Description
These crab shrimp queso taquitos are a crowd-pleasing appetizer featuring a creamy seafood and cheese filling wrapped in crispy corn tortillas. Perfect for parties, they can be made ahead and fried or baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225 g) canned lump crab meat
- ½ lb (225 g) cooked shrimp, chopped
- 1 cup (120 g) shredded queso blanco cheese
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz (115 g) diced green chiles
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 20–25 small corn tortillas
- Vegetable oil for frying (such as avocado oil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the filling (10 minutes): In a large bowl, mix together the lump crab meat, chopped cooked shrimp, shredded queso blanco, softened cream cheese, diced green chiles, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
- Warm and prep tortillas (5 minutes): Wrap corn tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave for 30 seconds to make them pliable.
- Assemble the taquitos (15 minutes): Lay one warm tortilla flat, spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling near one edge, spread lengthwise leaving space on sides, then roll tightly. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Heat the oil (5 minutes): Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high until shimmering (around 350°F / 175°C).
- Fry the taquitos (10-12 minutes): Place rolled taquitos seam-side down in hot oil without overcrowding. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Drain and serve (2 minutes): Remove taquitos with tongs and drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Warm tortillas wrapped in a damp towel before rolling to prevent cracking. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. Drain well on paper towels to keep crispiness. Can bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway, as a healthier alternative. Freeze assembled taquitos before frying or baking for easy make-ahead meals.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 7
Keywords: crab shrimp taquitos, queso taquitos, seafood appetizers, party snacks, fried taquitos, easy appetizers, crowd-pleaser