Vegan Taquitos (With Hidden Vegetables)

Name: Vegan Taquitos (With Hidden Vegetables)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked lentils; 1 cup cooked veggies ((see note)); ½ cup chopped mild or sweet pepper ( ,or diced green chiles (a 4 ounce can)); ½ cup raw cashews (, soaked overnight (see note)); 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar; 1 tablespoon water; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt (, taste and add more if needed (see note)); 9 regular sized corn tortillas (, or 18 taco slider sized ((I use Mi Rancho brand for both sizes)); Guacamole or avocado; Fresh or roasted salsa; Shredded lettuce; Jalapeno slices; Cheese sauce; Queso; Spicy cilantro sauce; Salsa cream sauce

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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.

Taquitos on a white plate with all the fixings surrounded by bowls of sauces

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mi Rancho. The opinions and text are all mine.

This post was originally published on September 9, 2019.

These vegan taquitos pair amazing with homemade guacamole, fresh Mexican salsa and my incredible vegan cheese sauce!

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
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

Taquito filling ingredients and bags of corn tortillas on a wooden tray

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.

Two bags of corn tortillas next to an orange checkered kitchen towel

How to Make Homemade Taquitos

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

Top view of a food processor filled with bean and veggie taquito filling

Bag or corn tortillas next to a bowl of bean filling and taquitos being made

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:

Side dish ideas:

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:

Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel, heat in the microwave to get them even softer and super pliable.
Set a stack of the tortillas on the table with my filling and a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Put some filling in the center of the tortilla at the top of the stack.
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.
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.
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, wrap 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

Common Questions

What's the difference between flautas and taquitos?

The main difference between the two, is that taquitos (like these vegan taquitos) are made from corn tortillas, while flautas are made from flour tortillas. Taquitos are also generally smaller and more-so served as appetizers, while flautas are bigger and a main meal. I love both, and use the Mi Rancho Flour tortillas when making flautas.

How do you freeze taquitos?

Let them cool completely before wrapping in parchment paper, then foil, and then finally sealing in an airtight container.

Are taquitos healthy?

The classic taquitos you'll find at your local restaurant are not very healthy since they are generally fried. However, it's easy to make a healthy baked version at home with this easy recipe.

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: