If you’ve been reading Freezer Meal Frenzy for a long, long time, the Trader Joe’s Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos might seem vaguely familiar. See, in the past, we checked out the Handcrafted Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos. However, these disappeared from Trader Joe’s for a while, only to reappear with a redesigned package and a shortened title (the word Handcrafted has been removed).
But the changes go beyond marketing. The ingredients, while mostly the same, have had their portion sizes readjusted. We thought the old version was a little bland, so we’re hoping the experts at Trader Joe’s have given these a little more zing.
Trader Joe’s claims that these taquitos only require 30 seconds in the microwave, but that claim is 100% false. We wound up heating our taquitos for one minute and 30 seconds before they were cooked through, flipping them halfway through the process. Thankfully, the oven cooking instructions appear to be accurate. When we used the oven, carefully following the instructions on the box, we wound up with crispy taquitos that were the perfect temperature.
So has Trader Joe’s made any improvements? Well, we can say that we didn’t have any issues with sogginess this time around, even when we cooked our taquitos in the microwave. Unfortunately, they still don’t have a lot to offer in the flavor department. They’re not bad, just a little boring.
Luckily, we found a few ways to spruce these taquitos up. We added some pepper jack cheese when we tossed these in the oven, and it definitely kicked things up a notch. The taquitos also taste great when dipped in sour cream. We didn’t have any salsa on hand, but we think these would taste great with that as well!
We do have another complaint about these taquitos: they’re not filling. Trader Joe’s says that a serving consists of 2 taquitos, but to us, 2 taquitos barely felt like a snack. We suspect that’s because the taquitos don’t contain much protein. A single taquito has just 2.5 grams of protein, which isn’t enough to leave us satiated. To make matters even worse, each taquito has 13 grams of carbs.
Trader Joe’s Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos are an upgrade over the old version of this dish, but they’re not anything remarkable. If you’re looking for something quick and easy to enjoy with your favorite salsa, these are a solid option. If you’re looking for healthy, filling, and tasty meal options, however, you’ll want to look elsewhere. These high-carb, low-protein taquitos will leave you searching your freezer for something else to eat.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these Trader Joe’s frozen taquitos, check out our package scan below.
