Mini Vegan Taquitos
These crispy, bite-sized Mini Vegan Taquitos feature corn tortillas rolled around a savory filling of jackfruit or lentils, seasoned with smoky spices and lime. Baked until golden and served with avocado dip, they’re irresistible plant-based crowd-pleasers.
Ingredients
- 24 small corn tortillas street taco size or 12 regular corn tortillas cut in half
- 2 cups young jackfruit drained and shredded (or 2 cups cooked lentils, slightly mashed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for brushing
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast adds cheesy flavor
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegan dipping options: guacamole salsa, vegan sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare your jackfruit by draining well and shredding it with two forks to create a texture similar to pulled meat. If using lentils, lightly mash them but leave some texture.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the jackfruit or lentils to the pan along with tomato paste, nutritional yeast, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until everything is well incorporated and any excess moisture has evaporated.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds covered with a damp paper towel, or heat them briefly in a dry skillet. This step is crucial as warm tortillas are pliable and won’t crack when rolled.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in a line across the bottom third of each tortilla.
- Roll each tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush each taquito lightly with olive oil to help them crisp up in the oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the taquitos are golden brown and crispy on all sides.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite vegan dips.
Notes
- To make these ahead of time, prepare the filling up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Roll and bake just before serving.
- For even crispier taquitos, lightly spray with oil halfway through baking when you flip them.
- If jackfruit is unavailable, try using mushrooms (finely chopped and sautéed until all moisture evaporates) or crumbled tofu as alternatives.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas or they may burst open during baking.
- These freeze beautifully! Freeze unbaked taquitos in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 5-7 minutes to the cooking time.