El Monterey has been surprising us quite a bit recently. We once knew this brand simply as a source of cheap burritos for when we were strapped for cash, but they’ve actually put out some pretty decent frozen food over the years. They’re not going to replace a trip to an authentic Mexican restaurant, but they might replace a trip to Taco Bell (especially since Taco Bell has knocked so many classics off their menu).
And you know what? El Monerey’s quesadillas are actually really good, and their taquitos ain’t too shabby either. So we’re actually kind of excited to be checking out the El Monterey Taco Seasoned Beef & Cheese Extra Crunchy Taquitos today.
You can heat these in either the microwave or the oven, and, as usual, we decided to try both. As a quick breakdown of the differences between the previous versions we’ve tried, the oven will get you a crunchier shell, while the microwave will give you a more flavorful taquito (we’re not sure why). We actually found that this isn’t the case here, as the oven version is superior to the microwave version in both flavor and texture. (You can read the full cooking instructions by checking out the package scans at the bottom of this review.
We’ve tried several of El Monterey’s taquitos now, and we have to say, these are probably the best ones we’ve had. The real kicker is the cheese, which is portioned out generously enough that the filling ends up a little bit creamy. Honestly, we were delightfully surprised when we took our first bite.
The shells are quite good as well, with a savory flavor that made us swear these were corn shells (they’re not — these are made from enriched wheat flour). Plus, there’s some extra seasoning to really sell that southwest flavor.
The ground beef is seasoned as well to round everything out. Every component here is better than we expected, and they all come together to make a pretty tasty snack.
These are a little bit spicy, but it’s a spice level that will have your sinuses clearing out a little bit, not one that will send you running for a firehose. They’re spicier than we expected, though, especially after having recently tried the diablo chicken version of these taquitos. We think the Taco Seasoned Beef & Cheese Extra Crunchy Taquitos are actually just as spicy as the diablo chicken ones, if not just a tad bit spicier.
Three taquitos is considered a serving, which means these are more of a snack food or a side dish than a full meal in and of themselves. If you can stick with three, you’ll be downing 250 calories (120 from fat) and 490 mg of sodium. Those numbers aren’t terrible on their own, but you’ll also have to factor in whatever else you decide to pair these with. The sodium and calories could really get out of hand if you’re not careful in that regard.
The El Monterey Taco Seasoned Beef & Cheese Extra Crunchy Taquitos are among the best of El Monterey’s offerings. This is a surprisingly good batch of taquitos, and a very delicious way to add some southwest zing to your next snack time.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these frozen taquitos, check out our package scans below.
