These Cheesy Potato Taquitos are deliciously seasoned and baked in the oven instead of fried. They’re easy to make and great for dinner or an afternoon snack!
Two of my favorite things in the world are potatoes and Mexican food. I developed a delicious Crispy Potato Taco recipe a few years ago, and I’ve been dreaming of making these Cheesy Potato Taquitos for quite some time now. They’re flavorful, cheesy, crunchy, and perfect for little hands!
In college, I frequented a little Mexican restaurant, and my favorite thing on the menu was the Potato Flautas. They were two corn tortillas rolled around potatoes and deep fried. I’m not sure why it took me so long to make a homemade version, but I’m pretty sure I’ll make them a lot now!
What Are Taquitos?
Taquitos are corn tortillas wrapped tightly around some delicious filling and then deep-fried. You can buy them pre-made in the freezer section, and you may see them on Mexican restaurant menus, although I don’t see them too often. Usually, they’re stuffed with chicken, beef, or cheese, but I wanted to make a super filling and tasty vegetarian version, so I decided to use cheese and seasoned potatoes. I opted to bake mine because I don’t deep-fry food at home. You can easily make vegan taquitos by leaving out the cheese. I also have a vegan Jackfruit and Pinto Bean version that I love.
Why Your Body Will Love These Taquitos
- Potass-tic Potatoes – Did you know a medium potato has more potassium than a banana? Potassium helps prevent Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and aids muscle and heart function.
- Bone Health – Beyond potassium, potatoes also boast vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and zinc, which are great for bone health.
- Vitamin C – Back in the day, potatoes were a lifesaver because they (surprisingly?) contain a lot of Vitamin C, which prevents scurvy. Now, scurvy isn’t among our common ailments. Still, we can all benefit from adding Vitamin C through our everyday foods, especially during the winter when our bodies are fighting many bugs and craving heartier foods–like potatoes!
Cheesy Potato Taquito Recipe Ingredients
- Tortillas – I highly recommend using either white, yellow, or blue corn tortillas for your taquitos. I’ve tried making them using flour tortillas or a mix of flour and corn, but I don’t feel like they get as crispy as the 100 percent corn tortillas. The only downside about corn is that they’re usually a little drier, so you have to either microwave or heat them in a pan before rolling them, or else they’ll split.
- Potatoes – I like to use Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe because they’re so soft and creamy. I also opted to peel them, even though their skin is thin. You can use whatever kind of potato you like and decide whether or not you want to peel them.
- Cheese – I used extra sharp white cheddar cheese in mine because I love the flavor, but any cheese will work.
- Spices – I season my potatoes with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin because they’re my go-to spices when cooking Mexican food. You can add them in or leave out the seasonings if you don’t think your children will enjoy them.
How To Make Potato Taquitos
I find this recipe to be fairly easy, although there are a few steps to it:
- Boil the diced potatoes until they’re fork-tender as if you were making potato salad. This step may seem like extra work, but it makes them so tender inside, so I never skip it.
- I then add the boiled potatoes to a pan with oil and the spices and cook for a few minutes until they get nice crispy edges. I usually don’t cook them for too long, but if you want them extra crispy, you can cook them longer. I mash the potatoes a bit to make the taquitos easier to roll up. I try to keep some cubed, so they’re not like mashed potatoes. Add your cheese and mix everything together.
- I heat my corn tortillas in a pan with some cooking spray before I roll them up so they don’t break apart. I then add 2 Tablespoons of potato mixture to the center of each tortilla and tightly roll them up. Place them seam-side down on a large baking sheet and bake until crispy!
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll reply ASAP!
Looking For More Vegetarian Mexican-Inspired Recipes?
Crispy Baked Tacos with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
Vegetarian Fajitas with Halloumi Cheese
Guacamole Tostadas with Black Bean Tortillas
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Cheesy Potato Taquitos
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Cheesy Potato Taquitos are perfect for a freezer friendly dinner that both kids and adults will enjoy!
Ingredients
- 5 cup diced potatoes, I used peeled Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup grated cheese, I used sharp white cheddar
- 12 corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Add peeled and diced potatoes to a large pot and cove with cold water. Bring a boil and cook potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Next, add cooked poatoes and all the seasonings. Mix until combined and cook potaotes until slightly crispy, 10 minutes. Add the cheese and mix in until it’s melted.
- If necessary, heat tortillas in the microwave or on the stovetop until pliable. Add 2 tablespoons of potato mixture to the middle of each tortilla and roll up tightly.
- Place taquitos, seam side down, on a large baking sheet and bake until crispy, flipping once, 25-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.
Notes
Cheesy Potato Taquitos can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze right before you would bake them, in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
It looks like you cut the potatoes into very tiny pieces, is that correct? What size did you cut them into? You say potato salad size, but my potato salad chunks are probably 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, please clarify.
Hi Jody, I do cut mine into pretty small pieces, probably between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. You just want to make sure they’re not too big to be rolled up into a corn tortilla. I hope that helps!
Can you fry them frozen or do you need to thaw out first?
Hi Mae, I would fry from frozen!