Frozen Taquitos in Air Fryer

Frozen taquitos in air fryer or Ninja Foodi are the best way to cook them! WAY crispier than in the oven and done in just minutes. Frozen food in an air fryer is the bomb!

Air Fryer Frozen Taquitos El Monterey

There are a few brands out there, any of them will do and cook the same way. I mean who doesn’t love these babies!! An easy throw together dinner you can make when days get hectic, and they do. You can make homemade air fryer flautas like this but with flour tortillas but this is faster.

You can find beef, chicken or cheese versions in the freezer section of your grocery store. I always have some on hand for “those days.”

Taquitos in Ninja Foodi Air Fryer

It doesn’t matter whether you choose cheese, beef or chicken taquitos. This timing will work for them all. In no time you’ll air fry everything too! In the Foodi you are going to use the lid that is attached for the air crisp function. Use the basket that sits inside with the holes in the bottom so the hot air can circulate well.

How do you cook frozen taquitos?

Before you had to preheat your oven to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then cook for 12 minutes. NOW air fryer frozen taquitos need 5 minutes preheating and 6 minutes to get crispy. Since they are already precooked it doesn’t take long. Unlike our air fryer chimichangas which use fresh tortillas there’s little to no prep for these.

If you were to go thru the effort to make your own but you made them in a large batch and froze them you’d use the same instructions. Of course for you the timing would vary depending on how thick yours are and how much you stuffed them full. You want the center to get warmed of course.

Are frozen taquitos precooked?

The inside meat is already cooked, so you’re safe there, though the corn tortilla or flour air fryer tortillas is not. If you just allowed them to defrost on the counter you’d be safe to eat them but it would be soft and a bit rubbery.

There’s really no need for non stick cooking spray in your air fryer basket, or need to flip them over either. Directions for these are so simple even my tweens at home can do it as a snack.

How Long to Cook Air Fryer Frozen Taquitos

How many you can cook at a time will depend on the size of your basket. I like the square type because as you can see you can fit more. Most foods aren’t round anyway so almost all of my machines have the square shape to them. Generally you

What are the best frozen taquitos?

• Box with your choice of cheese meat filled taquitos In order of popularity, favorite brands:
  • Delimex
  • Jose Olé
  • El Monterey
  • Don Miguel
  • Trader Jose’s

That is all you need! Of course we love a variety of dips once they’re done but those are add ons.

Yes we have made homemade chicken taquitos air fryer style when we have time but that isn’t often nowadays. Here are quick directions but there is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post as well:

How do You Cook Frozen Chicken Taquitos in Air Fryer

• The best method to cook frozen foods is in your hot air machine. Preheating will ensure they’re as crispy as possible.
• These need to be set to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes before adding them.
• Put as many frozen taquitos you’d like in your air fryer basket in one single layer. Do not overlap them or those areas won’t get golden brown and crispy on the outside.
• 6 minutes is usually perfect but timing will depend on how crispy you want them to be. Spray with oil the last minute if you want it really crunchy
• Serve with dipping sauces like air fryer salsa on the side and enjoy as soon as possible for best results.

I kid you not this machine will give you the deep fried crunch and taste you crave without the added calories. EVERYTHING I have tried in it tastes better, and more like I’d get at a restaurant than in the oven.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Taquitos

What should you serve with taquitos? Well many times if we want a quick meal it is just this, and done. For a heartier dish I might cook a frozen chicken breast in air fryer until that is tender and add one to each plate with these on the side.

Great for an every day meal or snack, and perfect for a quick Cinco de Mayo appetizer too. Here are a few other air fryer dinner recipes you will love.

• If you want to try a one pot meal, give our Instant Pot Mexican casserole a whirl too.
• For another great after school snack, this is how to cook air fryer frozen corn dogs too.

Air fryer empanadas are fabulous. You can really fill them with anything you love but I would say ground beef is an easy one to spice up. Hope this helped answer this question today. Then you can go on to cook all the things like frozen burritos in an air fryer too. If you have any other hacks you’ve figured out, let us know!