Taquitos are a popular Mexican appetizer or snack consisting of a small rolled tortilla filled with various meats, cheese, beans, or potatoes. Choosing the right dipping sauce can take these crispy rolls to the next level. With so many tasty options, it can be difficult to decide what sauce pairs best with taquitos. This article will go over the most popular taquito dipping sauces and provide recommendations to help you determine what sauce to eat your taquitos with.
What are taquitos?
Taquitos (Spanish for “little tacos”) are made by taking a small corn or flour tortilla, rolling it into a cigar-like cylinder, and frying it until crispy. The interior can be filled with a variety of ingredients, such as shredded chicken, beef, pork, or cheese. Sometimes the filling is mashed potatoes or refried beans. The taquitos are often served with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and salsa on the side.
Taquitos make for excellent party appetizers since they can be made ahead of time and simply heated up and served. Their cylindrical shape also makes them perfect for dipping in sauces. The crispy exterior provides a nice contrast to the soft, savory interior filling. Taquitos can be found on menus at Mexican restaurants and taco trucks, but they are also easy to make at home with just corn tortillas, your favorite filling, and a skillet.
Why serve taquitos with sauce?
While taquitos are delicious on their own, the right dipping sauce can take them to the next level. Sauce adds an extra burst of flavor and moisture that soaks into the outer shell. It also provides a cooling contrast to the hot and crunchy fried exterior.
Dipping is half the fun of eating finger foods like taquitos. Having a sauce to dunk them in gives you an interactive eating experience and makes the appetizer more exciting. The sauce also helps balance the richness of the fillings. A creamy, tangy, or spicy sauce helps cut through the richness of cheese, beef, or chicken taquitos.
Most Popular Taquito Sauces
There are many great options when selecting a sauce for taquitos. Here are some of the most popular:
Guacamole
Guacamole is an iconic Mexican sauce made from mashed avocados, lime juice, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and chiles. It’s creamy, tangy, and full of flavor. The cool, rich guacamole provides perfect contrast to the crunchy exterior and warm filling of a taquito. It’s a classic pairing. Guacamole can be made smooth or chunky depending on preference. Store-bought guacamole or homemade both pair deliciously with taquitos.
Salsa
Salsa comes in infinite varieties and works wonderfully with taquitos. Tomato-based Mexican salsas add a burst of acidity, spice, and freshness. They also come in a range of heat levels so you can go mild or extra bold. Green tomatillo salsa has a brightness that balances the taquitos. For a smoky twist, try a salsa made with charred chiles and onions. You could even use fruit salsas like pineapple, mango, or peach for a tangy kick.
Sour Cream
Cool and tangy sour cream is a classic accompaniment to many Mexican dishes. It provides a creamy, rich counterpoint to the taquito’s crunchy texture. The subtle tartness helps cut through the often heaviness of the fillings. Sour cream is also neutral in flavor so it works with any type of taquito. Add a dash of lime juice and chili powder to plain sour cream for even moreflavor.
Cheese Sauce
For ultimate indulgence, nothing beats dipping taquitos in warm, melted cheese sauce. The quintessential cheese sauces for taquitos are white queso and chili con queso – smooth, creamy cheese sauces spiked with diced chiles for a touch of heat. The gooey cheese coats each bite of the taquito. For an easy cheese sauce, simply melt shredded cheese like cheddar or Monterey Jack with some milk or cream, diced green chiles, and seasoning.
Ranch Dressing
Cool and tangy ranch dressing is a popular American sauce that also pairs well with taquitos. The creamy buttermilk base with herbs provide a nice contrast to the taquito’s crispy texture and savory filling. It has a similar effect as sour cream but with an extra punch of flavor from herbs and spices. Thick, homemade ranch is ideal but store-bought works too.
Chimichurri
Chimichurri is a delicious Argentine green sauce made with parsley, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar. It has a lovely bright herby flavor that’s a great match for taquitos. The oil and acidity in chimichurri help cut through heavy meats like chicken or beef. It also adds freshness to balance the fried exterior. Chimichurri with some added heat from chiles is especially good.
