Crispy Beef Tacos

February 21, 2017

I wish I was pregnant. Not for the reasons you may think. Or maybe for EXACTLY the reasons you think. I loooove Taco Bell, so put another chalupa in my belly bay-bay! THAT is why I wish I was pregnant. Taco Bell is my all time ultimate pregnancy craving. I have no qualms about it.

You know why?

When you are pregnant, you can get away with craving anything and then be like, “Oh it’s for the baby.” Or my personal favorite, “I read an article that said it’s never good to deny a craving during pregnancy.” These two exact phrases have 100% come out of my mouth while carrying both of my children. Plus, you’re pregnant, so all those old calories (in my case) from drinking beer and wine need to be replaced with this glorious food.

Do you guys love/hate T Bell?

I need to know. I get it either way.

When I was living at home, there was a Taco Bell less than a mile from my parents house. Once me and my brothers could drive, our weekend dinners went from pizza pick-ups to fast food drive-thru lines. Sigh, teenage metabolism, how I miss thee! Standard order included two beef supreme chalupas and an order of pintos and cheese. Beans. Yep, refried beans count as my vegetable. Don’t even tell me about all the other crud in the beans. I will still order them.

Sometimes when we would try to make orders easy on my Mom, we would do a box of ten crispy tacos or a box of ten soft shells. This made us a huge hit for sleepovers too.

I feel like nowadays, a lot of parents are like, no way am I being the house that serves fast food at parties/sleepovers. Well guess what? Kids hate your house. They all want to go to the house that has the newest movies or video games and get the best fast food. Happy Meal??? Are you familiar?

Anyway, I am not pregnant, so I made my sad little attempt at a basic, crispy beef taco with the standard cheddar shred, lettuce, and tomato topping just like T Bell. it might rival the original, but it still isn’t the original.

That’s ok.

Until baby 3/possible baby 3, Taco Bell!

Crispy Beef Tacos

Super simple crispy shell beef tacos, aka Taco Bell copycat tacos!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 -8 Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 Pound Lean Ground Beef
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 6-8 Corn Tortillas
  • Canola Oil for Frying
  • 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
  • 3/4 Cup Freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Roma Tomato seeded and Diced

Instructions

  1. NOTE! If you don't want to fry and make your own crispy taco shells, just buy them. Total time saver and no judgements!
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet for 1 minute over high heat. Once shimmering, add the beef and all the seasonings. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and combine all the spices. Cook until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Leave on low while you prepare the toppings and heat/fry the shells.
  3. Add about 1 inch of canola oil to a small skillet. Heat over medium/high for about 5 minutes.
  4. Drop one tortilla in at a time. Use metal tongs to gently hold one half of the tortilla and fold it over the other half, but not submerged in the hot oil. Hold the half for one minute. Then drop it into the oil, on top of the fried half. Use your tongs to flip it and hold that already fried half up over the hot oil just like you did before while the other half of the tortilla fries for one minute.
  5. Once fried, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Continue until all shells are fried.
  6. Top each shell with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Eat right away.
  7. Shells do heat well in the microwave the next day for 40 seconds on high.

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