully remove from the air fryer. Make sure to use silicone tongs, not metal to ensure you don’t chip off any protective coating.

*** This cook time is based on a non-preheated air fryer. If you cook batches back to back, you might want to reduce the cook time by 1-2 minutes.

What are the best frozen taquitos?

There are many brands on the market, even gluten-free ones, but the ones we have tried and recommend are:

• Jose Ole
• El Monterey
• Delimax
• Trader Joe’s brand

How to reheat taquitos in air fryer

If you have leftovers that need to be reheated, place them in the air fryer and cook at 350 for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.

How to serve

Taquitos are often served with toppings or dips. Some favorites consist of:

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Cream cheese salsa dip
• Taco sauce
• Cheese dip
• Ranch dressing
• Boom boom sauce

Tips

• If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• I like to point out that each air fryer cooks a little different.
• Make sure they have space in the basket so that the hot air can circulate around them and cook evenly.
• If you want them to get extra crispy and brown, you can choose to lightly spray with olive oil before cooking.
• Use the same cooking directions for cooking frozen flautas in the air fryer.

More frozen foods in the air fryer

• Air fryer frozen waffles
• Air fryer frozen okra
• Air fryer frozen chicken strips
• Air fryer frozen biscuits
• Air fryer frozen sausage patties
• Air fryer frozen pretzels

Want more air fryer recipes? Be sure to check out our Easy Air Fryer Recipes Facebook group.