Crispy vegan taquitos (baked or air-fried) which are super easy to make, gluten-free, and delicious. These meat-free flautas are filled with a hearty veggie mixture that is bursting with flavor. Enjoy this simple rolled taco recipe as a snack, dinner, or side dish!
I am a huge fan of baked taquitos and make this hearty snack quite often. One of my most popular recipes is these Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos which are spicy, and delicious. Now it was time to come up with a new recipe for veggie taquitos with healthy vegetables.
Difference Between Taquitos And Flautas?
You might be wondering what’s the difference between taquito (“little rolled taco”) and flauta? They are both stuffed (mainly with meat, e.g. beef, chicken, and cheese), rolled, and either fried (most common) or baked which makes them quite similar. Both are typically made with corn tortillas, however, taquitos are shorter. The shape is different as well as flautas are skinnier and remind rather of a flute (“flauta” means flute in Spanish)
Also, the term “taquitos” is commonly used in the USA and “flautas” in Spanish-speaking countries (e.g. Mexico).
My recipe can be made with corn tortillas or wheat tortillas. I actually make my own homemade tortillas which neither contain corn nor wheat flour.
How To Make Vegan Taquitos?
Making these crispy oven-baked taco rolls is a breeze and very straightforward. Below you can see 6 process shots and I will quickly explain them:
- In the first picture, you can see the veggie mixture in a pan. I used cooked mashed potatoes, carrot, peas, onion, garlic, and flavorful spices. All you need to do is sauteing the onion, garlic, carrot, mashing the cooked potatoes, and adding the peas.
- The second picture shows the mashed vegetables. You can use a potato masher or a fork to combine everything.
- As you can see in the third photo, I normally put about 2-3 tablespoons of the veggie mixture on a tortilla. If you use larger tortillas you can, of course, use more stuffing.
- Photos 4, 5, and 6 show how to roll up the tortilla. You can sprinkle the rolls with taco seasoning (optional but very recommended). Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown and crispy.
All measurements and instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
Air Fryer Taquitos
Spread them in a single layer, seam-side-down, in your air fryer basket with space in between (cook in batches if necessary). Then air fry in a pre-heated air fryer at 350F/175C for 6-8 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy on the edges.
Useful Tips
- It’s possible to make the vegetable filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Store leftover veggie taquitos covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in zip lock bags for up to 2 months.
- You can add more healthy vegetables in addition such as peppers, zucchini, sweet potato, or mushrooms.
- If you aren’t a fan of peas, simply use chickpeas or beans to add healthy plant-based protein to your vegan taquitos.
- You can use vegan ground “beef” as a meat substitute if you like. Simply fry it together with the onion in a pan.
- Want them extra crispy? Pan-fry the taquitos with some oil instead of baking!
- Dip in salsa, vegan queso, sour cream or guacamole! I often serve them with my easy vegan cheese sauce.
These Baked Veggie Rolls Are:
- Vegan (meat-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free (if you use my homemade tortillas)
- Flavorful
- Comforting
- Crispy on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside
- The perfect finger food
- A great snack, party food, dinner or side dish
- Quite healthy as they contain only wholesome ingredients
- Easy to make
Should you give these baked vegan taquitos a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan #elavegan because I would love to see them! 🙂
More Vegan Snacks
For more snack ideas, check out the following delicious gluten-free vegan recipes:
- Crispy Polenta Fries
- Homemade Taco Cups
- Black Bean Quesadillas
- Vegetable Fritters
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks (Vegan Schnitzel)
- Oven-Baked Tacos
Vegan Baked Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large (400 g) potatoes peeled and chopped
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 medium (140 g) carrot grated or finely diced
- ½ medium-large onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup (180 g) peas frozen or canned
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾-1 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable broth
- 5 oz (140 g) vegan cheese of choice
- Taco seasoning to sprinkle on top of taquitos (optional)
- 8-10 small/medium tortillas (see notes)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes and cook in a pot with boiling water and salt until fork tender which takes about 12-15 minutes. Drain the water and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. You can add a splash of plant-based milk for a creamier result. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan/skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the grated carrot, minced garlic, all spices and sauté for a further minute.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, add peas (frozen), put the lid on and cook for a few minutes until the carrot is softened. If you use frozen peas, make sure to let them thaw completely. If using canned peas, drain and rinse (no need to cook, add them in the next step). Turn off the heat.
- Also, add the mashed potatoes and vegan cheese (you can use store-bought grated vegan cheese or cream cheese). I used my easy vegan cheese sauce. Use a fork or a potato masher to combine everything.
- Taste the veggie mixture and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/black pepper/spices to taste. If you want it spicier, add more red pepper flakes to taste.
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place about 2-3 tbsp of the filling onto each tortilla and roll them up tightly. Place every tortilla seam-side down on the baking sheet, next to each other.
- Brush with a little vegetable oil (to make them even more crispy) and sprinkle some taco seasoning on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 17-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Broil for a few minutes (optional).
- Serve with salsa, sour cream, vegan queso or guacamole. Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in zip lock bags for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Peas: If you aren't a fan of peas, simply use chickpeas or beans to add healthy plant-based protein.
- Vegan meat: You can use vegan ground "beef" as a meat substitute if you like. Simply fry it together with the onion in a pan.
- Crispy taquitos: Want the taquitos extra crispy? Pan-fry them with some oil instead of baking until crispy and nicely browned on all sides.
- Tortillas: I use homemade gluten-free tortillas. They are also grain-free, pliable, and delicious. If you are using store-bought corn tortillas, make sure to warm them in a pan (with a lid on) or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave (for about 30-40 seconds). You can also use flour tortillas (if you aren't gluten-free).
