Cheesy Soft and Crunchy Drive-Thru Taco
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 24 tacos
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 516
- Total Fat
- 33
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 39
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 17
- Cholesterol
- 48
- Sodium
- 583
- Total: 55 min
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
Taco Meat:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup hot taco sauce
1/4 cup green taco sauce (I use La Victoria brand for both taco sauces)
Salad:
1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
2 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup store-bought Italian marinade and vinaigrette (I like Ken’s)
Shells:
1 cup vegetable oil
24 taco-sized corn tortillas
Tacos:
24 taco-sized flour tortillas (same size as the corn tortillas)
4 cups shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
- For the taco meat: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Meanwhile, stir in the chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder, coriander and cumin. Continue to cook until the beef has cooked through, about 8 minutes, then stir in the hot taco sauce and green taco sauce and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- For the salad: In a large bowl, toss the iceberg, tomatoes, scallions, avocado and cilantro with the dressing.
- For the shells: Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Use tongs to place a corn tortilla gently in the oil. After only 5 seconds, in one motion, turn the tortilla over and fold in half. Cook 20 seconds, then flip and cook until golden brown, an additional 20 seconds. Lift out of the oil and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cooking one at a time. (The shells should not be too crisp when they come out of the oil. If they become too crisp, the tacos will be difficult to stuff.)
- For the tacos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the flour tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with about 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake until melted, about 2 minutes.
- To assemble the tacos, place one crispy shell in a flour tortilla and fold the flour tortilla up around it. Spoon the meat into the crispy shell, then top with the salad mixture, sour cream and additional shredded cheese. Serve immediately.