Beef Puffy Tacos!

Puffy tacos? Yes! Yes! The first time I heard of puffy tacos was back in the nineties during a visit to San Antonio, Texas. Where did they originate? Some will debate that San Antonio, Texas is the home of the puffy taco since the 1950’s. Others claim that the taco is trademarked in Southern California at Arturo’s Puffy Taco. Whichever it may be, I just know they are delicious alternative for tacos night once in a while.

Puffy Tacos??

Puffy taco shells. Are they worth the effort? Absolutely! It’s just one of those dishes to prepare once in a while when you want to experience take out taco night, but at home. The shells have a short shelf life, so it’s best to enjoy them fresh while they are still warm and crispy. They can sit for a few hours and then be reheated in a n air fryer for a few minutes.

Do you remember back in the day when mom prepared tacos dorados?

We enjoyed all kinds of tacos growing up, but tacos dorados were only prepared once in a while. Maybe it was all the frying that was involved that mom avoided. Or that she had to prepare enough for 10 people, lol! Just know that there are so many ways to enjoy tacos. Whether it is on a corn or flour tortilla, soft or crunchy, meat or meatless, spicy or mild salsa. There are just so many possibilities!

Choose Your Filling!

I purposely cooked this ground beef, picadillo with minimal broth so it would yield a thick version that is perfect for puffy tacos or tacos dorados. The last thing you want is all the broth making the tacos instantly soggy. No broth splattering and popping everywhere in that hot oil for tacos dorados. Not fun! Shredded chicken wors great in this recipe as well as lightly sauteed squash, cooked nopales and even lightly fried queso panela. Delicious. Not to mention some spicy shrimp or blacked fish. I definitely need to attempt the seafood version!

The original post for puffy tacos that I shared a few years ago!

I have only ever attempted this recipe with fresh pressed corn tortilla dough. I have not tried it with previous prepared tortillas. Athough, I don’t think it would inflate as much or be as light as the uncooked masa version.

Change your taco shell game with these!

Pico de Gallo, Salsa Mexicana, would be my first choice when it comes to enjoying puffy tacos. Get the recipe here!

Salsa de Aguacate ,Tomatillo Avocado Salsa is a must for many tacos! Get the recipe here!

Need More Salsa Recipes?

There must be at least 100 variations of salsa that I have shared on my blog since it went live in 2014. Please do not hesitate to write to me and send me your request if you don’t find it here. I am currently waiting to get the green light on my third cookbook. It features more salsas and recipes than my first Mexican Salsa cookbook. Crossing my fingers that it will be published in the next month or so. Stay tuned!

As always, thank you for all of your support over the years! No AI here, just a girl who loves to cook Mexican inspired dishes with you all. If I have to use AI to enhance a photo or a recipe, then it is not real. That is just my opinion. I take pride in shooting my dishes and trying to bring you the most delicious recipes always. XoXo, Sonia

Beef Puffy Tacos

Change up your next taco night with these beef puffy tacos!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Tex Mex

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tbsps. avocado oil
• 1 1/2 tsps. salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsps. chile ancho powder or 1 large ancho pod, seeded, stem removed and softened then minced
• 1/3 tsp oregano
• ¾ c onion diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 large Roma tomatoes quartered
• 1-2 jalapeños quartered
• 1/3 c water
• 1 Recipe for corn tortillas see link
• 2 c vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 Recipe for Pico de Gallo see link
• 1 Recipe for Tomatillo Avocado Salsa see link
• Shredded lettuce, optional

Instructions

• Start by preparing the salsa recipes and the corn tortilla masa ahead of time. Cover tightly and set them aside.
• In a skillet add the ground beef. Mix in the spices listed. Cook until beef is browned all around. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes.
• In the blender add the tomatoes, jalapeños, water and ½ tsp. of reserved salt. Pulse to blend for a coarse looking raw salsa. Or if you prefer, blend on high until smooth. Pour into the skillet with the beef. Bring it up to a light boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Taste it for salt and other spices. Adjust to your liking. Let the picadillo cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the liquid reduces a bit. Cover and keep warm on the lowest setting.
• Preheat 2 cups of vegetable oil at medium heat until the temperature reads 365 degrees F.
• Roll 12 golf ball size masa balls. Keep them covered with a moist paper towel. Gently press in the lined tortilla press to a fairly thin 5-inch tortilla. Remove from the plastic liner and carefully drop it in the hot oil. Let it sit in the oil for 5 seconds.
• Gently spoon some oil over the top of the tortilla until it puffs up completely. Flip it over. Use two spatulas to form into a taco shape. Hold the tortilla on one side with the first spatula, while gently pressing in the middle of the tortilla with the second spatula to form the taco. Flip the puffy shell as needed until crispy all around. Drain onto paper towels.
• Fill the puffy shells with ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatillo avocado salsa and pico de gallo. Serve right away!
• I enjoy this easy picadillo for tacos dorados, puffy tacos and enchiladas!

Notes

A more flexible and crispy corn tortilla shell can be achieved by mixing in 1 tbsp. of all-purpose flour per 1 cup of masa harina corn flour when mixing the dough for corn tortillas. 

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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