Taquitos are typically a mess, but thanks to some strategies we use in here, you can make this tasty dish with little cleanup! Plus, it tastes a million times better than those store-bought ones. Makes 16 taquitos.
By Mary Claire Ekstrom
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 oz. ground beef
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped thin
1 ½ tsp of minced jalapenos
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp’s chili powder
8 oz. of tomato sauce
½ cup of water
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp’s lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
16 (6-inch tortillas)
1 egg
Directions
Heat 1 tbsp oil in 12 to 16 inch skillet, and add ground beef. Cook on medium-high, breaking up the meat with a spatula until all brown. Drain beef.
In a separate bowl, use a potato masher to mash the beans to paste. (Adding this bean paste keeps the mixture from falling out later on.)
Using the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil until steaming. Add onions, and cook until brown, stirring frequently.
Add jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, and mix thoroughly for about 45 seconds.
Add tomato sauce, water, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mashed beans and drained beef.
Cook on medium-high heat, stirring the mixture frequently for approximately 10 minutes, or until thick and sticky.
Salt and pepper to taste, and move to a separate bowl.
In another small bowl, beat an egg. Set aside.
Wrap 8 tortillas in a damp dish towel, and sandwich the bundle between two plates. Microwave for one minute.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set a cooling rack on top. Work with one tortilla at a time to keep the future tortillas flexible and easy to work with. (If they get cold, just reheat them.) Taking one tortilla, brush one half with a beaten egg, and the other half with 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Roll the tortillas tightly inward from the meat half. Let the taquito rest on top of its seam.
Place a second damp dish towel over the eight taquitos, then repeat process with the next eight tortillas.
Add remaining 1 cup of oil to the now-clean skillet. Heat until simmering. Using tongs, place 4 taquitos, seam-side down into the skillet (helps seal). Fry all sides of the taquitos in the oil until golden brown and crispy. Place each back on the cooling rack once finished. If they drip oil, never fear! That’s what the parchment paper is for.
Repeat process with the next twelve taquitos, adding oil to the skillet as needed.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa!
You can even freeze them for later, but I doubt you’ll have any left.
They are that good.
