These tasty taquitos are crispy, cheesy, and packed with carnitas, smashed black beans, and green chiles. They are quick to assemble, cooked until golden and crispy, and served with plenty of roasted pineapple salsa that you'll want to eat by the spoonful!
The recipe includes instructions for deep frying, oven baking, or air frying!
TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: Crispy homemade taquitos filled with black beans, pork carnitas, and cheese and served with roasted pineapple salsa. It's a match made in heaven!
- How to make it: While the pineapple salsa roasts, prepare the smashed beans then spread them onto tortillas, add some carnitas and cheese, roll them up and fry!
- Good to know: This recipe includes instructions for deep frying, air frying, or cooking the taquitos in the oven!
Before we sold our house and moved into an RV to become full time nomads, my husband and I lived in Colorado. Our two daughters and our extended family still live there, so we make a point to head back to our home state as often as possible.
We generally park ourselves in the small mountain town of Lyons, which is only about 20 minutes from the larger town of Boulder. This location choice is based on several factors, but I'd be lying if I said that one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants doesn't have something to do with it.
The Rio Grande was founded in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1986. Today, they have 5 locations and one of them is in Boulder. It's kind of a Colorado icon. 🙂
So, look. I feel that I need to tell you that the primary draw (for us and maybe everyone else) is the Rio's margaritas. They are delightfully tart, not overly sweet, and potent. We love them. But we also really love the food, I swear!
The last time we were there, I ordered carnitas taquitos with pineapple salsa from their seasonal menu and decided on the spot to go home and figure out how to make them.
This recipe is the result.
Just like the taquitos I ordered in the restaurant, these hit that perfect balance of crispy, creamy, and cheesy. The filling is made from smashed black beans, crispy carnitas, cheese, and green chilies, a combination you honestly can't go wrong with.
But, friends, the roasted pineapple salsa is the star of this show. I could eat it by the spoonful (and maybe have). It's gorgeously bright, slightly sweet, a little bit spicy, and transforms these taquitos from really good to something you can't stop eating.
At least, that's our experience. I hope you feel the same way! And, if you do, please drop me a comment. I always love to hear from you!
xo
-Rebecca
Ingredient notes
For the Pineapple Salsa, you'll need some pineapple of course + a chopped onion, some garlic, a jalapeño or two, a drizzle of olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin and salt. If you have a good fresh pineapple, use that. But, canned pineapple chunks work GREAT in this recipe which is honestly often the most convenient option.
The filling for these carnitas is simply smashed black beans cooked with green chilies, some chopped onion and garlic, chili powder, and cumin + pork carnitas and cheese.
I used homemade carnitas because I make these often and we always have some leftovers in the freezer. If you've never made carnitas, I hope you'll give this recipe a try! It's one of the most popular recipes in my family and on this site!
Having said that, you can use any kind of cooked pulled pork in this recipe. Taquitos are a wonderful way to use up leftovers if you have them. And also, in the meat section of most major supermarkets, you can usually find packages of pre-cooked shredded pork. I am never above using those kinds of shortcuts!
Cheese! I used Pepper Jack cheese in the taquitos you see in these photos, but any kind of melting cheese will work well. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Queso Fresco are also great options.
Tortillas! I've made these with corn tortillas, homemade flour tortillas, and tortillas that are a 50/50 blend of corn and flour. They ALL work great and I'm not sure which I like the best.
The one thing I will say is that it's much easier to roll flour tortillas and the tortillas that are a blend of flour and corn. If you'd like to use corn, you'll find a useful trick in the "Top tips!" section below for making them more pliable and less prone to breaking.
Additions and substitutions
Honestly, almost any ingredient in this recipe can be adjusted to suit your preferences. Love garlic? Add as much as you like! Want to keep things spicy? Add extra jalapeños! Hate cumin? Leave it out!
Taquitos, like tacos or burritos, can be filled with whatever you like, so play around with this recipe and tweak it to your personal tastes. Here are a few other ideas...
- Any kind of meat would be delicious in these taquitos: roast chicken, shredded beef, or even cooked ground beef!
- Make them vegetarian! Double the amount of smashed black bean filling and leave out the meat entirely!
- Use any other kind of salsa instead of the roasted pineapple salsa. If I'm being honest, this would break my heart a little bit. 😂 BUT, they are your taquitos. Do as you wish.
