Beef Puffy Tacos
Change up your next taco night with these beef puffy tacos!
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.