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Vegan Taquitos (Air Fryer + Oven)

Vegan taquitos are the ultimate lunch, dinner or snack food! These crunchy rolled tacos are packed with flavor and so easy to make! Filled with a creamy chipotle black bean mixture and vegan queso, these vegan taquitos are going to become your new favorite meal!

Gluten free taquitos in air fryer.
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Why you will love this recipe

  • Quick and easy! You can make vegan taquitos in the air fryer in under 20 minutes (they cook in just 7 minutes time once assembled). These are perfect for those nights when everyone wants something fun to eat! Much better (and less expensive) than take out.
  • Great ingredients! Packed with veggies, beans and a cashew cheese sauce, these vegan taquitos are also gluten free, grain free and grain free. This recipe calls for almond flour tortillas, but you could also use cassava, chickpea or traditional corn tortillas.
  • Great for afterschool snacking! You can reheat these in the air fryer in just a few minutes and are perfect for dipping in salsa, guacamole or spicy chipotle mayo.
Ingredients to make vegan taquitos (air fryer or oven).

Ingredients

Black Bean Stuffing

  • Red onion and red bell pepper – these help build the base of flavor and add some veggies to the taquitos. I like to cook them down first to help caramelize the onions and reduce the harsh flavor from raw onion.
  • Black beans – you can use canned black beans or homemade black beans (I like to make them in the instant pot). You could also use kidney beans or cooked lentils in place of the black beans as well.
  • Chipotle peppers – Chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce are a great way to add a ton of flavor to the dish without making it too hot or spicy. You can add more peppers if you want a spicier taquito.
  • Salt and ground cumin – the salt helps to elevate all the flavors in the dish and the ground cumin adds a smoky note to the filling.

Vegan Dairy Free Nacho Cheese Sauce

  • Cashews – raw cashews are best for this. You will need to soak the cashews in hot water for at least 5 minutes or microwave them for 2 minutes to help soften them (see the tips below).
  • Water – water helps to break down the cashews and bind the sauce.
  • Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast helps to add a cheesy flavor to dairy free sauces. It’s different from brewers yeast and is hard to replace.
  • Salt and smoked paprika – the salt helps to elevate the flavors and the smoked paprika makes this (when combined with the nutritional yeast) taste just like nacho cheese sauce.

Other ingredients

  • Tortillas – you will want a small taco sized tortilla (usually about 4-5 inches wide). If you use larger tortillas, it’s actually called a flauta. I prefer to use almond flour tortillas (I get mine at Trader Joe’s) but you can also use cassava, chickpea, or corn to make gluten free taquitos. You can try other gluten free tortillas to make larger flautas.

How to make vegan taquitos in air fryer

Bring water to a boil and pour it over the cashews. Let them soak at least 5 minutes.

Raw cashews being soaked in hot water.

Chop the veggies (red onion and red bell pepper). I like to put them in the small food processor I have to break them down quickly and into very small pieces. Having the veggies chopped very small helps to ensure you can easily roll the taquitos.

Red bell pepper and red onion in food processor.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. and spray with olive oil or avocado oil. Add the veggies and cook 4-5 minutes, stir occasionally.

Chopped bell pepper and onion in cast iron skillet before cooking.

In the same food processor you used to chop the veggies, add the black beans (rinsed and drained) with chipotle pepper, salt, cumin and 2-3 tablespoons of the red onion/red bell pepper mixture from the stove. Blend until the black beans have turned into a thick paste.

Turn the veggies off and add the rest of the veggies to the black bean mixture, stirring them in with a spoon (don’t blend them in).

Black bean filling before and after adding veggies.

Next carefully drain the hot water from the cashews. Add the cashews, fresh water, nutritional yeast, salt and smoked paprika to a high speed blender. Blend on high at least 1 minute until the cashews form a thick nacho cheese sauce consistency.

Before and after of making vegan nacho cheese sauce.

Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel or clean towel. Microwave for 20 seconds to help heat up the tortillas and make them ore pliable.

