Creamy Black Bean Taquitos (Fried or Baked)

Besides football, I think that we all think about the same thing when it comes to the Super Bowl: FOOD! In preparation for all of the delightful snacks the weekend has in store for football lovers and ignorers alike, I wanted to share a recipe of my own that's been a huge hit in my family and would be perfect to serve on Super Bowl Sunday: creamy black bean taquitos!

My parents always have frozen chicken taquitos from Costco on hand to throw in the oven whenever the mood strikes, but I couldn't eat those anymore after I went vegetarian, so I set out to create a new taquito recipe that I could enjoy, and my mom dubs these better than the frozen ones! They take more work than just throwing them in the oven, but they're so worth it in the end.

I'm including instructions for making the taquitos fried or baked because I know everyone has different preferences. The recipe makes 10, but it's easy to duplicate to make as many as you want.  

Without further ado, let's make 'em!

Creamy Black Bean Taquitos

Makes 10 taquitos

Ingredients:

• Small yellow onion, diced
• 1 T olive oil
  
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 15 oz can black beans
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 finely minced jalapeno
• 4 oz diced cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 c shredded cheese (I like Mexican blend)
• 2 T cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 10 6-inch tortillas (flour or corn, pick your favorite)
  
• Additional olive oil, for cooking

Directions:

1. To make the filling: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and jalapeno and cook until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. In the meantime, drain and rinse the black beans.
2. Add black beans, green chiles, garlic powder, cumin, and salt to the skillet, stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted and everything is combined. Stir in the shredded cheese and cilantro just until combined and the cheese is slightly melted. Remove from heat.
   
3. To assemble the taquitos: Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling mixture into the center of a tortilla (I try to spoon it into sort of a line). Roll the tortilla as tightly as possible without squeezing the filling out of the ends. Place the taquito seam-side down on a plate so that it doesn't come unrolled. Repeat until all of the filling has been used.
   
4. To fry the taquitos: In a large skillet, heat 1T olive oil over medium low to medium heat. Make sure the skillet is evenly coated. When the oil is shimmering, place a few taquitos seam-side down into the skillet. (Cook them in batches so that they don't crowd the pan.) Let fry for a minute or two until the bottom is golden brown to your liking. Using tongs, rotate the taquitos and cook on each side until all sides are golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and place them onto a paper towel-lined platter. Continue cooking until all of the taquitos have been fried. Add more oil as needed (I like them more toasty than fried, so I usually don't add extra oil after the first batch). 
5. To bake the taquitos: Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Place the taquitos at least an inch apart seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each of the taquitos with a small amount of cooking oil (you could also use a spray oil). Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
   
6. Serve hot with your favorite dips (salsa, sour cream, guacamole...)

I hope you make these this weekend, I know you'll love them! If you do, send me a pic on Instagram!

xoxx, Laura