Chipotle Cream
For a smoky and spicy sauce, try dipping taquitos in chipotle cream. It combines the richness of heavy cream or sour cream with pureed canned chipotle chiles. The heat of the chiles is tempered by the cool creaminess. You get a nice hit of smokiness and slow developing spice that pairs so well with the flavors in taquitos.
Mole Sauce
Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce with incredible depth of flavor. It combines dried chiles with nuts, spices, chocolate, and more. The complex sweet-spicy mole sauce soaks beautifully into a taquito. It handles the richness of fillings like chicken or cheese. If you don’t want to make mole from scratch, look for ready-made mole in the Mexican section of markets.
Choosing a Sauce Based on Filling
The filling inside the taquito can help determine what sauce pairs best. Here are sauce recommendations based on common taquito fillings:
Cheese Taquitos
Best sauces for cheese taquitos:
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Cheese sauce
- Ranch dressing
Cheese taquitos have a nice richness from the melted cheese interior. Cool, creamy sauces like guacamole, sour cream, and ranch balance out the richness. Cheese sauce takes it over the top for maximum cheesiness. Tomato-based salsa cuts through the fat with acidity.
Chicken Taquitos
Best sauces for chicken taquitos:
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Salsa verde
- Chipotle cream
- Mole
Chicken taquitos pair well with creamy guac or sour cream to handle the lean chicken. Herby green salsa verde or smoky chipotle cream add big flavor. Mole sauce is a classic match with its complexity and mild spice.
Beef Taquitos
Best sauces for beef taquitos:
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Cheese sauce
- Chimichurri
Hearty beef taquitos can handle richer sauces. Guacamole, salsa, sour cream all complement the beef. Smothering in cheese sauce takes it over the top. Herby chimichurri cuts through the richness of the beef filling.
Potato Taquitos
Best sauces for potato taquitos:
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Chipotle cream
- Mole
With potato taquitos, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream are natural pairings. The spice and smoke of chipotle cream is fantastic on potatoes. Complex mole sauce also beautifully coats a potato taquito.
Making Your Own Taquito Sauce
Making your own taquito dipping sauce at home can be easy and fun. Here are some recipes to try:
Creamy Avocado Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- In a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, and cumin. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and season with salt as needed. Add water if too thick.
- Serve immediately or store in fridge up to 2 days.
Spicy Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1-2 serrano chiles, stems removed
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- On a sheet pan under the broiler, roast tomatillos and onion until charred, about 5 minutes per side.
- In a blender or food processor, combine roasted vegetables with garlic, chiles, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Puree until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add water to thin if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
- 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and halved
- 1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1-2 serrano or jalapeño peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, toss tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers with the olive oil. Roast 20-25 minutes until charred.
- In a blender, combine roasted vegetables, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Puree until almost smooth but still chunky.
- Taste and add more salt/lime if desired. Add water to thin salsa if needed.
- Serve warm or let cool and refrigerate up to 1 week.
Chipotle Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle chiles
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Taste and adjust honey, lime, or salt as needed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
- Will keep refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to Serve Taquitos with Sauce
Here are some tips for serving taquitos with sauce for optimal enjoyment:
– Offer several sauce options and let guests choose their favorite. Provide small ramekins or bowls for dipping.
– Place sauces in shallow dishes for easier dipping. Deeper vessels will get sauce on your fingers.
– Serve sauces on the side rather than drizzled over the taquitos so they don’t get soggy. Let guests dip each bite.
– Provide a mix of creamy, herby, spicy, and cooling sauces for contrast.
– Make sure sauces are well-chilled before serving for the best temperature contrast against hot taquitos.
– For a meal, serve taquitos and sauces alongside Spanish rice, beans, and fresh garnishes like lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cheese.
– Be sure to have napkins or wet wipes handy for cleaning up after enjoy sauce-covered taquitos!
Conclusion
Taquitos are an amazing vehicle for dipping in sauces. With so many delicious options, it’s hard to pick just one perfect match. For a classic combo, go for guacamole, salsa, or Mexican crema. For indulgence, melted cheese sauce is hard to beat. Herby chimichurri or smoky chipotle cream also make fantastic pairings. Match the sauce to the filling for ideal flavor blends. And don’t be afraid to get creative with unique sauce recipes made right at home. With the right dipping sauce, simple taquitos can become an explosion of textures and flavors.