Crispy vegan taquitos (air fryer or baked) are golden and filled with creamy black beans or pinto beans plus a quick Mexican-inspired queso salsa. Easy to customize, freezer-friendly, and perfect for taco night.
Also, check out my crispy mashed potato tacos recipe and healthy Mexican rice recipe.
A Quick Look: Crispy Vegan Taquitos (Air-Fryer or Baked)
- 📝 Recipe Name: Crispy Vegan Taquitos (Air Fryer or Baked)
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: ~20 taquitos
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Corn tortillas, beans, mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot, tomato), vegan queso salsa
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, plant-based, oil-free option
- ✨ Best For: Game day, family dinners, meal prep, party snacks
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Golden and crispy without frying, versatile fillings, freezer-friendly, pairs perfectly with homemade salsas
Jump to:
- A Quick Look: Crispy Vegan Taquitos (Air-Fryer or Baked)
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tested Tips
- How to Make Vegan Taquitos
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store Vegan Taquitos
- Vegan Taquitos Meal Prep Tips
- Wrapping & Securing Taquitos
- Crispy Vegan Taquitos FAQs
- More Vegan Mexican Appetizers
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to stay with a local family in Mexico. It was full immersion into their culture, their daily life, and most memorably, their food.
What stood out most was how effortlessly they created deeply flavorful meals. Food was a gathering point—pressure cooker refried beans, arroz rojo, gorditas, tortas piled with beans and guacamole, all surrounded by the most delicious salsas.
Mornings began with cuachalalate tea and sometimes iced horchata. One of my favorite memories was golden taquitos fresh from the pan.
These vegan taquitos are my plant-based version of that tradition, with a creamy bean filling, warm tortillas rolled and cooked until perfectly crisp, and served with plenty of salsa.
I also love dipping these bean taquitos into my vegan nacho cheese sauce, which comes together fast in the Instant Pot while I'm making these!
Why This Recipe Works
- These taquitos have such a crispy texture! Baking or air frying makes these crunchy vegan taquitos golden brown without the deep frying.
- A flavorful filling of just-right seasoned beans, mirepoix, and fresh salsa gives this traditional Mexican dish its amazing flavors!
- This recipe is super customizable! You can add mashed potatoes, sautéed fajita veggies, tofu taco crumbles, or spices to make it your own.
- Meal prep-friendly! These taquitos store and reheat perfectly, making them perfect for meal planning, busy weeknights, or bringing to a party! See meal prep section for more info.
These taquitos are easy, customizable, and freezer-friendly—the kind of meal that disappears fast.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make these vegan taquitos:
- Corn tortillas: white or yellow corn tortillas work, but you can also use flour tortillas.
- Beans: Either black or pinto beans work great.
- Avocado oil: Use avocado, canola, or olive oil. You can also use a spray or keep it oil-free.
- Seasonings: Substitute individual spices with taco seasoning for a taco flavor.
- Jalapeños: You can use green chiles (added with beans and broth) in place of fresh jalapeños for a milder heat.
Tested Tips
- Filling Ideas: Experiment with mashed potatoes, quinoa taco meat, lentil taco meat, or tofu.
- Warm Tortillas First: Corn tortillas crack if used cold. Heat them 10–15 seconds per side in a skillet or on a griddle to keep them pliable and easy to roll.
- Make Filling Ahead: Prepare the filling in advance to save time. Cooling makes it easier to handle and enhances the flavor.
- Avoid Overcrowding: Space taquitos evenly in the air fryer or on the baking sheet for even crispiness.
How to Make Vegan Taquitos
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Sauté veggies, add broth, seasonings, and simmer until thick. Mash beans.
- Step 2: Make the quick vegan queso salsa.
- Step 3: Warm tortillas and place beans in lower ⅓ of the tortilla.
- Step 4: Place queso salsa on top of beans.
- Step 5: Roll snugly, seam side down. Use toothpicks to secure if needed.
- Step 6: Air-fry or bake until golden and crispy.
Serving Suggestions
- Top with: Simple pico de gallo recipe, cast-iron salsa roja, fresh guacamole, cashew sour cream, vegan lime crema.
- Taco night spread: Pair with cowboy caviar, vegan Instant Pot refried beans, or Mexican rice.
- Extra crunch: Serve with shredded lettuce or cabbage on the side with a squeeze of fresh lime.
How to Store Vegan Taquitos
- Refrigerate: Place leftover vegan taquitos in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Arrange in a freezer bag with layers separated by parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Reheat: Warm in a toaster oven or pre-heated air fryer for 4–5 minutes until crispy.
Vegan Taquitos Meal Prep Tips
If you’re making these taquitos for meal prep, add about 2 tablespoon beans per tortilla and skip the vegan Mexican queso salsa until serving — it comes together in 10 minutes while the taquitos bake.
- Freeze unbaked for the freshest crisp.
- Freeze baked if you prefer grab-and-go — just re-bake or air fry to bring back the crunch.
- From frozen: Air fry at 380–400°F for 8–10 minutes (flip halfway), or bake at 400–425°F for 18–22 minutes, or until golden and hot.
