Fried Tacos

You can never go wrong with tacos! I mean, we even have a day of the week dedicated to their deliciousness!

My family’s taco recipe is a little different than what you traditionally think of when you are planning Taco Tuesday (or TacoS Tuesday, as my niece calls it).

We actually fry our tacos, which makes the cheese super gooey and extra delicious!

First, you’ll need to fry the raw ground beef. I often will fry a large package of the ground beef all at once so I have extra meat to freeze for next time I am making tacos.

(I haven’t tried using ground turkey or pork, but I imagine those meats would work quite well, too!)

As you cook the meat, add salt & pepper to taste as well as cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. If you have taco seasoning, you can use that instead; I just keep all the individual spices on hand and tend to make the spice mix myself.

Make sure to break the ground meat into small chunks as it cooks.

Once it is fully cooked so there is no more pink showing, drain any excess fat off. I like to place the pan back on the heat again and fry the meat until it is slightly crispy, but that’s up to you.

Next, spread refried beans on half the corn tortilla. CLICK HERE for the refried beans recipe. (I find making refried beans from scratch is WAY more cost effective than buying the canned version. And it really doesn’t take a ton of time as long as you plan ahead)

Then add your ground beef on top of the beans and then a slice of cheese.

The amount of meat you add is totally up to you! If you have carnivores in your house, you may want to add as much meat as you think will stay on the taco.

If you are on a tight budget, trying to make ends meet, you can keep this meal filling without breaking the bank by adding more beans and less of the meat.

Fry the taco, folded over, in a pre-heated pan with oil. Don’t add too much oil; you just want enough to give the tortilla a nice golden finish.

If you end up with a lot of splattering, it means you added too much oil.

At one time during our kitchen renovations, I had to make a “temporary kitchen” work without a stove… and I actually just brushed oil on a griddle to make these tacos. It worked great! The point is, that’s how little oil you really need for this recipe.

To that point, I bet you could even make these tacos on the BBQ if you had a griddle accessory. Summer is so short where we live that I love using the grill as much as possible when the weather is nice!

Once the first side of the taco is golden-brown, flip it to the other side and fry it to the same crunchy perfection.

Once both sides have been fried, you add your toppings and enjoy!

I personally love sour cream, chunky salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado, green onions, and lettuce on my tacos. You can also add Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, tomatoes or cucumbers. If you like spicy food, you could even try my Fire Roasted Salsa to turn up the heat.

Guacamole is another tasty option too! (CLICK HERE FOR MY GUACAMOLE RECIPE)

They also freeze really well, so I will often make a large batch and freeze the leftover tacos (it seems impossible to have leftover tacos, right?!) to have as a quick, yummy lunch later on.

Just microwave for 2 minutes from frozen and – viola! Tacos!

Or toss them in the oven at 350º until they are hot and crispy.

Either way, they are the first on my “freezer meal prep” list for when baby arrives!

Recipe

– 1 package corn tortillas
– 2 pounds ground beef (raw)
– 1/4 teaspoon cumin
– 1/4 teaspoon paprika
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– 2 cups refried beans
– 10 slices cheddar cheese
– Canola Oil


Directions

Fry the ground beef until slightly crispy, adding cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice as well as salt & pepper to taste.

Spread refried beans on half the tortilla, then add ground beef and slice of cheese.

Pre-heat a pan to medium-high heat and add just enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Fry the tacos (folded in half) until the first side is golden-brown, then flip to fry the other side until it is golden-brown as well.

Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Makes 10 tacos

What are your favourite toppings for tacos? Drop a comment below!

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Spicy Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps, Shrimp Street Tacos, and Carne Asada Taco recipes!