Copycat Chico’s Tacos from El Paso, Texas! Ok, I did live in Texas for several years and have passed through El Paso many times. But, confess that I was young and never had a chance to enjoy Chico’s Tacos. I have known about them for several years thanks to food t.v. and social media. For several years I have had request to share a copycat recipe for this iconic dish from Texas. It wasn’t until I received this wonderful and long email from one of my followers a few months back that I finally decided to take on the challenge of Chico’s Tacos!
Disclosure! This is my version and I am pretty happy with it!
For my taste the caldillo sauce/salsa could be spicier, definitely. It is difficult to gather consistent information on popular restaurant recipes. That has been my experience with Chico’s Tacos. Some refer to the red salsa/caldillo as being spicy and some say mild. In those cases I will prepare a sauce that is kind of in between. I will follow past recipes of mine that are similar and that I know are tasty. If you have some insight on the original recipe, I would love to hear your feedback.
What are the best corn tortillas to use??
Bet you are expecting me to say HOMEMADE TORTILLAS! Lol! I would always choose homemade if I am cooking in my own home. Best alternative is to find good quality corn tortillas with minimal ingredients listed. Search for organic corn tortillas. They hold up well and the flavors are delicious compared to less expensive brands that you see in every market.
If you want to challenge yourself with homemade…
The best time to fill the tortillas is soon after they are freshly cooked and very pliable. You don’t even have to fry ahead(microwave version) at all. You will fill with cooled filling and roll and set aside as instructed originally. Let them sit for 15 -20 minutes seam side down. Fry as instructed. It is extremely important that your filling is cool and does not have excess sauce. It will make your life a lot easier!
I apologize for the lack of prep photos. I was traveling at the time when I decided to shoot this recipe. Time constraints and poor lighting are the enemy of content creators, lol!
Find the original spicy caldillo sauce on the chile relleno post!
Copy Cat Chico’s Tacos with my own spin!
Ingredients
Beef Filling
- 2 tbsps. avocado oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 1 large ancho pod(stem and seeds removed) softened in very hot water, then minced
- 1/3 tsp. oregano
- ¾ cup onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 large Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large jalapeño, quartered
- 1/2 cup water
Caldillo, Mild Tomato Salsa
- 5 1/2 cups water
- 6 large Roma tomatoes
- 1 serrano pepper, stem removed
- 1/4 med. white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3-4 tsps. tomato/ chicken bouillon optional
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsps. avocado oil
You Will Also Need
- 12 six inch corn tortillas
- 2 c vegetable oil for frying
- 3 cups A lot of shredded cheese. I used a Mexican blend but traditionally it's all yellow shredded cheese
- Your favorite Salsa Verde
- Diced onion and cilantro optional and not in the original recipe at the restaurant.
Instructions
Beef Filling
- In a skillet at medium heat, preheat the avocado oil for 2 minutes. Add the beef, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook, stirring as needed for 7 minutes.
- If using the ancho pod, transfer it to a heat proof bowl and cover with water. Microwave it for 3 minutes. Let it sit for 1 minute. Drain the water and chop it finely. Mix it into the beef along with the oregano.
- If using the ancho powder, mix it in when you add the other spices.
- Quickly, blend the tomato, jalapeño and 1/2 cup of water on high until smooth. Pour into the skillet with the beef. Stir well to combine. Reduce the heat slightly and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool completely.
Caldillo
- Cook tomatoes, serrano, onion and garlic in 5 1/2 cups of simmering water at medium heat for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the skins from tomatoes. Transfer the ingredients to the blender jar including all of the water. Blend on high until smooth. In a saucepan, fry the blended sauce in avocado oil that was preheated for 2-3 minutes for 10-15 minutes. Taste for salt. Set it aside.
Assemble and Plate
- Lightly brush the corn tortillas with some of the reserved oil on each side. Slide them into a plastic storage bag. Do not seal the bag. Heat them in the microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully remove them. Fill each tortilla with 2 1/2 tbsps. of cooled beef filling. Roll as tight as you can. Set them seam side down onto a plate or baking sheet. Repeat until you are done.
- On the back burner heat the caldillo sauce on low.
- Preheat the remaining oil in a skillet at medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the oil has reached a temperature of 365 degrees F. Place a few taquitos seam side down into the hot oil. Push them together while they fry. After 3 minutes, you can begin to turn as needed and continue frying until crispy all around. Transfer the taquitos standing up, to a bowl that is lined with paper towels.
- To a shallow bowl add three taquitos. Ladle on plenty of hot caldillo sauce. Top with generous amounts of shredded cheese. Garnish with onion and cilantro. Serve right away. Enjoy!
Notes
Reader Interactions
Comments
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Well all I want to know is when are you going to invite me over for dinner? Your mouth watering recipes are more than I can bear.
Anytime! LOL!