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Vegetarian Baked Taquitos are a fun, flavorful meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights! Corn tortillas are rolled up with a tasty mix of black beans, corn, and cheese, then baked until golden and crispy. No frying needed, just a few simple ingredients and tons of flavor in every bite!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
These Vegetarian Baked Taquitos are crispy, cheesy, and super delicious. And since they’re baked instead of fried, they’re a little lighter too. They come together fast, use simple ingredients, and make a fun, flavorful meal any night of the week. Plus, they freeze really well, so you can have them on hand for when you need dinner on the table even quicker! Serve these taquitos with pico de gallo, guacamole, or a creamy dip, and you’ve got a meal everyone will love!
One of the reasons I love Mexican-inspired recipes so much is how easy they are to make vegetarian without sacrificing flavor. The flavors are bold, the ingredients are flexible, and you never feel like you’re missing out. If you’re into this kind of meal, don’t miss my Vegetarian Chimichangas, Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas or Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme! They’re just as easy and delicious.
The Ingredients
- Black beans: A hearty, protein-packed base that gives the filling great texture. I use canned beans (rinsed and drained) for convenience, but feel free to cook your own black beans!
- Frozen corn kernels: Adds a pop of sweetness and color. Just make sure to thaw first so they mix in evenly. Or use fresh corn straight off the cob if it’s available!
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese: A melty mix of cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, and more. It holds the filling together and gives that gooey, cheesy pull. Any shredded cheese you love will work!
- Seasonings: We add cumin, garlic powder and kosher salt to the filling to bring warm, earthy flavor and that classic Tex-Mex taste.
- Corn tortillas:The wrapper that gets perfectly crispy in the oven. Corn tortillas keep this recipe gluten-free and add a delicious toasty flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the black beans for pinto beans, refried beans, or even cooked lentils for a different vibe.
- Add veggies like sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms or even spinach for an extra nutrient boost.
- Use flour tortillas if you prefer (just note they may crisp up differently than corn).
- Make them spicy by tossing in a pinch of cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeños.
- Go vegan by using a dairy-free shredded cheese.
How to Make Vegetarian Baked Taquitos
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400° F. Place the beans, corn, cheese, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
Step 2: Place two corn tortillas at a time in between two sheets of damp paper towels and microwave for 15-20 seconds to loosen (this will prevent the tortillas from cracking when they are rolled).
Step 3: With one tortilla in front of you place 2 tablespoons of the mixture on the side closest to you and roll it up. If needed, use a toothpick to hold the taquito secure and remove it after baking.
Step 4: Place the taquitos seam-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet, spray the tops lightly with cooking oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe Video
Tips and Tricks
- Warm your tortillas: To make the tortillas more pliable (and prevent cracks!) place two tortillas at a time between wet paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds before adding the filling and rolling up the taquitos.
- Don’t overfill: It might be tempting, but a modest amount of filling keeps them intact while baking.
- Batch prep and freeze: Assemble the taquitos ahead of time and freeze before baking for a quick meal later on.
- Use a wire rack on your baking sheet if you want them extra crispy all around.
- Skip the oven and air fry at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Keep an eye on them so they don’t over-brown.
FAQs
You can cook these taquitos straight from the freezer, no thawing needed! Bake at 400°F for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden and heated through. For the air fryer, cook at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and hot in the center.
Yes. Just make sure to use certified gluten-free corn tortillas if you’re cooking for someone with a gluten sensitivity.
More Vegetarian Mexican-Inspired Recipes
Whether you’re making a big batch for meal prep or serving them up fresh for dinner, these Vegetarian Baked Taquitos are guaranteed to disappear fast. They’re simple, customizable, and totally addictive. If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment and rating below!
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Vegetarian Baked Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans (if using canned, rinse and drain first)
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
- 1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 corn tortillas
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Place the beans, corn, cheese, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine
- Place two corn tortillas at a time in between two sheets of damp paper towels and microwave for 15-20 seconds to loosen (this will prevent the tortillas from cracking when they are rolled).
- With one tortilla in front of you place 2 tablespoons of the mixture on the side closest to you and roll it up. If needed, use a toothpick to hold the taquito secure and remove it after baking.
- Place the taquitos seam-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet, spray the tops lightly with cooking oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
-
- Warm your tortillas: To make the tortillas more pliable (and prevent cracks!) place two tortillas at a time between wet paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds before adding the filling and rolling up the taquitos.
- Don’t overfill: It might be tempting, but a modest amount of filling keeps them intact while baking.
- Use a wire rack on your baking sheet if you want them extra crispy all around.
- To Air Fry: Skip the oven and air fry at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Keep an eye on them so they don’t over-brown.
- Batch prep and freeze: After step four, place the filled taquitos, seam side down, on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, and place that in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer the frozen taquitos to a zipper bag for up to 4 months.
- To Reheat from Frozen: Place the frozen taquitos in a 400°F oven for 25-30 minutes! Or air fry at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.
These were delicious! I do recommend making a little more to fit into 12 tortillas; I ran out and had to mix up some more with 4 tortillas left. I even added some more some shredded carrot and frozen thawed diced green peppers to some of them. We loved them!
I finely dice mushrooms and sauté them. I use them instead of beans.
Nice!
This is a family favorite! When a friend has a baby, we love to bring this as a meal along with a taco salad and some sides.
Since my black beans are always frozen I heat them up a little bit and add some frozen spinach. Easy way to sneak in a little green. Yummy recipe
We love them in our house!
These sound good and not so fattening. Thank you.
i;ve even smushed some pureed baked sweet potato in these (omitting the corn kernels); what a great mix with the black beans! My kids adore these!
My husban loved these! They were very good!
We don’t have a microwave so I made these by speeding out the tortillas in a small frying pan and putting a smidge of water in the pan once hot to create a steam and covered with a lid. This helped soften the tortillas, helpful to flip the stack halfway. I only cooked for 17min. Also added a thin strip of cheese since no time to shred 🙂 Used hominy in place of corn since out of corn.
These were fabulous! Even my meat loving husband was satisfied with these.
Can you freeze these after you bake them? I made these tonight and have a bunch leftover!
These were great! My 3 year old daughter helped me make them (and eat them!)
Can you please share the nutritional info for this recipe?
Just tried these out. The mix is yummy but I couldn’t keep the tortillas from breaking! Any suggestions? I tried the damp cloths in microwave, still broke. Ended up using the mix for tostadas!
Assembly takes great skill. I managed to get 11 done and looking ok when I set them on the cookie sheet only to have 9 of them bust out of their tortillas like the hulk busting out of his shirt. Cooking time of 25 mins may have been too long – a large part of the ends were too crispy for my tot to eat so I had to cut them all off for him. Tasted good. A nice vehicle for salsa.
Can these be made ahead of time (a day or a few hours?)…I’d like to make a large batch of these and your cheesy chicken taquitos but can’t serve them right away. Are they good to eat at room temp? Thanks!