Mexican taquitos, are savory dishes that can be a snack, entrée, or entree depending on how they are prepared.
They are definitely individual tags, however they refer to dishes that are fairly similar with variances only being noticeable dependent on where you come from and language generalities.
Crispitos and taquitos are Mexican foods with unclear origins. The names, relationship, resemblance, ingredients, and flavor profile evoke Mexican cuisine. Taquitos and crispitos, like other Mexican foods, are flavorful, delicious, and high in calories and indulgence.
There are many variations of Mexican food, but the fundamental ingredient is usually spicy meat. Crispitos and taquitos are defined below by the public and culinary community.
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Crispitos
They are a Mexican dish comprising of a filling wrapped securely in tortillas or roll sheets and deep-fried to make them crispy. The tortilla can be made of corn flour or wheat flour.
Taquitos
Taquitos are basically the same thing. Taquito is Mexican meaning ‘little taco’. Taquitos comprise a filling wrapped in tortillas and crisp fried or deep-fried. Taquitos are often made using cornflour but in some places, wheat flour tortillas will be used and the dish will still be called a taquito.
Flauta
Fried flautas have tortilla wrappers. Wheat flour makes flauta tortillas. Taquitos and flautas are crispitos, a broad term encompassing numerous dishes created this manner. Flautas are bigger than taquitos, but crispitos are easier.
The chicken and cheese meal can be microwaved on a tortilla or roll sheet, depending on flour. Crispitos are easy to make and used in school meals. Not taquitos or flautas. Flautas and taquitos are usually heavier main dishes with longer cooking times and more ingredients.
How to make a taquito, a flauta, or a crispito
Despite the small variations, the recipe, ingredients, and cooking process have a world of overlap.
Tortillas
A flat, thin circular bread without yeast. Corn or wheat tortillas are a staple in American and Mexican cuisine. American culture loves wheat because it tastes and feels like bread, and Americans adore bread! The classic and healthier corn tortilla has less calories and a richer flavor than the wheat tortilla.
For its richer taste, superior color, and more complex nutritional profile, avid cooks choose maize tortillas over wheat tortillas.The most dedicated chefs prepare tortillas from scratch, which requires dedication to their trade.
The toppings
Mexican taquitos is a long list if ever there was one. Basically whatever pleases you, if you should combine it with a taquito or flauta, then it is a topping worthy of the recipe. The following are the common toppings taken together with taquitos.
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Shredded or diced cabbage
- Baby spinach
- Shredded carrots
- Coleslaw
- Shredded or diced lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped onions or scallions
- Chopped onions mixed in chopped tomatoes
- Pickle juice or pickles
- Salsa, hot sauce, or ketchup
- Avocado slices
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro
- Fruit salad or pudding
- Vegetable salad of your choice among others
Toppings can be anything that is pleasant when coupled with the taste of your taquito.
The filling
This is without question the most interesting and most flavorful part of the dish. You can do interesting things here and whether your tastes run wild in the direction of meats, cheeses, and spices or in the more reserved health-conscious direction of vegetables and cereals, you have the freedom to make exquisite fillings.
In general, however, the following are the ingredients that you will find in many a taquito and crispito recipe.
More often than not they are fried or stewed, mixed up together in varying proportions informed by personal choice and devoid of moisture to avoid wetting and weakening the tortilla. They include:
- Cooked chicken, ground beef, pork, mutton, or any meats you fancy
- Shredded cheese of your choice
- Some vegetables such as shredded carrots or baby spinach
- Salsa or sour cream
- Garlic and ginger paste if you wish
- Spices like chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- Greek yogurt
- Cooked lentils
- Cooked beans or black-eyed peas
- Cooked and chopped sausages or any ingredient that can make the filling.
The filling needs to be made into a ball-like mixture that can hold together fairly well and does not expand too much during the frying process breaking the tortilla. Whichever combination of the above ingredients works for you is what is called a crispito, a taquito, or a flauta.
You are welcome to experiment with different favors and find different recipe formulations that could come in handy for different occasions and people.
Finally
Regardless of what you call this dish in your particular locality, it is acceptable to say this is one of the many dishes that quickly became a common favorite and it is clear why.
With a food profile so wide and possibilities running into the tenfolds, each taquito and crispito is bound to taste different any place that you encounter it.
