Tacos Dorados

Tacos Dorados, or 'Golden Tacos' the taco shell is so amazing, that you will never buy hard taco shells again!

Do you have one of those meals that when you make it again, you wonder why on earth you aren't making it way more often? This is one of those recipes!

The process isn't that much longer than your standard taco night. The love you will get from your family for making these will solidify taco dorados as a family favorite, go-to meal. Plus, they're A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

No joke, these Taco Dorados are that good! Not one is ever leftover. Every plate is spotless.

Jump to:

• ❔ What Is
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❔ What Is

Tacos Dorados are crispy tacos, usually made with corn tortillas. The tortillas are warmed, then filled with a small amount of ground beef or shredded chicken filling, and then pan-fried.

The resulting taco shell is crispy, yet chewy, and pliable enough at the seam where folded that they can be opened like a book. This allows you to lift one side and add your favorite taco fillings along with the beef or chicken layer.

What's so great about tacos dorados? The toppings that you love to stuff into your tacos are along the side of the meat filling, rather than added to the top. You get all of those wonderful flavors in every bite!

The biggest bonus is, hands down, that your delightfully crispy taco shell does NOT fall apart while you eat it! When I say they're better than any store-bought hard taco shells, it's still an understatement. The difference is miles apart.

Top your tasty tacos with one of my salsas like pico de gallo, salsa Roja, or salsa verde and some creamy guacamole for a super taco night!!

Another great idea is to use my Chipotle Barbacoa Beef Cheeks as a filling. My picadillo Mexicano is another great, traditional taco dorados, taquitos, and empanadas filling!

I'm super thrilled to have run across a Cook's Illustrated article that sparked my interest in this fantastic tacos dorados Receta!

Is It A Taco Or A Taquito?

Well, that depends. In some regions the name is interchangeable. The consensus with my friends from Mexico is still in line with my way of thinking. Anything open (as pictured) is a taco. Corn tortillas rolled around a filling, then fried, is a taquito.

My taco dorados are made using corn tortillas, although the method would work well with flour tortillas quite easily. Use what you have on hand, but the corn tortillas are my preferred method.

Taquitos are not to be confused with flautas (flutes) either. Taquitos are smaller, shorter, and made using a corn tortilla. Flautas are longer and made with flour tortillas. Both have a filling, both are fried.

🥘 Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs ground beef (lean ground beef, or strain off drippings)
• ½ tablespoon garlic (finely minced)
• ½ cup onion (minced white onion)
• 2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (see recipe)
• ½ cup cilantro (chopped, optional)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded, or use a mix of cheeses - 2 portions, 1 cup for the beef filling, reserve 1 cup for topping your cooked taco dorados)
• 12 corn tortillas
• cooking oil (I use coconut oil)
• 2 cups lettuce (iceberg, shredded)
• 2 tomatoes (diced)

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

Make the filling:

1. Brown your ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat until cooked through. Drain off excess fat, add taco seasoning (and chopped cilantro, if desired).
2. Add 1 cup of your shredded cheddar cheese to the browned, seasoned ground beef. Stir into the meat, allowing the cheese to melt. This will help to keep your meat filling together, and prevent it from falling out of your taco dorados while pan-frying them.

Assemble & Cook Your Taco Dorados:

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF ( 205ºC ). Place your corn tortillas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and use a pastry brush to coat both sides of each tortilla with a small amount of your cooking oil.
2. Warm the tortillas in your oven for about 3 minutes, remove the baking sheet to a work surface. Fill each tortilla with a small amount of the meat filling ( about 1 ½ tablespoon of filling for each warmed tortilla ).
3. Fold each tortilla over the ground beef filling and press firmly down to close the tortillas securely before frying them.
4. Bring a large skillet or frying pan, with a small amount of oil, to medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Place 3 - 4 folded tacos in the pan. Adjust your frying pan temperature, as needed, until the oil is actively sizzling around the edges of your tortillas.
5. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on the first side. The tortilla should have a nicely browned coloring with crispy edges. Use a spatula or kitchen tongs to carefully turn the tacos and cook the opposite side, about 2 minutes or until browned.
6. Remove fried tacos to a paper towel-lined plate and pat the oil from both sides.
7. Repeat as necessary until all of your tacos are cooked.
8. Serve with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Top with your favorite toppings!

Tips For Making Taco Dorados:

*I use this method when making a large batch of tacos dorados. For smaller batches, you can heat your corn tortillas directly in the heated frying pan. Add the filling once the tortilla is heated, and fold over. Then continue to cook as directed.

**When filling your tortillas, do not push the meat too close to the tortilla edges as it will be more likely to fall out when cooking and/or flipping the tacos.

📋 Recipe