- Read the blog post for more useful tips, step-by-step photos, video, and to check out the method for air-fryer taquitos.
- Recipe serves 10. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Eleni
Made these tonight. Excellent!!! Made exactly as written. Dipped them in Indian sauce from Well Your World. Great recipe!
Ela
Sounds great! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Diane Schuller
I’ve just become vegan and I’m so grateful that you’ve shared this recipe. I’m going to make them this week.
Ela
Enjoy it! 🙂
Margaret Lasslett
We thoroughly enjoyed this meal and it will become a staple
Ela
I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Savannah
Delicious! I have used this recipe 5+ times as a filling for enchiladas. I simply stuff them, place them in a glass baking dish covered with spicy enchilada sauce, and back in the oven it goes for 4-6 minutes 😊
P.s. When I met my partner who is dairy-free, gluten-free, and pescatarian I was a pretty well-seasoned home cook… but nothing could have prepared me for the challenge ahead. I’ve been using your recipes for 2 years now and this one remains our absolute favorite! I’m not one to leave comments but I had to say a huge THANK you for helping me master allergen-friendly meal planning!
Ela
Aww, that makes me so happy, Savannah! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. 🙂
Kira
Pretty good, i must of messed up maybe cause the inside is kinda dry. I needed to add more seasoning as well. Maybe my potatoes were too big, so they sucked all the moisture up. 🤭 Either way these are so filling and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ela
Thanks for your feedback, Kira. 🙂
Cindy
OMG! Such an amazing recipe! I love it so much. My 6 yr old loves it too!
Ela
I am so glad you like it, Cindy. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Tiana
So yummy!! I absolutely loved them!
Ela
Hi Tiana, I am glad you liked them. 🙂
Reanna
What could I use instead of potatoes?
Ela
Sweet Potatoes!
Marla
What could I use as I sauce instead of the cheese sauce for the inside? I don’t like cheese, but I’m afraid the filing might be too dry if I just leave it out.
Ela
Hi Marla, you could use vegan sour cream or cream cheese. Or make my cheese sauce without adding the nutritional yeast flakes, then it won’t really taste like cheese.
Alan P. Viveiros
1 Cup Chic Pea ground with . cup almond milk salt pepper, tsp Garlic and tsp ginger mixed with 1/2 tsp oil. Also can substitute cashews.
Lauren
Ooh! This looks great. I wonder if would work well in air fryer instead of oven.
Ela
Hi Lauren, I think it would work even better! I would check after 10 minutes if they are already done. 🙂
Diame
Made these many times and am always happy with the outcome. You mention that they can be frozen up to 2 months. Do you bake them then freeze them or just roll them, freeze them, then bake before using?
Ela
Hi Diame, I bake them before freezing them. 🙂
Gila
Delicious! I used 1/4 can of cannellini beans instead of peas for protein and fibre. It basically tastes like a cross between a samosa and masala dosa. No need for taco seasoning like others have said!
Ela
So glad you liked them, Gila. 🙂
Katie
This was so good! made this last night. I used pinto beans instead of peas. I’m not vegan but I love finding new recipes
Ela
That’s wonderful, Katie! Happy you liked it. 🙂
Gina
These were delicious! To me they had more of an Indian vibe than Mexican so I used Tamarind Chutney rather than salsa as a dipping sauce. It was so good. Will be making again. Next time I would probably leave the taco seasoning off as the filling had enough flavor on its own. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ela
Hi Gina, I am glad you liked it! 🙂
Kelsey
Made these up yesterday and I’m polishing off the last one for breakfast this morning! Delicious! I used pre-shredded carrots and added black beans.
Ela
That’s great, Kelsey! I am glad they turned out yummy. 🙂
Lene Dusart
It looks dilicious, but can you eat it cold?
Thank you for all the recipes!!!
Ela
You can, but they taste best warm and crispy! 🙂
Juliet T. Gilbert
I made this recipe for our dinner tonight! The recipe turned out perfectly!!! The Taquitos were delicious! I will be so proud to serve these Taquitos to my adult children and grandchildren because I know they will LOVE this recipe! Thank you so much!
Ela
You are very welcome, Juliet! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Sheri
Oh. My. Goodness! I had high expectations after reading the comments and this did NOT disappoint!! My meat eating family loved them!
I subbed white kidney beans for the peas (I didn’t have any on hand) and I grated the carrots and added a bit of grated zucchini too. Next time, I’d leave off the taco seasoning, the seasonings on the inside are enough 🙂 . I made your cheese sauce and your tortillas and wowzers! I haven’t been able to have a wrap in YEARS! Today was one of the best days of 2020 LOL So excited to share this! Double the recipe people, you won’t regret it!
Ela
Aww, that makes me so happy, Sheri! Thanks for your sweet comment. 🙂
Naomi
Amazing recipe!! I made the tortillas and the cheese sauce and it was one of the most delicious meals I’ve had. Thanks for sharing!
Ela
Aww, I am so glad you enjoyed it, Naomi! Thanks for your lovely comment. 🙂
priya
thank you for this recipe <3
Ela
You are very welcome! 🙂
Meg
We have had these a few times in the past month. I added grated zuchinni and swapped white potatoes for sweet potatoes and my meat-loving husband loves them. I’ve put lots of extended family members onto this recipe and it’s been a hit with all of their families too. Thanks for such an easy vego night option!
Ela
That’s awesome, Meg! Thanks so much for your great feedback. 🙂