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Crunchy Tacos Recipe Below
Crunchy tacos(tacos dorados) are one of my all-time Mexican food favorites. I have countless memories of happily eating them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm obsessed with their crispy magical goodness. I was five years old the first time my sweet mama Rose made them for me after a very stressful encounter with our ranch’s bulls.
It was an innocent adventure that nearly took our young lives. My younger brother and I had ventured into a forbidden pasture for a quick game of hide-and-seek. My brother was chasing me when everything around us began to shake. We stopped playing and saw the familiar dust cloud coming our way; it was a stampede! With our hearts pounding and our short legs running like Olympians trying to set a new world record in a 500-hundred meters race, we ran to the nearby oak trees and climbed to the highest branches in seconds. We hung on for dear life and screamed for help while five monstrous bulls snorted and kicked dirt around us, expressing their disdain for our trespassing on their favorite fields.
To learn how to make our yummy tacos, check out my YouTube video.
When they finally lost interest in torturing us and left, we ran all the way home and immediately recounted our near-death experience to our mama as tears rolled down our dirt-covered faces. She kept her I told you so’s to a minimum and made everything better by making us crunchy tacos for dinner.
I took a bite of the crunchy deliciousness, and my bull drama terror completely disappeared. The fried corn tortillas were stuffed with flavorful ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and avocados, and that’s when my love affair with crunchy tacos began.
My mama would put just about anything in her crunchy tacos, beef, chicken, chorizo & papas, carnitas, fish, beans, mashed potatoes, etc., and every single variety was yummy. I always ate a little more than I should have. I can't share my all-time tacos eaten at one meal record but let's just say it’s more than six, and I was a growing kid working on a dairy farm. I was an adult when I realized that my mama used the versatility of tacos as a way to use up her leftovers and make her children happy.
I thought everyone made tacos like my mama's until I was a young adult. I was grocery shopping with my college roommate for taco ingredients when she put a box of taco shells in our basket. I had no idea that tacos came pre-made, and that’s how most people made them. Well, anyway, I put the box back and taught my roommate just how easy it was to make crunchy taco goodness from corn or flour tortillas, corn oil, and a skillet.
I often make crunchy tacos for friends and family, and I may be guilty of spreading the taco-love obsession! But let me warn you, once you or your loved ones try these, you will forever be making homemade taco shells; there’s no going back!
Our homemade crunchy taco recipe calls for a customizable mix of fillings and toppings. Favorites include ground beef, mashed potatoes, shredded chicken, and grilled veggies. Toppings include minced serrano or jalapeño peppers, grated cheddar cheese, cilantro, onions, lettuce, and sour cream.
Crunchy Taco Recipe
Tools
large skillet or my favorite frying pan
Ingredients
Crunchy taco shells
12 King Size Corn Tortillas (Guererro Yellow Tortillas) at room temperature
1 cup Corn Oil or Avocado Oil
Taco fillings
Hamburger & Onions Recipe
Shredded Chicken Recipe
Taco Toppings
Grated Mexican Cheese Blend
Chopped tomatoes
Finely chopped cilantro
Diced jalapenos & serranos peppers
Diced onions
Finely diced lettuce
Sour Cream
Directions
Set up a taco assembly line with all the toppings in small bowls on a table or counter.
Warm filling (hamburger, shredded chicken, veggies, etc.) in a skillet, turn off and leave on the stove.
Place parchment paper on the casserole dish.
Place oil in skillet and turn burner to medium heat
Test the oil temperature by placing the flat wooden spoon in the oil. When the oil is ready, tiny bubbles will appear around the base of the wooden spoon.
Place tortilla in oil, dipping half in first for a few seconds, then fold over, making a shell shape. Fry for a few minutes and turn over until golden brown
Remove the fried taco shell from the skillet with tongs, shake off excess oil, and place into a casserole dish lined with parchment paper.
Gently fill the taco shell with warm filling.
Add desired taco toppings, and enjoy!
Happy cooking!
Big hugs,
Molé Mama