Tasty Taquitos: Cooking Chuck Roast To Perfection

Taquitos are a popular Mexican dish, often served as a snack or appetiser. They are made by stuffing corn tortillas with seasoned shredded beef, chicken or pork, and cheese, and then either frying or baking them until golden and crispy.

Chuck roast is a cut of beef that comes from the shoulder of the cow. It is one of the least expensive cuts of beef and is best cooked with low and slow heat.

To make taquitos with chuck roast, the beef should be cooked in a slow cooker, Dutch oven or crockpot for several hours until it is tender and can be easily shredded. The shredded beef is then mixed with cheese and other seasonings, and stuffed into corn tortillas. The taquitos can then be fried or baked until crispy.

Cooking methods: oven-baked, slow cooker, instant pot, air fryer, stovetop

Oven-Baked

To cook chuck roast for taquitos in the oven, preheat your oven to 325°F. Season the roast generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Place the chuck roast into a Dutch oven with orange juice, beef stock, and onions. Secure the lid on the Dutch oven and transfer it to the oven to bake for 3.5 to 4 hours. After this time, the roast should easily shred into large chunks using two forks. If it's not quite falling apart, place it back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes with the lid on.

Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Toss the shredded meat with the onions and a sprinkle of taco seasoning onto a baking sheet and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes until it starts to caramelize and get crispy.

Slow Cooker

To cook chuck roast for taquitos in a slow cooker, trim any excess fat from the roast and rub it all over with a mixture of salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices. You can also sear the roast in a skillet over high heat to add a caramelized crust, but this is optional.

Add sliced onion to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and place the chuck roast on top. In a small bowl, whisk together beef broth, tomato paste, and thyme, then pour the mixture over the roast. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. The roast is done when it's tender and falls apart easily.

Instant Pot

For a boneless beef chuck roast of around 3 pounds, cut the roast into 2-inch pieces and season as desired. Place the roast into the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup of orange juice and quartered onions. Cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.

Air Fryer

No specific instructions for cooking chuck roast for taquitos in an air fryer were found. However, a general recipe for air fryer taquitos was found, which involves cooking the taquitos at 400°F for 6 to 9 minutes, then turning them over, adding more oil, and cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Stovetop

No specific instructions for cooking chuck roast for taquitos on the stovetop were found. However, a general recipe for pan-fried taquitos was found, which involves heating 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet to 350°F and frying the taquitos for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed until golden brown on all sides.

Cooking times: 30 minutes to 8 hours

30-minute meal

If you're looking for a quick and easy meal, taquitos can be made in just half an hour. This is, however, dependent on you already having cooked shredded beef to hand. If you don't, you can make shredded beef in a slow cooker over the course of several hours.

4-8 hours

If you're cooking your beef in a slow cooker, it will take between four and eight hours to cook. This is a good option if you want to make the beef specifically for your taquitos.

8-hour meal

For a fall-apart chuck roast, you can cook your beef in the oven for eight hours. This is a great option if you want to serve your beef with sides such as mashed potatoes and a drizzle of gravy.

Seasoning: salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cardamom, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, taco seasoning

Seasoning is a key part of making delicious, juicy, and tender taquitos. Here are some tips and tricks for seasoning your chuck roast:

• Use a variety of spices: A combination of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cardamom, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and taco seasoning will add depth and complexity to your meat. Don't be afraid to experiment with different spice combinations and quantities to find your perfect blend.
• Liberally apply the spice rub: Pat the beef pieces dry with paper towels, then generously season all sides with the spice rub. Be as liberal as you can, and don't worry if there is some leftover seasoning. You can add it to the pot later.
• Sear the beef: After seasoning, sear the beef cubes in batches over medium-high heat until they are deeply golden. This step adds flavour and seals in the juices.
• Combine with other ingredients: After searing, transfer the beef to a slow cooker or Dutch oven and add beef broth, salsa, green chillies, tomato paste, lime juice, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and beef bouillon. Stir everything together, cover, and cook on low heat for several hours until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
• Adjust seasoning: Once the beef is cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, lime juice, or brown sugar to enhance the flavour.
• Use the juices: Don't discard the juices left in the slow cooker or Dutch oven. You can use them to cook rice or other grains, adding extra flavour to your dish.

Meat: chuck roast, shredded beef, chicken, pork

Chuck roast is a cut of beef that comes from the shoulder of the animal. It is one of the least expensive cuts of beef and is best cooked with low and slow heat. When cooked correctly, it can be tender and flavourful. A 3-4 pound chuck roast is typically used for making taquitos. The meat is seasoned and slow-cooked until tender, and then shredded. This can be done in a slow cooker, oven, or instant pot.

Cooking the Meat

For a slow cooker, season the roast with salt, pepper, and other spices like chilli powder, garlic, cumin, and onion powder. Add beef broth and salsa, and cook on low for around 7-8 hours or until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded.

For an instant pot, cut the seasoned roast into four large pieces and place them in the instant pot with the same spices, beef broth, and salsa. Cook on high pressure for about 50 minutes, and then shred the meat.

Filling and Cooking the Taquitos

To make the taquitos, spoon the shredded meat onto corn tortillas, and roll them up. The taquitos can be baked or fried. For baking, brush them with oil and bake at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes until the shells are crispy. For frying, heat oil in a skillet and fry the taquitos in batches for a few seconds on each side until golden and crispy.

Toppings and Serving

Taquitos are typically served with toppings like guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream. They can be served as an appetiser, snack, or main dish.

Toppings: guacamole, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, chipotle sauce

Toppings for Taquitos

Guacamole

Guacamole is a must-have topping for taquitos. You can either make your own or buy it from the store. To make your own, you'll need avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Mash the avocados with a fork, then add the remaining ingredients and stir.

Cheese

For the cheese, you can use freshly shredded Monterrey Jack and sharp cheddar cheese. You can also swap the Monterrey Jack for Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Oaxaca cheese, or Asadero.

Lettuce

Shredded iceberg lettuce is a traditional topping for taquitos.

Salsa

You can make your own salsa using ripe tomatoes, red onion, garlic cloves, jalapenos, sugar, canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes, diced green chiles, fresh cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin, and salt. Simply blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Sour Cream

You can make your own sour cream by combining milk and vinegar and letting it stand for 10 minutes. Then, stir in heavy cream, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before chilling. You can also use Greek yogurt or Mexican crema as a topping.

Chipotle Sauce

Chipotle sauce is another great topping option for taquitos. To make it, blend whole milk Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, honey, and salt in a food processor until smooth.

Frequently asked questions