The Grown-Up Crunchy Taco 🌮
Recipe By: @nutrientmatters
🌮 Fun Fact: That soft tortilla isn’t just along for the ride. It catches the inevitable hard-shell fallout, so you get all the crunch without half your taco ending up on the plate.
🎥 WATCH The Video
What You’ll Need
For The Chipotle Beef
2 lb ground beef
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For The Taco Situation
Hard-shell taco shells
Soft flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomato
Diced white onion
Shredded Tex-Mex cheese
Pickled jalapeños
Spicy mayo
Step By Step
1️⃣ Brown The Beef
Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium heat and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
2️⃣ Bring The Flavor
Add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, chipotle peppers with adobo, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the beef is evenly coated.
3️⃣ Let It Simmer
Pour in the water, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. You want the beef saucy and deeply seasoned, not soupy.
4️⃣ Build The Double Shell
Lay down a soft tortilla and nestle a hard taco shell inside it. Consider this your insurance policy against catastrophic shell failure.
5️⃣ Load It Up
Spoon in the chipotle beef, then add shredded lettuce, tomato, white onion, Tex-Mex cheese, pickled jalapeños, and spicy mayo.
6️⃣ Crunch Immediately
Serve while the hard shell is still crisp. First bite should taste vaguely like childhood taco night—if childhood taco night had discovered chipotles and spicy mayo.
