Pork Taquitos
Learn how to make Pork Taquitos! These taquitos are a fun appetizer! Basically, pulled pork in a rolled taco! You are going to love this one!!
They are cooked until they’re nice and crispy. Taquitos, literally translated, means little tacos. Taquitos can be made with any protein that you like.
Chicken, pork, beef, cheese, bean, can all be used. I even make taquitos with venison!
The meat can be cooked in the slow cooker, in your Instant pot or on the stove. You can also use leftover pulled pork, chicken, beef or venison.
As an added bonus, they are both gluten and dairy free!
What you need
- Pork roast (shoulder, butt or loin will work)
- orange
- jalapenos
- cumin
- garlic
For taquitos
- tortillas
- onion
- garlic
- cumin
- black pepper
How to make taquitos
For carnitas
- Rough chop pepper and onion. Halve orange.
- Place pork in crockpot.
- Add chopped vegetables, squeeze juice out of orange. Add orange halves.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours until internal temperature reaches over 200°F. Let cool in juices. Shred with two forks once cooled.
- Dice another onion.
To make filling
- Ingredients for taquitos.
- Dice onion.
- Pull pork once it has cooled enough to handle.
- Soften tortilla in a small frying pan with hot oil on one side for a few seconds.
- Flip and soften other side. (tortilla will bubble when soft enough.)
- Drain between paper towels.
To assemble taquitos
- Soften onions in a bit oil oil in cast iron pan. Add shredded pork and spices once onions are softened.
- Mix well.
- Brown pork on one side.
- Place a few tablespoons of filling in tortilla towards one edge.
- Tightly roll with 2 hands.
- Place seam side down and roll remaining taquitos. See how to crisp taquitos below.
How to cook pork taquitos
Taquitos can be crisped by three different methods.
- Baking – place taquitos on baking sheet seam side down. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, if thawed, flipping them half way through. If baking from frozen, tortillas will take about 30-40 minutes.
- Frying – Taquitos can be fried in the same frying pan you used to soften tortillas. Use very hot oil, about 1 inch deep. Start with seam side down. Flip when brown on one side.
- Air frying- Place in air fryer basket. Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Place basket in air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Carefully remove basket. Flip taquitos and continue to air fry for 5 more minutes until golden brown. Learn how to air fry taquitos.
How to freeze taquitos
Freeze uncooked taquitos (after assembly). Allow taquitos to cool completely. Slide into freezer bags. Squeeze as much air out as you can. Label the bags.
They freeze nicely and will be great for 3-4 months.
If you use a large pork shoulder or butt and have extra filling, the filling will freeze well for 3-4 months as well.
How to reheat
If frozen, remove them from freezer and thaw in refrigerator. They can be baked and air fried from frozen. Add about 5 more minutes if reheating from frozen when baking or air fry just a couple minutes.
Can you make them with flour tortillas?
Yes. They can be made with flour tortillas but then they are technically called flautas.
What to serve them with
Taquitos can be served for appetizers, lunch or dinner with some delicious sides.
- Spanish rice
- Refried beans
- Salsa
- Peach salsa
- Chopped lettuce and tomato
- Sour cream or Mexican creme
See the video here: Pork Carnitas Taquitos Recipe
Tools I Use
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Pork Taquitos – Pulled Pork “Little Tacos”
Ingredients
For Carnitas
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or 2 ½ pounds bone-in)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 jalapeno rough chopped
- 1 orange cut in half
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Taquitos
- ½ large onion diced about 1/2 c.
- 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- Pepper
- 30 Corn Tortillas (at least, depending on how much filling you put in each tortilla)
Instructions
For Carnitas
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Meat should be over 200°F on an internal read thermometer! It is important to cook it hot enough, or it will be tough, or dry. Reserve liquid.
- Once the meat is tender, let cool slightly in the juices before pulling apart with a fork. It is important to let the meat cool in the juices. An hour rest wouldn't hurt. I usually let it cool completely in the refrigerator overnight, once the crockpot has cooled enough to put it in the refrigerator.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side. I added about 1 cup of the juice and vegetables from the crock pot to moisten.
- Place about 1/2 inch olive oil in a small pan over high heat. Fry tortillas just until they are soft. Remove immediately and drain between paper towels.
- Place a few tablespoons of the filling on one edge of the tortilla. Then roll tightly. (See video for method)
- Bake at 375°F for 10-20 minutes, depending on how you crispy you like them. You can air fry them for about 5 minutes per side on 350°F. They can also be fried again in the oil used to soften the tortillas.
- Both the filling and the taquitos freeze well.
For assembling taquitos
- Add pulled pork, onion, garlic cumin and pepper to a bowl. Mix well.
- Soften tortillas in a pan with hot oil just until limp. (A few seconds on each side.) Drain between paper towels.
- Add a few teaspoons full of meat to a tortilla. Place it on the end closest to you. (see video or step by step process photos above)
- Roll taco tightly into a cylinder shape. Place seam side down on rack and continue with remaining tortillas.
- Bake taquitos at 350°F to rewarm and crisp up for about 15 minutes, Place seam side down. Flip half way through. Taquitos can be air fried at 350° for about 10 minutes. Again flip half way through. They can also be fried in the same oil used to soften the tortillas. Fry over high heat, flipping after browned on one side.
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Notes
Nutrition
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My meat came out dry on high for 4 hours ????
I’m sorry you had that experience. If the meat was dry, it was either too done, or oddly enough, not done enough. The internal temperature of the pork should be over 200°F. Don’t forget to let the meat cool in the juices too!. The meat needs to rest, for the juices to redistribute, as well. So if you cut into it before it had rested, it will be dry too! I have adjusted the recipe to make those 2 points clear!
These taquitos are a great idea – and a great alternative to the standard tacos, burritos, etc. My family will love these!
Thank you so much for your comment, Melissa! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Send me a pic when you make them!
Taquitos will always remind me of my best friend. She loves taquitos! I do too, but not as much as she does. These carnitas taquitos look delish!!!
Thanks, Elaine! We are huge taquitos fans at my house! The carnitas are beautiful for the task!
These taquitos look SO AMAZING!
They really are! Thank you the comment, Brandi!