Damp paper towel over tortillas.

Start assembling the taquitos. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the black bean mixture on the bottom of a tortilla. Add a drizzle of the dairy free nacho cheese, maybe 1-2 teaspoons (not too much or it will explode out of the tortilla as you are rolling them).

Black bean filling with vegan nacho cheese on tortilla.

Next roll the tortilla, simply roll from the bottom, covering the filling and continuing to roll up until you have a long log formed. Place the taquito seam side down in the air fryer basket.

Hand rolling a vegan taquito.

Continue this until you fill up the basket. My air fryer can handle between 5-6 taquitos at a time.

Vegan taquitos in air fryer before cooking.

Cook at 350F for 7 minutes (this helps the vegan taquitos get crispy without burning).

Air fryer vegan taqhtos after cooking.

Carefully remove from the air fryer and repeat with new batch of freshly assembled taquitos (don’t assemble them ahead of time, they can start to crack and unroll if they sit out for too long before being cooked).

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or my favorite way, with guacamole on top!

Top tips

  • Finely chop the veggies so the taquitos are easy to roll.
  • If you are short on time, you can use raw onion and store bought roasted red peppers and skip the step on cooking the veggies.
  • Place the taquitos seam side down on the air fryer basket and place them close to eachother to ensure they won’t unwind.
  • Only make as many taquitos you can fit in the air fryer at once. If you make more than you can fit, you may find the tortillas starting to dry out and crack. If you do decide to make them ahead of time, be sure to cover them with a damp paper towel or damp kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
  • If you want to make more vegan taquitos at once, make them in the oven instead of in the air fryer (see instructions below on how to make them in the oven).

What are taquitos

Taquito means “little rolled tacos” and are typically filled with chicken, beef, or cheese but these vegan taquitos are made with black beans to keep them vegan and dairy free. Typically taquitos are made with corn tortillas, but in this recipe I’m using almond flour to keep them grain free.

Taquitos are not a traditional Mexican dish, instead they are credited to be developed by two different Southern California restaurants. Taquitos are thought to be based off of the Spanish dish flautas which are rolled tortillas usually made with larger flour tortillas.

These taquitos or little rolled tacos are typically deep fried or baked, but I love using the air fryer to get them crispy without all the added oil from the fryer.

Air fryer taquitos on a white serving dish.

What other veggies can you add (finely chopped)

  • Zucchini or yellow summer squash
  • Mushrooms
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Sliced jalapenos
  • Green chili peppers

How to serve air fryer taquitos

Vegan taquitos topped with guacamole and tomatoes.

How can you make vegan taquitos in the oven

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Follow the steps for making the filling and the vegan nacho cheese sauce.
  3. Microwave ½ the tortillas you plan on using with a damp paper towel or towel over top for 20 seconds.
  4. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  5. Roll the taquitos (as noted in the directions) and place seam side down on the parchment paper. Keep them close together to keep them from unrolling while baking.
  6. After you get done with the first half of the tortillas, microwave the second set. This helps ensure the tortillas are soft and pliable when rolling.
  7. Finish filling and rolling the taquitos. Once all the filling has been used, these are ready to bake.
  8. Place in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes.

How to soak cashews

In this recipe, I recommend pouring boiling water over the cashews (I like to heat it up in my elecric kettle), but there are many ways to soak cashews.

I like to use raw cashews because they get soft quickly and blend well. Be sure to discard the soaking liquid after draining the cashews (do not use this water in the recipe). To soak cashews, you can use any of the follow methods:

  • Counter: Cover the cashews with room temperature water and allow them to sit out on the counter 8 hours. Drain the water from soaking.
  • Boil the cashews on the stove: Add water and the cashews to a small pot on the stove. Bring the water to a boil and cook the cashews in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before draining the water off the cashews.
  • Add boiling water over top of the cashews: This is the method I use most often. Bring water to a boil (I use my tea kettle) and pour boiling water over the cashews in a large glass or bowl. Let the cashews sit in the hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water.
  • Microwave the cashews: Add just enough water to cover the cashews in a large jar or bowl. Microwave the cashews for 2:30 minutes (the water will come to a boil in the microwave). Carefully remove from the microwave (use oven mitts) and drain off the water.

