Taquitos! I remember in middle school convincing my mom to buy the freezer aisle taquitos with chicken, and she would give in just so that I had a snack I could easily make in the microwave after school.
Crispy, chewy, and hot, there was no better snack. I think this is another testament to the fact that Mexican food has always been my favorite, considering I could forgo corn dogs, bagel pizza bites or toaster streudels with no issue.
Knowing that taquitos (or flautas) are deep-fried to become crispy, instead I brushed oil on top of the rolled tacos using a baking technique from Martha. Combining spinach, black beans, cheese, tomato, and taco seasoning creates a flavorful filling that isn’t greasy but instead tantalizes the tastebuds. I loved biting into these taquitos as they came hot out of the oven, and these are an easy meal to make extras of to freeze for snack attacks to come. See the bottom of my post for additional filling options!
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 4 ounces shredded colby & monterey jack cheese
- 10 ounces package of frozen spinach
- 1 can black beans
- 2 hot house tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if taco seasoning contains salt)
- 1 teaspoon oil or cooking spray
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Spread the corn tortillas on 2 baking sheets and distribute the shredded cheese evenly on top. Bake for one minute until cheese is melted.
- Cook frozen spinach per package instructions. Combine drained spinach with drained & rinsed black beans, chopped tomato, taco seasoning, and salt if needed and stir well.
- Divide the filling between the 12 tortillas, rolling them up and placing the taquitos seam side down on 1 baking sheet. Press them up against each other so they don't unroll. Brush or spray the tops with oil to encourage browning.
- Bake the taquitos for 10 minutes until the tops have browned a bit and the tortillas are crispy.
Good options: Switch up the filling with shredded rotisserie chicken, sautéed onions, or other greens. Top with avocado, cilantro, plain greek yogurt, and hot sauce and eat while hot. These are great stored in the freezer and reheated in the oven for a crispy exterior.
What’s your favorite convenience food that needs a face-lift? I am obsessed with these fake out flautas!
Marisa
Julie says
YUM! I’m definitely adding these to the menu for next week.
Marisa says
I love to hear that, Julie! Let me know how they turn out! You might want a double batch considering how fast they disappeared in my household… 🙂
Jo Palis says
Is nutritional information provided?
Marisa says
Hi Jo! MyFitnessPal calculated this recipe and got these stats: Calories: 126; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 6mg; Sodium: 233mg; Carbohydrate: 18g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 1g; Protein 7g. I hope that helps!
Cassie says
I need to get corn tortillas ASAP – these look amazzze.
Marisa says
Thanks Cassie – you can do them with flour tortillas too but I think the corn are so much more authentic!
Cindy says
Is it possible to use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Can I just take fresh baby spinach, chop it up and mix it in with the black bean mix and then let it cook when the taquitos are baking?
Marisa says
Hi Cindy – Yes, that should be fine, through you may not be able to use much spinach since it’s hard to pack in when rolling. The other option is to sauté the fresh spinach down for a minute so that it takes up less space and then roll it up in to the taquitos before baking. Hope that helps!