Pan Fried Beef Tacos with Crispy Flour Tortillas and Green Chiles
By Emma Collins
Prep
5 min
Cook
30 min
Total
35 min
Servings
6
Level
Easy
Choose ground beef that browns like crumbs and combine with canned diced tomatoes and green chiles to create a beef filling. Pan-fried beef tacos consist of flour tortillas filled with shredded Mexican-style cheese and ground beef. The tortillas are crispy from frying and help contain the beef filling.
The ingredients that flavor the dish include ground beef, a 10-ounce can of chopped green chile and tomatoes, and a second can of chopped green chile. Other flavoring ingredients include salt, black pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. These ingredients add flavor to the dish without requiring other ingredients. Shredded Mexican cheese is placed in each taco, which is folded around an eight-inch flour tortilla, to help keep the taco together when cooked in a skillet.
Check the open tortilla to see if the surface is lightly browned after its first minute, and then use a spatula to fold and close the tortilla. A fried tortilla should have browned and crisp surfaces on both sides, not white surfaces. Possible issues that keep a tortilla from closing properly include excess filling and cheese. Keep the cooking pan clean before frying, following the instructions, to avoid food sticking to the tortilla.
Serve tacos straight from the pan or use a low oven to hold already cooked tacos while cooking the other batches. The 200°F oven directions for this taco recipe recommend holding tacos for up to 30 minutes. Cool before refrigerating taco leftovers. Reheat leftovers in a skillet for a crispy crust.
Why this recipe works
- Ground beef is the primary ingredient in this recipe.
- Canned diced tomatoes and two types of canned green chiles provide moisture and flavor from chiles. Fresh produce is not required for this recipe.
- Mexican shredded cheese is used generously to fasten folded tortillas together and keep the beef filling inside the tacos.
- Canned tomatoes and green chiles and canned diced green chiles are store staples needed for this recipe.
- Other spices called for in the recipe are cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Each eight-inch flour tortilla is filled with a measured amount of filling and cheese. Six tacos include the same amounts of the other ingredients listed.
- Browning the meat on both sides in a wiped pan, as instructed in the recipe, creates a crunchy crust. Folds keep the meat centered.
- Olive and canola oils are good cooking oils. You can use the same pan to brown taco filling and then fry the tacos.
Ingredients
- •1 tablespoon olive oil (or canola oil)
- •1 ½ pounds ground beef
- •1 10-ounce can chunky diced tomatoes and green chiles
- •1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
- •1 ½ teaspoons salt
- •½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- •1 teaspoon cumin
- •½ teaspoon garlic powder
- •6 flour tortillas (8-inch)
- •3 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese
- •cooking spray
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°F to keep the tacos warm while making them.
- 2
Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium heat.
- 3
Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking it up with a spoon, until completely cooked through.
- 4
Add the diced tomatoes and green chiles, diced green chiles, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder.
- 5
Stir to combine the filling and transfer it to a large bowl.
- 6
Wipe out the skillet and spray it with cooking spray.
- 7
Place one tortilla in the skillet and top one side with 3/4 cup of beef filling and 1/2 cup of cheese.
- 8
Cook the tortilla open for 1 minute, then fold it over and press it down with a spatula to seal.
- 9
Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes, until both sides are browned and crisp.
- 10
Transfer the taco to the oven to keep warm and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
822
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