Storing leftovers

Fridge: Store leftover vegan taquitos in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat using the oven or air fryer for the best texture.

  • Reheat in the oven: Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the leftover taquitos for 5-8 minutes until crispy and hot.
  • Reheat in the air fryer: Place in air fryer basket and set it to 350F for 3-4 minutes until crispy and hot.

Freezer: You can also freeze these gluten free taquitos for later. Taquitos can be stored in a freezer safe bag for up to a month. If you are going to defrost before reheating, follow the instructions for the fridge reheating. If you plan on reheating the taquitos from frozen, you will want to either:

  1. Freeze the taquitos without cooking them at all. Reheating these taquitos, you will want to add 5 minutes on the air fryer time or 10 minutes on the oven time listed in the recipe (350F for 12 minutes in air fryer or 400F for 20-25 minutes in oven).
  2. Half cook the taquitos before freezing. Take the cooking time listed and divide it by 2. Partially cook the taquitos before cooling and freezing to make reheating faster. When you are ready to cook these taquitos from frozen, simply follow the times listed on the recipe card (350F for 7 minutes in the air fryer or 400F for 15-20 minutes in oven).
Center of a vegan taquito being held by a hand.

Substitutions

  • Red onion: You can use yellow or white onions in place of red onion. If you don’t love onion in your food or cannot have it, simply omit it or you could even use the green part of green onions (about ¼ cup).
  • Red bell pepper: You can use any color bell pepper (yellow or orange would be best if you don’t have red). Alternatively, you can check the veggies listed above for another veggie you love instead.
  • Black beans: You can also use kidney beans (dark or red), white beans or even lentils in place of the black beans. If you want to make these vegan taquitos bean free, use my walnut mushroom taco meat instead!
  • Chipotle in adobo: I keep a can of these on hand all the time, they are an easy way to add flavor to dishes. You could also use ¼ cup of salsa in place of the chipotle in adobo if you don’t have chipotle in adobo. You may also want to add 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder as well.
  • Ground cumin: ground cumin adds a deep smoky flavor. You could also use smoked paprika or chili powder if you don’t have ground cumin.
  • Cashews: Cashews help give the vegan nacho cheese sauce the right texture and creaminess. You can also use tahini, raw sunflower seeds or raw walnuts in place of the cashews. The flavor will be slightly different depending on which of these substitutions you use.
  • Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is a main ingredient to getting that cheesy flavor without cheese. You could try a tablespoon of Dijon mustard + an additional ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika but the taste will be different.
  • Almond flour tortillas: I used almond flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s as they are budget friendly and easy to use. You could also use cassava flour, chickpea flour or corn tortillas in place of the almond flour. If you want to use larger flour tortillas (one of my favorites is brown rice + quinoa from Trader Joe’s), these will be more like flautas and I would recommend you cooking them at 360F for 7 minutes in the air fryer instead of at 350F so they can get a bit crispier.

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Vegan taquitos in air fryer after cooking.

Vegan Taquitos (Air Fryer and Oven)

$10.56 Recipe/$2.64 Serving
Vegan taquitos are the perfect snack, lunch or dinner and are so easy to make! Filled with creamy black bean filling and vegan nacho cheese, these are packed with flavor and are such a healthy treat! Serve with guacamole, salsa or
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: air fryer vegan taquitos, vegan taquitos
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Vegan Nacho Cheese

Black Bean Filling

  • 1 medium red onion - $0.33
  • 1 medium red bell pepper - $1.29
  • avocado oil or olive oil spray - $0.12
  • 1.5 cups black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained) - $0.99
  • 2-3 medium chipotle in adobo - $0.18
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt - $0.03
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin - $0.05

