Crispy Tacos

Name: Crispy Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef (80/20); 8 corn tortillas (6-inch); 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying); 1/2 white onion, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup water; 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce; 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup sour cream

Golden-fried hard-shell tacos filled with seasoned ground beef and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. An iconic Tex-Mex staple that's irresistibly crunchy.

35 minEasyServes 4420 cal/serving

Tex-MexDinnerStovetopStandard

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup water
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

1

Brown 2 lbs ground beef (80/20) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 finely diced white onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes.
2

Stir in 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Add 1/4 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
3

Heat 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a separate skillet to 350°F. Gently fry each 8 corn tortillas (6-inch) for 10-15 seconds per side until it just begins to turn golden, then quickly fold it in half using tongs. Fry for another 10-15 seconds until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
4

Fill each crispy corn tortillas (6-inch) with seasoned ground beef (80/20). Top with 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce, 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of 1/2 cup sour cream.
5

Serve immediately while corn tortillas (6-inch) are still warm and crispy.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Questions

How hot should the oil be for Crispy Tacos?

For Crispy Tacos, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 3. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.

How do I know when Crispy Tacos is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 2: cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Step 3: cook until it just begins to turn golden.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Crispy Tacos?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Crispy Tacos uses 2 lbs ground beef (80/20).

How hot is Crispy Tacos?

Only mildly. The heat in Crispy Tacos comes from 1 tbsp chili powder. For a milder plate, halve the chili powder; nothing else in the method changes. For more, add it at the table rather than in the pot, so everyone sets their own level.

Can I make Crispy Tacos dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Crispy Tacos is 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream. Swap the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor); the sour cream for thick coconut yogurt with a squeeze of lemon. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.