Crispy Baked Vegan Taquitos

These are the best vegan taquitos ever! The base is made of beans and veggies mixed with spices and two secret ingredients that up the flavor.

This recipe is the perfect combo of healthy food that gives a junk food feel but without the actual junk! I love to make extra and freeze them for busy nights.

Ingredients

My husband lovingly refers to these vegetable taquitos as Jack in the Box tacos without the crappy feeling after eating them. I take that as a solid win!

By using only the best plant-based ingredients and skipping the frying you can create the most delicious rolled tacos that are way healthier than the taco shop!

• Lentils (gives these vegan taquitos a healthy dose of plant-based protein)
• Veggies 
• Mild or sweet pepper, or diced green chiles
• Raw cashews (these help give a creaminess and extra flavor)
• White distilled vinegar (this secret ingredient helps give the flavor that extra oomph!)
• Seasonings
• Corn tortillas 

The Best Tortillas for Taquitos

We have been using Mi Rancho corn tortillas for years. Not only because they are made from few whole food ingredients but because this brand knows what they are doing. The tortillas are soft, taste homemade, and for those of you that avoid oil, they are oil free!

The amazing flavor comes from this special process called nixtamalization. It's a slow process that brings out the very best in these corn tortillas. Learn more about it here in this video!

They also boast other great characteristics:

• organic
• non GMO
• gluten-free
• no added sugar or salt
• 11-18 grams of whole grains per serving (depending on the size)

I also love the company itself. They are family owned (love supporting family owned businesses) and they have been making tortillas for 80 years! I mean, mind blowing right? That's called dedication and it's no wonder they are so good!

They started as a small Mexican grocery store in Oakland and through hard work built themselves into a premium tortilla manufacturer. I just love a good story...such a sap.

How to Make Homemade Taquitos

1. Put all filling ingredients in a food processor and blend the mixture until smooth.
2. Place the filling in the center of a tortilla.
3. Fold over the edge and roll it up.
4. Arrange the rolled taquitos on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until crisp.

What to Serve with Taquitos

This vegan taquitos recipe is delicious on its own, but it's even better when loaded up with toppings, and served along with sides for an even more amazing meal.

Topping ideas:

• Shredded lettuce
• Guacamole
• Fresh salsa
• Jalapeño slices
• Salsa cream sauce
• Spicy cilantro sauce
• Citrus salsa
• Vegan queso
• Vegan cheese sauce
• Vegan sour cream

Side dish ideas:

• Pinto Beans
• Black Beans
• Mexican Rice
• Black Bean Soup
• Tortilla Soup
• Pozole Verde
• Taco Salad

You can also dip these taquitos into delicious dips like:

• Vegan bean dip
• Guacamole
• Fresh salsa
• Vegan nacho cheese
• Vegan chili cheese dip

Preparation Tips

• Soak the cashews before using so they purée better.
  • You can also grind them dry with a coffee grinder.
• The amount of salt needed for the filling will depend on if your veggies have been cooked with salt.
  • If using leftovers, then don’t add any extra salt until you try the filling.
• Make sure at least ½ cup of the veggies are either a fresh mild or sweet pepper or diced green chiles in the can. It just adds a good flavor punch to the final result.
• The remaining cup can be anything you have lying around. Use up leftovers, those veggies about to go bad, whatever! I would only caution using anything too sharp in flavor because you don't want it to take over.
  • My favorite veggies to use are:
    • spinach
    • mushrooms
    • zucchini/squash
• The recipe also calls for a cup of lentils. After trying multiple types of beans, these were our favorite. However many other beans will work.
  • Black beans or pinto beans are the next best substitute, but if you wanted to try another kind too, go for it!

How to Make Mini Vegan Taquitos

One of my favorite things about Mi Rancho, is their organic taco slider tortillas. I love that they are the perfect size for party appetizers and for little fingers to hold. Plus, I can eat more since they are small. It doesn't really count when you eat little things right?

When I make this vegan taquitos recipe for party snacks, I have a good system that gets a ton done in a quick time. Here is what I do:

1. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel, heat in the microwave to get them even softer and super pliable.
2. Set a stack of the tortillas on the table with my filling and a parchment lined cookie sheet.
3. Put some filling in the center of the tortilla at the top of the stack.
4. Roll it by putting the edge right in the middle of the filling, and tightly roll so that the filling spreads to the end and seals it.
5. Put on the parchment paper seam side down. No toothpick is needed because the tortillas are so soft that they easily stick with the addition of the filling.
6. Repeat until done!

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

You can simply prepare the filling in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble. Or make batches by wrapping up the filling in the tortillas and freeze them using one of the following methods:

• Half bake, freeze, then bake the rest of the way right before you will eat them.
• Freeze unbaked, then fully bake once you are ready to eat.
  • The only downside with this is because they haven't baked at all, you will need to freeze in a flat single layer to keep them together and keep their shape.
• Freeze just the filling and put together when ready to eat.

I wouldn't recommend fully baking them and freezing because once you defrost you will need to bake them again to get them crispy and then they will end up over baked.

Here is how I prep my taquitos for putting them in the freezer:

• Make sure they are completely cool
• Wrap in parchment paper
• Next, wrap in foil
• Store in an airtight container or ziptop freezer bag

More Vegan Taco Recipes

We love rolled tacos, but the classic form is amazing too! After trying this vegetarian taquitos recipe, try out these tasty plant based taco recipes:

• Jackfruit Tacos
• Birria Tacos
• Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
• Crispy Potato Tacos
• Mushroom Carnitas Tacos
• Homemade Chorizo Tacos
• Easy Lentil Walnut Tacos