These baked veggie taquitos are an homage to my older brother Neal, and the dinners he ate as a kid. He would eat a plate of taquitos for dinner, (likely chicken, but I had no clue, being an extremely picky eater) and I have had a strange obsession with them ever since. I made and ate them for the first time when I created this recipe, and am just kicking myself that it took me over twenty years to enjoy these crispy rolls!
I first embarked on this journey with a massive crockpot full of homemade refried beans, a recipe which will need to make an appearance here once I manage to eat this batch. So while I am calling these baked veggie taquitos, they are mainly filled with beans, with a few sautéed veggies hidden inside.
You can jazz up this recipe as much or as little as you like. Top them with freshly chopped tomatoes, sour cream or Greek yogurt, guacamole, salsa, grated cheese, or pico de gallo. The same goes for the filling, do you! You will find that happy ratio of filling to tortilla, I really stuffed mine, because the filling is my favorite part. This recipe is for eight, very full, baked veggie taquitos, but you can easily make a dozen, with less inside!
Baked Veggie Taquitos
Makes 8
8 medium corn tortillas
2 c. refried beans
1/2 onion1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Chili powder
1/2 t. Onion powder
1/2 t. Garlic powder
1/4 t. Cayenne pepper
Light drizzle of honey (optional)
1 T. Olive oil + more for greasing the baking dish
1. Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a rectangle baking dish with oil and set aside (choose your dish size depending on how many taquitos you want to make. You want them to fit snuggly, which will help them stay rolled up while they bake. I used a 10×5 baking dish).
2. Thinly slice the onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat to caramelize. While that is cooking, slice the zucchini and bell pepper into ribbons and add to the onions. Cook, stirring every few minutes. Once the veggies start to become soft, add in all the spices and honey. Cook for a few more minutes before removing from the heat.
3. Chop the cilantro and set aside.
4. If you are using corn tortillas, you might need to warm them over the stove to make them really pliable. I tried without heating and it was a mess. So warm the tortillas then get ready to roll.
5. For the assembly: spread about 1/4 cup refried beans onto a tortilla, then top with a small amount of veggies and a sprinkle of cilantro. Roll tightly and place in the prepared baking dish. Once all the taquitos are in place, brush the tops with a little more oil, cooking spray works great too.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy. I served mine with guacamole mixed with Greek yogurt for a little tang and spicy salsa!