- Always blend salsa fresh for dipping or drizzling.
Want more salsa options? Try these plant-based taquitos with my fresh roasted salsa, easy mango avocado salsa, creamy jalapeño sauce, or my charred chile de arbol salsa (if you like it hot)!
Wrapping & Securing Taquitos
- Warm the Tortillas: Always warm tortillas before filling to make them pliable and less likely to crack. Use a grill or skillet as described in the instructions.
- Let the Filling Cool Slightly: Allow the bean mixture to cool for 5–10 minutes to prevent steam from softening the tortilla too much.
- Secure with a Toothpick: For extra security, insert a toothpick through the seam of each taquito after rolling. Remove the toothpicks before serving
- Roll Tightly: Place the filling close to one edge of the tortilla, roll it snugly, and place seam-side down in the air fryer
- Lightly Press Down: After rolling, gently press the seam with your fingers to “seal” it. If the filling is sticky enough (like your blended bean mixture), it can naturally hold the tortilla in place.
Crispy Vegan Taquitos FAQs
Yes. Both are rolled, filled tortillas, but flautas are usually made with larger flour tortillas and rolled thinner and longer - think flute-shaped (that's where the name comes from). Taquitos are usually smaller, made with corn tortillas, and crispier when fried or baked.
Yes. Assemble the taquitos, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Bake or air fry straight from frozen - just add 2–3 minutes to the cook time.
Yes! These taquitos work oil-free. Simply sauté the filling in broth instead of oil. For crispiness, bake or air fry as-is.
More Vegan Mexican Appetizers
Looking for more vegan Mexican-inspired appetizer recipes? Try these:
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Vegan Taquitos (Air Fryer or Baked)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil, for sautéing, OR water for oil free
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, premeasured into a small bowl for adding when directed
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño, finely diced (optionally remove membrane and seeds for less heat)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth, for deglazing, OR water and see Notes
- (1) 15-ounce can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups water, OR low-sodium vegetable broth and omit vegan bouillon cube
- 1 vegan bouillon cube
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, regular oregano works too
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 recipe vegan Mexican queso salsa
- 20 small corn tortillas
Easy vegan queso salsa
- 2-3 tomatoes, left whole, stem removed
- 1 jalapeño, left whole
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
- 1 avocado
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sauté veggies: Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt (from the premeasured bowl), cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add tomato, celery, jalapeño, and another pinch of salt, cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic for the last minute. Deglaze by adding vegetable broth (or water) to lift browned bits and deepen flavor.
- Cook beans: Stir in beans, vegetable broth, spices, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash slightly with a potato masher. Simmer 20 min, stirring occasionally, until thick and scoopable. Taste and adjust salt.
- Make the easy vegan queso salsa: Add tomatoes, jalapeño, and garlic to a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer for 5–7 minutes. Drain, transfer to a blender, and add avocado and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. See my full vegan queso salsa recipe for step-by-step photos, substitutions, and more info.
- Warm tortillas: Heat each tortilla in a skillet or on a griddle for 10-15 seconds per side, or until softened. Keep wrapped in a towel to stay pliable.
- Assemble taquitos: Spread ~1 ½ tablespoons beans and ~½ tablespoon of the vegan queso salsa near one edge of each tortilla. Roll tightly, seam-side down, and secure with a toothpick if needed.
Cook
- Air Fryer: Preheat to 390°F. Arrange seam-side down in a single layer, cook 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden.
- Oven: Preheat to 425°F. Bake on parchment-lined sheet 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp.
- Serve: Remove toothpicks. Serve warm with remaining vegan queso salsa, shredded lettuce, taqueria style pickled jalapenos and carrots, homemade pico de gallo, fresh guacamole recipe, or vegan cashew sour cream.
Video
Notes
- Salt in layers: Add a pinch with onions, another with mirepoix, then taste and adjust at the end. This builds depth without oversalting.
- Deglazing with water: Broth gives the best savory flavor, but water works fine too. Tip: a splash of beer adds malty depth, but broth or water keeps it more family-friendly.
- Prevent cracking: Warm tortillas before rolling and keep wrapped until ready.
- Extra crispy taquitos: If you want extra crispness, optionally lightly spray or brush tortillas with oil once rolled.
- Avoid overcrowding: Space taquitos evenly in the air fryer or on the baking sheet for even cooking.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (INHC) with advanced training in hormone health, trained yoga instructor, former restaurant owner, and mom of nine who’s been plant-based for over 20 years. She’s cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and reinvented comfort food more times than she can count. She’s completed multiple half marathons and a Tough Mudder because she can’t resist a new adventure — and apparently, she can’t vacation without cooking either, since her juicer (beets and greens, too) and pasta pot always come along. Julie’s work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, Mamamia, MSN, Redfin, Better Humans, and The Good Men Project. Through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter, she helps others simplify wellness, build lasting habits, and feel good again — one grounded, delicious choice at a time.
Julie Gaeta says
These crispy taquitos are a favorite. The bean filling and homemade salsa are so good! And since they reheat so well, I like to make extra for meal prep.