Grandma tacos for Cinco de Mayo!
I love an old-fashioned crispy fried taco. I do not love vats of oil on my stove. This is my adaptation of a method from America’s Test Kitchen and I am providing a method, mostly. Filling is up to you. Chicken, beef, pork, whatever. You need an ounce and a half of filling per tortilla. I call them “Grandma” tacos because this is what I think New Mexican grandmothers make on their stovetops.
On buying tortillas: you want the thinnest. The best way to find the thinnest corn tortillas in your area is to buy the lowest calorie tortillas, and the lowest weight. Don’t worry, this won’t be a diet recipe.
Grandma Tacos
Ingredients
Thin corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1.5 oz cooked meat or potatoes for each taco + seasoning (I like salt, pepper, garlic powder and a mix of ground chiles. You do you and make it to your liking)
Neutral cooking oil
Shredded jack or colby cheese
Sliced roma tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Salsa
Method
Heat your oven to 400. Line a half sheet pan with parchment. Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray and lay on the prepared pan, overlapping to fit (you can get up to 12 tortillas on a pan). Heat 3-5 minutes in the oven or until edges of tortillas start to curl up. While tortillas are heating, stir a couple tablespoons of cheese into your filling. This will help act as a glue later, preventing the filling from falling out (as much) while you fry them. Remove tortillas from oven and immediately divide filling among tortillas and fold over into tacos. You can cook immediately from here, or cover with plastic wrap and let sit for a couple hours. To cook, cover the bottom of a nonstick skillet with cooking oil and heat until shimmering. You can test the oil by sprinkling in a bit of water and if sizzles and snaps, it’s hot enough. Lay in 4-6 tacos - don’t crowd the pan - and cook until browned and crisp on each side. I use two spatulas to turn them. Remove to a paper towel lined platter or tray. Immediately top with shredded cheese and sliced tomatoes. Cook remaining tacos. Serve with lettuce and salsa for guests to add. Enjoy your less-greasy kitchen!