Description
Crispy taco pinwheels elevate classic Mexican flavors with an air fryer twist. Creamy cheese, seasoned meat, and zesty salsa roll together for a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large flour tortillas
- ½ pound (226 g) ground beef (or turkey)
- ½ cup (120 ml) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 2 tbsps cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- ¼ cup (60 ml) salsa
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Cooking spray or olive oil spray
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Sizzle ground beef in a skillet with olive oil, thoroughly browning and crumbling the protein until perfectly cooked.
- Flavor Infusion: Integrate taco seasoning and salsa into the meat mixture, allowing ingredients to harmonize and intensify flavors for several minutes before removing from heat.
- Tortilla Foundation: Layer soft tortillas with a smooth cream cheese base, spreading evenly to create a creamy foundation for the pinwheels.
- Meat and Cheese Assembly: Distribute seasoned taco meat uniformly over cream cheese, then generously sprinkle shredded cheese to ensure a rich, balanced flavor profile.
- Rolling Technique: Carefully roll tortillas into tight cylinders, pressing gently to secure ingredients and maintain structural integrity, then slice into uniform one-inch pinwheel segments.
- Air Fryer Preparation: Preheat air fryer to 375F, lightly mist pinwheels with cooking spray, and arrange in a single layer within the basket to promote even crisping.
- Cooking Process: Air fry for 6-8 minutes, rotating midway to achieve golden-brown crunchiness and attractive coloration.
- Serving Suggestion: Plate crispy pinwheels alongside classic Mexican-inspired dipping options like sour cream, guacamole, or fresh salsa for an enhanced culinary experience.
Notes
- Optimize Meat Browning: Ensure ground beef is thoroughly browned and crumbled for maximum flavor development, using high heat and continuous stirring to prevent clumping and achieve a perfect texture.
- Prevent Tortilla Tearing: Select room temperature, soft tortillas and spread cream cheese gently to create a smooth base, minimizing potential tearing during rolling and preventing ingredient spillage.
- Manage Air Fryer Space: Avoid overcrowding the basket by maintaining adequate spacing between pinwheels, which allows hot air circulation and guarantees consistent crispy results across all pieces.
- Control Moisture Content: Pat down excess moisture from meat and salsa before assembling to prevent soggy pinwheels, ensuring a crisp exterior and maintaining structural integrity during air frying.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 40mg