I’m constantly trying to come up with new recipes that involve venison because it’s easy to get tired of it if you’re not rotating dishes. Today I was thinking: “I make tacos with venison, why not try another Mexican dish.” Trying to think of something easy, I thought, let’s try taquitos!
Serves: 2+/- – Cooktime: 40 minutes +/-
INGREDIENTS:
TAQUITOS:
- 1 lb Ground Venison (NOTE: if you do not have access to venison, ground beef works just fine)
- 7 +/- Small Flour Tortillas
- 2 cups +/- Mexican Cheese
- 1/2 Large White Onion, Sliced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lime, Juiced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Few Shakes Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Nonstick Spray
- Salt & Pepper to taste
AVOCADO CREAM:
- 1 Avocado, Mashed
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
- 1/2 Lime, Juiced
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 cup Cilantro, Minced
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Preheat oven to 425°F. Place medium frypan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and let come to temp. Add sliced onion and dash of salt and pepper. Let cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
2.) Add ground venison to pan and season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and lime. Cook for about 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until venison is cooked through.
3.) Turn heat down to medium-low. In a small bowl combine chili powder, garlic & onion powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, and dash of salt and pepper. Pour over meat and stir. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Stir and let cook for about 2 minutes or so. Turn heat off.
4.) Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small dish. Brush both sides of each tortilla with olive oil to help the tortilla crisp up when placed in oven. Once brushed with olive oil, fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of meat and sprinkle with about an 1/8 cup cheese. (This is approximate! If you prefer your taquitos thinner, then obviously, place less meat in the tortillas.) Wrap tortillas and place on a nonstick sprayed baking sheet, roll side down so taquitos stay wrapped.
5.) Place in oven and cook for about 12 minutes total. With about 3 minutes left, Sprinkle 1 cup of Mexican cheese over taquitos. Try not to get on the baking sheet as once cheese melts, it allows the taquitos to stick to the pan!
6.) Meanwhile, make the avocado cream. Add avocado to food processor along with lime, garlic powder, S&P, and cilantro. Blend on high for 15-30 seconds, or until avocado is smooth. Add sour cream and blend for an additional 15 seconds. Taste, add more S&P if desired. (NOTE: if you do not own a food processor, you can absolutely do this by hand. I just find that the food processor speeds up the process. If you plan to mix the avocado cream by hand, make sure to leave the avocado out for several hours so it comes to room temp. It will be much easier to mash when it’s not cold).
7.) When taquitos are done, remove from oven and plate. Top with avocado cream, taco sauce, and a sprinkle of cilantro. (I added the Ortega original taco sauce, so delicious!). If you’re looking for extra spice, you could add the Ortega hot taco sauce. Serve with a few lime wedges and enjoy!
GENERAL TIPS:
- This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. for however many you’re serving.
- Absolutely sub ground beef for venison if you don’t have any on hand. It’s a direct substitution, but no need to add Wocestershire sauce if using ground beef.
Dinner w/ the Dugans 