Spicy, cheesy and creamy, wrapped in a baked tortilla make Antojitos the ultimate appetizer! They are loaded with cheese, bell peppers, and jalapeños and ready in 30 minutes! Don’t let the jalapeños scare you away! – with the combination of gooey cheeses I promise you’re going to become a number 1 fan!
This recipe is very much fashioned after the restaurant version and it is one of my favorite appetizers! In Canada, we find these little babies at a restaurant called Montana’s, and they’ve been a staple on the menu for years. If you’ve never had antojitos, I promise you’re in for a real cheesy and spicy treat!
Now, please don’t let the jalapeño factor make you uncomfortable! I, myself am not a fan of really spicy food and although these guys can pack some serious heat, they are worth every single bit of discomfort you might experience! But if you’re really telling yourself you can’t make an exception to the spicy element, it’s not a problem – I’ve got some suggestions so that you can make them as mild or just forgo the spice factor altogether!
What The Heck Is An Antojito?
I give you Mexican street food! Antojitos are prepared by street vendors and typically found at small traditional markets – the name translates to “little cravings”. And well, I don’t know about you guys, but my craving for these things is typically not by any means “little”! They are not usually prepared as a meal, but more of an appetizer – however, if you’re anything like me and you order more than 1 serving, they do perfectly well as a meal!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – Any brand will do, you’ll want to make sure it is at room temperature.
- Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs or Panko are fine!
- Hot sauce – Choose your favorite!
- Bell peppers – I used a green and red pepper today but you can use whichever colors you can find.
- Jalapeno pepper – Fresh is always best!
- Tortillas – I used 3 ancient grain whole wheat tortillas, but you can use any variety you prefer – there are a ton of options.
- Cheese – I am using cheddar today, as mild or sharp as you want.
- Salsa or sour cream – For dipping!
What Other Spice Elements Can I Use In Antijitos
You don’t have to stop at hot sauce and jalepenos, nor do you even need to use them if you have your own ideas! Some different ideas for spicy and more mild flavors might be:
- Habanero peppers
- Jalapeño jack cheese
- Serrano peppers
- Paprika
- Piri piri
- Cayenne peppers or cayenne powder
- Chili peppers or chili powder
- Poblano peppers
- Chipotle
Some Tips
- Don’t stress about breadcrumbs, if you can’t find them or don’t want them that’s totally okay. We are using them in order to bind together the cheesy filling and keep it firm while warm. Without it, your filling will be a bit more loose but it won’t affect the finished taste at all!
- Make sure to chop your vegetables into fairly small pieces. This way the tortillas can be rolled tightly and evenly.
- If you’re looking at the cheddar cheese amount and thinking it’s not enough, trust me it is. Using too much cheddar cheese is going to create way too much grease – so keep it to a minimum!
How To Make Antojitos
- Preheat oven: To 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl: Using a fork, combine cream cheese, breadcrumbs and hot sauce. Mix until soft and then add in the peppers. Keep mixing until well incorporated.
- Assemble: Spread the cream cheese mixture over the tortilla, using 1/3 of mixture on each one. Next, follow with a sprinkle 1/3 of cheddar cheese on each. Finally, roll each tortilla and cut into 1 inch slices.
- Bake: Place the cut antojitos onto the prepared baking sheet, with the seam down and bake for 10 minutes.
- Broil: After baking, place under the broiler for another 3 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, let cool for about 2 minutes and serve with salsa or sour cream for dipping!
Make Ahead
Yes – you can make antijitos ahead of time! After they are rolled and before you bake, wrap them well with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. You can also freeze pre-made antijitos up to 2 months by double wrapping with plastic wrap. When you’re ready to eat just thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge overnight before baking.
What To Do With Leftover Ingredients
You’re likely going to have some leftover tortillas that you may need an idea as to what to do with. Tortillas can last upwards of a month after opening if you put them in the fridge. Otherwise here are some suggestions for other ways to get them used up:
- Grilled Golden Gruyere and Prosciutto Tortillas
- Apple Pie Taquitos
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Vietnamese Fish Tacos
- Vegan Tofu Breakfast Burritos
Looking For More Tasty Appetizers? More Recipes Here:
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
- Avocado Mozzarella Puffs
- Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Blue Cheese and Steak Crostini
- Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Deviled Eggs
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Antojitos
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 3 large tortillas I used ancient grain whole wheat tortillas
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl add cream cheese, bread crumbs and hot sauce. Mix with a fork until cream cheese has softened. Add the peppers and mix them in well with the cream cheese.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, 1/3 of the mixture for each tortilla, and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheddar cheese on each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and cut them into 1 inch slices.
- Place the slices on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 10 minutes, then for another 3 minutes under the broiler.
- Serve with salsa or sour cream.
Recipe Notes
- I used whole wheat tortillas for this recipe. You can use any type of tortilla you prefer.
- I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for this recipe. You can use any type of hot sauce you prefer, or eliminate it entirely if you don’t like spice. Feel free to add extra hot sauce if you like.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Do not cut your antojitos all the way though before baking. Score them diagonally 4 or 5 times and cut the afterwards. Also, put a dollop of pesto on top of the sour cream.
Fabulous appetizer! My son works at Montana’s and told me that they brush them with garlic butter and only score them prior to baking. Either way, delicious!
Made this today. Soooo good. I will definitely make it again.
Can’t wait to make these. I have tried making up my own but these seems way more elaborate then what I came up with. Husband is so excited!!!