Taquitos — The Recipe I Made When My Kitchen Held Everything

The week between Christmas and New Year's is a suspended week — the celebration is technically over but the leftovers remain, and in a Puerto Rican household the leftovers are not a conclusion but a continuation. The pernil becomes sandwiches — pernil on bread with mayo and a slice of American cheese, which is not traditional and is absolutely delicious and is the breakfast that Christmas built. The rice gets refried with an egg on top. The pasteles get reheated and eaten at 10 AM because pasteles do not observe meal schedules and neither do I.

David stayed through the weekend. On Saturday morning, he and I cooked together — just the two of us, the kitchen quiet, the rest of the house asleep. He made café and I made tostones and we stood at the counter side by side and he said, Mami, I need to tell you something. My body went still because when your child says I need to tell you something the body prepares for everything. He said, I've been seeing someone. His name is James.

His name is James. He. His name.

I put down the plantain press. I looked at my son. He was twenty-four years old and standing in my kitchen and looking at me with a face that held fear and hope in equal measure, and I understood that he had been carrying this, carrying it alone, and Carmen Delgado-Ortiz cannot stand the idea of any of her children carrying anything alone. I said, Mijo. He said, Mami. I said, You love who you love, and God made you perfect, and if anyone says different you send them to me.

He cried. I cried. I held him the way I held him when he was six and scared of thunder, the way I held him when he was twelve and the boys at school were cruel, the way mothers hold their children when the children have been brave enough to be honest and the honesty is the bravest thing they've ever done. I held him and I said, Tell me about James. He said, He's a graphic designer from Queens. He eats everything. I said, Good. That's what matters. He laughed. We both laughed. And then we finished the tostones and I made him tell me everything about James Chen from Queens, and the kitchen held all of it — the fear and the relief and the love and the tostones — the way kitchens hold everything.

I told Eduardo that night. Eduardo said, We love him. That was all Eduardo said. For Eduardo, that was an opera.

We never finished talking about the tostones that morning — we just kept frying and eating and talking about James, and I thought about how food is always doing that, holding space for the things that have nowhere else to go. I make taquitos now the same way I make tostones: standing at the counter, side by side with whoever is brave enough to be in the kitchen with me, because the frying and the folding give your hands something to do while your heart catches up to what’s happening. This recipe is crispy and honest and it asks nothing of you except that you show up. That felt right.

Taquitos

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 (about 12 taquitos)

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked shredded chicken or seasoned ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 small corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• Sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, for serving
• Toothpicks, to secure rolls while frying

Instructions

1. Season the filling. In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken or ground beef with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly seasoned.
2. Warm the tortillas. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30–45 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 20 seconds per side. This prevents cracking when you roll them.
3. Fill and roll. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center and top with a pinch of cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
4. Heat the oil. Pour oil into a heavy skillet (cast iron works beautifully) to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat over medium-high until shimmering, about 350°F.
5. Fry the taquitos. Working in batches of 3–4, place taquitos seam-side down in the hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and crisp all over. Remove with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Remove toothpicks before serving.
6. Serve. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg