Vegan Taquitos

It's football food time! Instead of tacos, try crunchy vegan taquitos. This vegan taquitos recipe has various filling choices and two cooking options!

One of my favorite childhood memories is my mom making taquitos when I arrived home from school. But, of course, those taquitos were frozen and by no means vegan. Since then, I learned how to 'veganize' my favorite foods, but vegan taquitos taste much better than I remember. My vegan taquitos recipe are baked or air-fried with various filling options. 

Jump to:

• Vegan Taquito Fillings 
• Lentil Taco Filling Ingredients
• Lentil Taco Filling Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Vegan Taquitos
• Baked Taquitos
• Air-Fried Taquitos 
• What to Serve with Vegan Taquitos
• Other Suggested Toppings
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Vegan Mexican Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
•  
• 💬 Reviews

Taquitos, also called rolled tacos, are traditionally fried, but I bake or air-fry my vegan taquitos. 

My mom, for example, gave us guacamole, salsa, and hot sauce to dip in our taquitos. 

Vegan taquitos make a great snack, lunch, or dinner regardless of what fillings and toppings are chosen. And kids LOVE them! 

Vegan Taquito Fillings 

I decided to fill my taquitos with the lentil taco meat from my vegan lentil tacos recipe for tonight's taquitos. Also, I'd like to suggest other filling options that taste great in these tiny rolled tacos. 

• Potato Tacos (a filling made of potatoes, seasonings, onions, and jalapenos)
• Walnut Meat Tacos (a filing made from raw walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs)
• Tofu Tacos (grilled taco flavored tofu)
• Tempeh Tacos (grilled tempeh marinated in a southwest marinade)
• Mushroom Chorizo Tacos (a combination of mushrooms, walnuts, and seasonings)
• Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream (roasted cauliflower and herbs)

Lentil Taco Filling Ingredients

• Brown Lentils: Brown and black lentils are more solid when cooked than green or red lentils. I love Trader Joe's steamed lentils in the refrigerator section.
• White Onion: White onion has a strong flavor profile, ut when sauteed, it sweetens up.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves as opposed to a jarred or garlic paste.
• Jalapeño: I like my lentil taco meat a little spicy, so if you don't like spice skip this ingredient. Also, make sure to wear gloves when working with jalapenos.
• Rotel Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies: This type of canned tomato already are flavored and contains green chilies.
• Organic Vegetable Broth: I always buy it in bulk at Costco because I often use it.
• Vegan Taco Seasoning: Choose a vegan brand of taco seasoning, or use a homemade seasoning mix.

Lentil Taco Filling Ingredient Substitutions

• Reduce the vegetable broth to 1 cup instead of 4 cups if using canned or pre-cooked lentils.
• Use red or yellow onion instead of white onion.
• Skip the jalapeno if you don't like it spicy. Or make sure to remove the seeds and vein to reduce the spiciness. For extra spicy lentil meat, add in a few seeds.
• Try regular canned diced tomatoes and add green chilis.
• Yondu is a great option to replace vegetable broth.
• Make taco seasoning and store to use for Mexican recipes: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin,1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

How to Make Vegan Taquitos

First, choose the type of tortilla. If using corn tortillas, heat them in a pan or microwave before filling them to make them more pliable so they don't break.

On the other hand, flour tortillas only need heating after use because of their sturdiness. However, since the taquitos require hand rolling, allow the chosen filling to cool before handling.  

Unlike a standard taco, vegan taquitos use a small amount of filling on one side of the tortilla. Then, roll each taquito tightly.

This is my favorite if you are looking for an oil-free tortilla recipe.

Baked Taquitos

Brush each taquito with fresh lime juice and sprinkle them with chili powder as an added fun extra. 

• Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees.
• Cook for 20 minutes until crisp.

Benefits of Baking

• Can bake several taquitos at one time

Negatives of Baking

• It takes twice the time as the air-fryer
• Not as crispy as the air-fryer

Air-Fried Taquitos 

The vegan taquitos are rolled, brushed with lime juice, and sprinkled with chili powder like the baked version. However, instead of placing on a silicone baking, place a single layer of taquitos in the base of the air fryer. 

Benefits of Air Frying

• Very crispy like a fried taquito
• It takes half the time of an oven

Negatives of Air Frying

• You can only air-fry 3 to 4 taquitos simultaneously unless you have a larger air fryer with a separate pan.

What to Serve with Vegan Taquitos

Once cooked, serve the vegan taquitos recipe with a salad dressed in vegan southwest dressing, homemade guacamole, jalapeños, and lime wedges. 

Other Suggested Toppings

• Sour Cream (vegan)
• Fruit Salsa Recipe
• Tomatillo Salsa
• Nacho Cheese Sauce(vegan)
• Southwest Dressing (vegan)

So, the next time you consider Taco Tuesday, think about making taquitos instead of tacos. Not only are vegan taquitos crunchy, but they also taste fabulous. When planning a meal for the family, kids love vegan taquitos.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• When working with corn tortillas, the trick to prevent them from cracking or breaking is to get them moist first. Do this my warming them in a microwave with a moist paper towel or in a pan on the stove. Ir spray them lightly with water or lime juice.
• Skip making homemade guacamole and salsa and buy fresh guacamole and salsa in the grocery store deli section.
• Choose unique fillings to make different types of taquitos.
• Preheating the air fryer first helps to cook the taquitos evenly. If you don't, remember that subsequent batches will cook more quickly than the first batch.
• If you have a small air fryer, preheat an oven to 325 degrees to keep the cooked taquitos warm while batch-cooking the others.
• Serve with Mexican rice, Mexican chopped salad, or Southwest coleslaw.

If you love crunchy tacos, give vegan taquitos a try for a healthy alternative!

Great Vegan Mexican Recipes to Try

If you love this vegan taquitos recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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