Other ingredients

  • 12 small tortillas (almond flour, chickpea flour, cassava or corn) - $6.68

Instructions

  • Start by soaking the cashews in hot water (see tips in post).
  • Using a small food processor, process the red onion and red bell pepper until finely chopped.
  • Preheat a skillet, add the avocado oil or olive oil spray and add the veggies. Cook 4-5 minutes.
  • While veggies are cooking, rinse and drain the black beans.
  • Add the black beans, chipotle pepper, salt, ground cumin and 2-3 tablespoons of the red bell pepper and red onion mixture to the food processor. Process until mostly smooth.
  • Once veggies are done cooking, add the rest of the veggies to the black bean mixture and stir them in (no blending.
  • Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, 1/3 cup water, nutritional yeast, salt and smoked paprika to a high speed blender. Blend on high at least 1 minute until smooth.
  • Take 5-6 of the tortillas and add them to a plate. Cover the plate with a damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave for 20 seconds to make the tortillas more pliable.
  • Take one tortilla, add 2-3 tablespoons of the black bean mixture and 1-2 teaspoons of the dairy free nacho cheese to the bottom of the tortilla.
  • Carefully roll the tortilla, pushing the filling out to the sides to make a tightly formed rolled taco.
  • Place the tortilla seam side down in the air fryer, repeat with the rest until you fill up the air fryer basket.
  • Cook at 350F for 7 minutes in the air fryer.
  • Repeat this process again (microwave tortillas, fill and roll) for the rest of the tortillas. Don't make these ahead as they tend to dry out.
  • Enjoy with guacamole, salsa, or chipotle mayo for dipping.

Equipment

Notes

This recipe nutritional facts is for 3 tortillas, using almond flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s. 
Top tips
  • Finely chop the veggies so the taquitos are easy to roll.
  • Place the taquitos seam side down on the air fryer basket and place them close to eachother to ensure they won’t unwind.
  • Only make as many taquitos you can fit in the air fryer at once. If you make more than you can fit, you may find the tortillas starting to dry out and crack. If you do decide to make them ahead of time, be sure to cover them with a damp paper towel or damp kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
  • If you want to make more vegan taquitos at once, make them in the oven instead of in the air fryer.
How can you make vegan taquitos in the oven
  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Follow the steps for making the filling and the vegan nacho cheese sauce.
  • Microwave ½ the tortillas you plan on using with a damp paper towel or towel over top for 20 seconds.
  • Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  • Roll the taquitos (as noted in the directions) and place seam side down on the parchment paper. Keep them close together to keep them from unrolling while baking.
  • After you get done with the first half of the tortillas, microwave the second set. This helps ensure the tortillas are soft and pliable when rolling.
  • Finish filling and rolling the taquitos. Once all the filling has been used, these are ready to bake.
  • Place in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover vegan taquitos in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat using the oven or air fryer for the best texture.
  • Reheat in the oven: Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the leftover taquitos for 5-8 minutes until crispy and hot.
  • Reheat in the air fryer: Place in air fryer basket and set it to 350F for 3-4 minutes until crispy and hot.
Freezer: You can also freeze these gluten free taquitos for later. Taquitos can be stored in a freezer safe bag for up to a month. If you are going to defrost before reheating, follow the instructions for the fridge reheating. If you plan on reheating the taquitos from frozen, you will want to:
  • Freeze the taquitos without cooking them at all. Reheating these taquitos, you will want to add 5 minutes on the air fryer time or 10 minutes on the oven time listed in the recipe (350F for 12 minutes in air fryer or 400F for 20-25 minutes in oven).
  • Half cook the taquitos before freezing. Take the cooking time listed and divide it by 2. Partially cook the taquitos before cooling and freezing to make reheating faster. When you are ready to cook these taquitos from frozen, simply follow the times listed on the recipe card (350F for 7 minutes in the air fryer or 400F for 15-20 minutes in oven).

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
441
Fat
 
22
g
Carbohydrates
 
49
g
Fiber
 
11
g
Sugar
 
5
g
Protein
 
16
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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