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Step-by-step photos and instructions
Add the pineapple chunks, sliced onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeño to a 9x13-inch rectangle baking dish. Toss with some olive oil and set in the oven to roast.
Roast until the onions are starting to blacken in spots, about 30 minutes.
Let the roasted pineapple and onions cool inside the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the entire contents of the pan to the bowl of a food processor along with some cilantro, lime juice, a bit more olive oil, cumin and salt. Pulse until everything is combined but still a little chunky.
To prepare the black beans add some oil to a saucepan or skillet and add a chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add some chopped garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring, for about a minute longer.
Add the black beans and green chiles. Cook, smashing the beans against the bottom and side of the pan with the back of a spoon until most of them are mashed.
If the pan looks dry and the beans start crusting on the bottom, add a little more oil. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more salt if desired.
Working with one tortilla at a time, spread one side of the tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of the bean mixture. Add a couple of good-sized pieces of carnitas and top with about 1 generous tablespoon of grated cheese.
Roll the tortilla up tightly, place it seam-side down on a plate or platter, and then secure it with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, bean mixture, carnitas, and cheese.
Fill a large saucepan or deep skillet with enough oil to come at least 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Set the pan over high heat and heat the oil until it reaches 350°F to 360°F (176°C - 182°C).
Add a few taquitos to the hot oil and cook until they are a deep golden brown on all sides, turning them in the hot oil as needed.
Transfer the taquitos to a paper towel lined baking sheet and place inside a 200°F (93°C) oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining taquitos.
To serve, spoon a few generous spoonfuls of the pineapple salsa onto the center of each plate and top with the taquitos.
Air fryer and oven baking instructions
To cook these taquitos in an air fryer, heat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the taquitos seam-side down in the air fryer basket and remove the toothpicks. Air fry until crisp and golden brown, especially on the ends. This will take 8 to 12 minutes.
To oven bake the taquitos, heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Arrange the taquitos on the baking sheet seam-side down. Brush the tops and sides of the taquitos with a bit of vegetable or canola oil, then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Serving suggestions
You won't be surprised to hear me say this, but these are even better with a really good margarita to wash them down. If you live in Colorado, you might be interested to know that you can purchase bottles of The Rio's margarita mix at any of their restaurants. We may or may not have an entire cupboard in our RV dedicated to this liquid gold. 😉
However, making margaritas without a mix certainly isn't difficult. A true classic margarita requires just three ingredients: lime juice, tequila, and orange liquor.
But, if you're looking for something a bit sweeter and perhaps a bit more special, here are a few ideas...
As you can tell, we love a good margarita around here but have officially reached the age where too much tequila is NEVER worth it, so when we make margaritas at home, this is often how we make them: Low Alcohol Margaritas
Top tips!
- The amount of garlic is really up to you. Different people have different preferences for how much garlic they like in their food. The same goes for salt and heat level. Add more or less jalapeño to the salsa and more or less chili powder depending on how mild or spicy you want the taquitos.
- The pineapple salsa can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Fresh-squeezed lime juice is best, but if good limes aren't available, Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lime Juice is a really good alternative.
- It's important to roll the tortillas tightly around the filling. Corn/flour blend tortillas work especially well because they're softer, and flour tortillas also work great.
- If you want to use corn tortillas, soften them first by adding a shallow layer of vegetable or canola oil to a skillet and heating it until very hot. Add a corn tortilla and let it cook for about 5 seconds per side, then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, separating the layers with paper towels to absorb excess oil. This softens them enough to roll without breaking.
- If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, tear off a small piece of an extra tortilla and drop it into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and floats to the surface, the oil is hot enough. If it sinks to the bottom and takes a while to start sizzling, the oil needs more time.
- If you're using flour tortillas or corn/flour blend tortillas, air bubbles can puff up while frying and cause the taquitos to start coming apart and float. If that happens, use metal tongs to puncture the bubbles and gently press the taquitos back together in the hot oil.
- It might go without saying, but I'm saying it anyway: A pair of metal tongs is very important to have when frying taquitos. 🙂
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📖 Recipe
Carnitas Taquitos
These tasty taquitos are crispy, cheesy, and packed with carnitas, smashed black beans, and green chiles. They are quick to assemble, cooked until golden and crispy, and served with plenty of roasted pineapple salsa that you'll want to eat by the spoonful! See the recipe notes for instructions on oven baking or air frying.
