Let's Talk Taquitos: The food and recipes page

My favourite Taquitos recipe

elderly lady cooking in middle of outdoor foodtruck kitchen

Legacy behind Abuela's perfect, homemade Taquitos recipe

My fondest childhood memories involve my brother and I as we raced to the kitchen at the first savoury scent of Abuela’s delicious taquitos. Her warmness and delicate care would transcend her cooking and be felt at the first crunchy bite of every taquito. This passed down family recipe has been cultivated for many generations, with every new age adding a bold taste to the mix. Over time, our family recipe has seen many modern variations that has connected many different corners of the globe together, further cementing Abuela’s legacy. Some trending recipes include using different proteins, trying new exciting sauces and even utilizing innovative cooking methods. Follow along as I share some of my childhood favourite recipes which pay homage to the classic and kicks it up a notch with a taste of the new.

Hand holding and filling a baggie of crispy, tasty taquitos with tongs.

Abuela's iconic recipe.

First step I learnt to cooking Abuela’s dish starts with the right meat consistency. Begin with shredding the meat into thin strips, the thinner the better as this will allow for more fulfilling bites! Season your shredded bites with some chili powder, salt, paprika and Abuela's secret…. 2 teaspoons of cajun for that magic kick. You’ll then want to wrap your preseason meat with warm, toasty tortillas, stuff them with your favourite type of gooey-ooey cheese and roll the taquito as tight as you can. Soon as you do that, toothpick it for a consistent hold. Are you still following along? great! because here comes my kid's favourite part. Heat some oil in a large frying pan to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Abuela always used to say, “you’ll know it’s ready when you can hear the soft sizzling of the oil”. Now finally, fry your taquitos with careful monitoring for about 5 minutes per side until golden brown and then watch your guests be taken back to their own childhoods as they savour the crispy taste of tender gentleness.

three taquitos oozing with layers of gooey, delicious cheese

Our modern take.

My friends have recently gone on this vegetarian diet and for a while I thought that meant no more taquitos Tuesday with them UNTIL I discovered my wife's homemade, vegetarian black bean taquito recipe. With a few simple modifications from a classic recipe, follow along to learn how to make this welcoming and inclusive dish at your next friend outing! First you’ll begin by rinsing and draining your black beans, this will help them be nice and clean for their seasoning step. You’ll now want to add cream cheese, garlic powder, chilies and HOT SAUCE, mix them all together and consistently taste according to your liking. At this point you will have a creamy, delicious blend of taquito filling which you’ll want to fill into your tortillas and roll them tightly. Once all your taquitos have been rolled, place them inside a hot, sizzling oil-filled skillet and watch them crunchify after 5 minutes. Now they are ready to serve! To enhance flavour, you are welcome to add a side of creamy guacamole or tasty sour cream!

The Real Legacy Behind the Creation

As you bite down on that delicious, tasty taquito you probably don’t consider the hoops the now infamous taquito recipe took to get from Sonora, Mexico to the United States to the frozen section at your nearest grocery store. We can explore this history through Author Danielle Dawson’s article as she guides us through the famous names that made this iconic dish as popular as it is now.

It began with El Indio Restaurant Owner Ralph Pesqueria Sr. in 1940 as he decided to create a quick snack or as Danielle Dawson coined it, “an easy, ready-to-eat lunch item”. This dish would, in the years to come, be considered extremely convenient as it found itself a fan favourite to the local factory workers of the town. Seven years passed and the Pesqueria family were able to move to El Indio in San Diego, California and continue to sow their seeds there within a new community. Now selling to local community members and families rather than just factory workers, the taquito brand began to take off.

While their restaurant menu did consist of other Mexican classic items such as tamales, beans and burritos, by far their most popular dish would continue to be their taquitos. Its popularity grew despite its simplicity to the point of becoming the first Mexican dish to turn into a frozen food item which can now be enjoyed worldwide and without any sort of culinary expertise.

Even now, decades after that California restaurant opened and much much after they started selling their taquitos for only 18 cents, the taquito recipe has been passed down for generations within the Pesqueria family which still proudly runs the El Indio Restaurant serving to hundred of patrons, some new and some loyal since day one. To read the full story and understand the authentic roots of the classic Mexican dish click on this LINK to view the article.

What's New & Exciting!

Close up shot of inside of taquito dripping with red hot sauce.

Zoomed in shot of various stuffed taquitos pointing towards camera.

Top angle view of a platter of six taquitos on wooden surface

On one of our nightly walks, my family and I stumbled upon Cardiff Park which had the most fantastic sunset view. Since that first day, it has slowly become a fan-favourite picnic spot within our family for its scenic value and view of gold sunsets that perfectly resemble the crispy exterior of homemade taquitos. To find this spot, head directly North from Edmonton on AB-28, go West when you reach Excelsior, go straight until you reach Range road 250A! Enjoy your picnic!

Taquitos Recipes