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Taquitos

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Rolled tacos

Taquitos ('little tacos') are short, tightly rolled tortillas filled with meat and fried until crisp. In the United States the name refers above all to a Mexican-American snack that took shape in mid-twentieth-century California, while in Mexico the diminutive is used loosely for any small taco.

Contents
  1. History
  2. Taquitos and flautas
  3. Commercial forms
  4. Serving
  5. Recipe
  6. Where to try it
  7. Reviews
  8. See also
  9. References

History

The word itself is simply the Spanish diminutive of taco. Barry Popik's survey of newspaper archives finds 'taquito' in English-language print since at least 1929, mostly in California. A 1938 Fresno newspaper listed taquitos among foods sold at a Mexican festival, a 1953 Modesto advertisement priced them at fifteen cents each, and by 1967 the Los Angeles Times counted them among Southern Californians' favorite Mexican dishes.

Two establishments are most often credited with popularizing the rolled, fried taquito. El Indio in San Diego opened in 1940 as a tortilla factory, and Popik records that during the Second World War its founder, Ralph Pesqueira Sr., began selling taquitos to nearby factory workers. Cielito Lindo on Olvera Street in Los Angeles is known for taquitos smothered in a thin avocado sauce, and Chowhound notes that both businesses claim the invention.

Taquitos and flautas

Taquitos are frequently confused with flautas. Chowhound's distinction is mainly one of proportion: flautas are long and thin, while taquitos are shorter and stouter. Flautas are generally made with corn tortillas, whereas opinion is divided on whether flour tortillas are acceptable for taquitos. Both are usually filled with shredded meat. The taquito is considered a Cal-Mex staple; the flauta is a Mexican antojito with an undocumented origin.

Commercial forms

Taquitos became a major frozen food in the United States, and fast-food chains adopted them; Popik notes that Taco Bell added steak and chicken taquitos in 2006. At street level they remain a snack sold by the half-dozen or dozen, often under guacamole sauce and grated cheese.

Serving

In Southern California taquitos are commonly sold in orders of three or more, lined up side by side and covered with a pourable avocado or guacamole sauce, sometimes with shredded cheese or crema. Because they are small and easy to hold, Popik's sources from the 1960s already described them as party appetizers. Beef and chicken are the standard fillings, and the long-simmered, finely shredded meat is kept fairly dry so the thin roll fries evenly. The format has since spread far beyond California through the frozen-food aisle and fast-food menus.

Recipe

Makes 16 taquitos · Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (mostly simmering)

Ingredients

  • 700 g beef chuck or flank
  • 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf
  • Salt
  • 16 small corn tortillas
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Toothpicks
  • For the avocado sauce: 2 ripe avocados, 2 tomatillos (boiled), 1 serrano chile, 1/4 cup cilantro, juice of 1/2 lime, water and salt

Steps

  1. Simmer the beef with onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt until it falls apart, about 2 hours. Shred finely and moisten with a little broth.
  2. Blend the avocado, tomatillos, serrano, cilantro, lime and salt with enough water to make a pourable sauce.
  3. Warm the tortillas, add a thin line of beef and roll tightly; secure with a toothpick.
  4. Fry in hot oil until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.
  5. Drain, remove toothpicks and serve under the avocado sauce.

Keep the filling thin; overfilled taquitos split while frying.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Taquito". The Big Apple (Barry Popik). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Flautas Vs Taquitos: What's The Difference?". Chowhound. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Californian cuisine Fried tacos Mexican-American cuisine Taco formats Taco types