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Salsa:
- 2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained (or fresh pineapple!)
- 1 medium to large sized yellow onion (white or red onions also work well!)
- 5 - 10 cloves of garlic, to taste
- 2 - 4 jalapeños, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, more if needed
- About ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- About 2 tablespoons lime juice, more if needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
For the Carnitas Taquitos
- 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
- 10 ounces carnitas (about 2 very generous cups)
- 14 tortillas, corn, flour, or a blend of corn and flour
- 8 ounces grated cheese, such as pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or sharp cheddar
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Instructions
Make the Pineapple Salsa:
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C). Drain the pineapple in a colander set in the sink, then add it to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cut the onion in half, then cut each half into ¼-inch slices and add them to the dish. Cut the jalapeño in half, remove the stem and seeds, roughly chop, and add it to the dish. Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the pan whole. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, use a spoon to toss everything together, the set the pan in the oven to roast. Cook until the onions are starting to blacken in spots, about 30 minutes. (See photo above for reference.)
- Let the roasted pineapple and onions cool inside the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the entire contents of the pan to the bowl of a food processor. Add the cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon each cumin and salt. Pulse until everything is combined but still a little chunky. Taste and add more salt and/or lime juice if desired. Add a little more oil or lime juice if you want the salsa a little saucier.
Make the Carnitas Taquitos:
- While the pineapple and onions roast, prepare the filling for the taquitos. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet. Peel and chop the onion into pieces that are no larger than the black beans. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and set the pan over medium heat. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent. While the onion cooks, peel and mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the pan along with 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the drained black beans and the can of diced green chiles to the skillet. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and smashing the beans against the bottom and side of the pan with the back of the spoon. Continue until most of the beans are smashed, with just a few left whole. A potato masher works well for this too. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. If the pan looks dry and the beans start crusting on the bottom, add a little more oil. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more salt if desired.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, spread one side of the tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of the bean mixture. Add a couple of good-sized pieces of carnitas and top with about 1 generous tablespoon of grated cheese. Roll the tortilla up tightly, place it seam-side down on a plate or platter, and then secure it with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, bean mixture, carnitas, and cheese.
- To fry the taquitos, heat the oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a large saucepan or deep skillet with enough vegetable or canola oil to come at least 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Set the pan over high heat and heat the oil until it reaches 350°F to 360°F (176°C - 182°C). A high-heat thermometer or fry thermometer is very helpful here.
- Add a few taquitos to the hot oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Four at a time is a good maximum. Monitor the temperature and keep the oil between 350°F and 360°F (176°C - 182°C). Once the taquitos have fried for a few minutes and are crisp enough to hold their shape, use metal tongs to remove the toothpicks. Continue cooking until the tortillas are deep golden brown on all sides, turning them in the hot oil as needed.
- Transfer the taquitos to the paper towel-lined baking sheet, then place them in a preheated 200°F oven to keep warm while you repeat with the remaining taquitos.
- To serve, spoon a few generous spoonfuls of the pineapple salsa onto the center of each plate and top with the taquitos. Plan on serving 2 to 3 taquitos per person.
Notes
- The amount of garlic is really up to you. Different people have different preferences for how much garlic they like in their food. The same goes for salt and heat level. Add more or less jalapeño to the salsa and more or less chili powder depending on how mild or spicy you want the taquitos.
- The pineapple salsa can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, tear off a small piece of an extra tortilla and drop it into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and floats to the surface, the oil is hot enough. If it sinks to the bottom and takes a while to start sizzling, the oil needs more time.
- If you’re using flour tortillas or corn/flour blend tortillas, air bubbles can puff up while frying and cause the taquitos to start coming apart and float. If that happens, use metal tongs to puncture the bubbles and gently press the taquitos back together in the hot oil.
- To cook in an air fryer: Heat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Place the taquitos seam-side down in the air fryer basket and remove the toothpicks. Air fry until crisp and golden brown, especially on the ends. This will take 8 to 12 minutes.
- To cook in the oven: Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Arrange the taquitos on the baking sheet seam-side down. Brush the tops and sides of the taquitos with a bit of vegetable or canola oil, then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
7Serving Size:
2 taquitos with salsaAmount Per Serving: Calories: 676Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 561mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 12gSugar: 18gProtein: 28g
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