Commercial taco kits are convenient, but the seasoning packets taste dusty and flat and the shells are short on flavor and prone to cracking.
Frying your own shells results in great taste and texture, but the process is tedious and messy. Instead, we made tacos dorados, a Mexican preparation in which corn tortillas are stuffed with a beef filling before being folded in half and fried. The tacos are then opened like books and loaded with garnishes.
We first tossed ground beef with a bit of baking soda to help it stay juicy before adding it to a savory base of sauteed onion, spices, and tomato paste. Next, we stirred in some shredded cheese to make the filling more cohesive.
Crispy Tacos (Tacos Dorados)
Serves 4- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
- 7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Chopped tomato
- Sour cream
- Pickled jalapeno slices
- Hot sauce
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste is rust-colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef mixture and cook, using wooden spoon to break meat into pieces no larger than 1/4 inch, until beef is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl; stir in cheddar until cheese has melted and mixture is homogeneous. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
5. Thoroughly brush both sides of tortillas with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tortillas, overlapping, on a rimmed baking sheet in two rows (six tortillas each). Bake until tortillas are warm and pliable, about 5 minutes. Remove tortillas from oven and reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F.
6. Place 2 tablespoons filling on one side of one tortilla. Fold and press to close tortilla (edges will be open, but tortilla will remain folded). Repeat with remaining tortillas and remaining filling. (At this point, filled tortillas can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)
7. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line rack with double layer of paper towels. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange six tacos in skillet with open sides facing away from you. Cook, adjusting heat so oil actively sizzles and bubbles appear around edges of tacos, until tacos are crispy and deeply browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs and thin spatula, carefully flip tacos. Cook until deeply browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary.
8. Remove skillet from heat and transfer tacos to prepared wire rack. Blot tops of tacos with double layer of paper towels. Place sheet with fried tacos in oven to keep warm. Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook remaining tacos. Serve tacos immediately, passing extra cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, jalapenos, and hot sauce separately.
