Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos are absolutely delicious. You can make Taco Bell crispy tacos fresh for your family anytime with this easy recipe. You could also use this meat as a topping for nachos, inside burritos, and so much more. Enjoy your own homemade Taco Bell tacos from the Taco Bell iconic menu items.
The Best Crunchy Tacos
Who doesn’t love these famous crunchy tacos? Crispy on the outside, a well-seasoned ground beef mixture on the inside, and topped with cool and refreshing lettuce and cheese.
Why Are Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos So Good?
Hard shell tacos sometimes get a bad rep. People like to complain they’re difficult and messy to eat, so they opt for soft tacos instead. That’s a mistake.
The crunch of a hard taco shell is the ideal complement to the perfectly seasoned ground beef and other toppings that come on Taco Bell tacos. But if you can’t run to the border, you can always make your hard shell Taco Bell tacos at home.
Why This is the Recipe You Must Try
There are many copycat Taco Bell meat recipes online, but out of all of them, Taco Bell chose to link to this one. That is a pretty good recommendation right there.
Sure, the list of seasonings may be a little long, but you can easily double or triple the recipe, ensuring there is plenty for the next time you want to make seasoned ground beef.
Taco Bell Meat
This taco seasoned beef from Taco Bell is used in many different recipes. You can use it in your own Crunchwrap, the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza and so many more Taco Bell items.
Taco Bell Seasoning
This seasoning recipe is a salt-free version, so it is not an exact duplication of their recipe, but it is really close. You can add salt to the seasoning mix if you want it in the blend of spices.
You can purchase their retail version of the Taco Bell Taco Seasoning Mix, but this one doesn’t contain any artificial flavorings or colorings, and it is pretty easy to make.
Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos Ingredients
For convenience, the recipe is divided into two parts; how to make Taco Bell meat and how to prepare the tacos.
To make this Taco Bell ground beef recipe, you’ll need:
- Masa harina
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Seasoning salt
- Paprika
- Ground cumin
- Garlic salt
- Sugar
- Dried minced onion
- Beef bouillon powder
- Ground chuck
Masa harina is dried and ground flint corn soaked in an alkaline solution. It is popular in Latin cooking as an instant corn dough and thickener. If you can’t get masa harina, use an equal amount of cornflour instead.
To put together the hard shell tacos, you’ll need:
- Hard crunchy taco shells
- Iceberg lettuce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Roma tomatoes
- Sour cream
Roma tomatoes are a good choice because they are denser than beefsteak or slicing tomatoes. Grape and plum tomatoes are also great options. Keep in mind you can always top your tacos with some of your personal favorite toppings.
How to Make Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos
It is best to prepare the seasoned beef for this Taco Bell tacos recipe ahead of time.
To make the seasoned beef:
- Mix together the masa harina, crushed beef bouillon cube, and seasonings in a bowl.
- Stir in a cup of water and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Crumble in the ground beef and cook until brown.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a strainer and rinse the meat under hot water to remove all the grease. Let the ground beef drain well.
- Meanwhile, wipe out the same pan you used to brown the meat and heat over medium-high.
- Return the drained beef to the pan and pour the water with the dissolved seasonings over the top.
- Simmer until most of the water is gone.
- Remove from the heat.
To assemble the taco:
- Warm the taco shells in a 350-degree oven. Although this is an optional step, it makes a big difference in both the taste and texture of the tacos.
- Add a few tablespoons of seasoned beef to the shell, lettuce, cheese, and any other toppings you want. Avoid overfilling the taco shell, or most of it will wind up on your plate.
- Serve while the meat is still warm.
How To Make a Taco Bell Crunchy Taco Supreme
Regular Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos come with seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, and cheese, but the Supreme version comes with all that plus tomatoes and sour cream.
How To Serve Taco Bell Tacos
Tacos are one of those meals that are better to assemble at the table. Allowing people to do it themselves keeps things easier for you and ensures everyone is happy.
What Goes With Crunchy Tacos
There are many toppings you can add to tacos. Some of the most popular are:
- Diced raw onions
- Guacamole
- Beans
- Jalapeno slices
- Hot sauce
Make it tacos a complete meal with a few sides, like nacho fries, charro beans, Spanish rice, and sopapillas. And it would be a shame to forget margaritas.
How To Store Left Over Tacos
Store the seasoned meat separately in a container in the fridge for up to three days. If you want to keep it for longer, let the meat cool and put it in a freezer bag. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.
Use the vegetables the same day you prepare them.
Ingredients
Beef Filling
- 1 1/2 tablespoon masa harina
- 4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 1/3 pounds ground chuck
Shells and Toppings
- 12 taco shells
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- Sour cream optional
Instructions
Beef Filling
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In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the meat, and mix well.
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Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet (preferably nonstick) and brown, stirring well.
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Remove from the heat. Dump the meat into a strainer in the sink, rinse with hot water, and drain off the water and grease from the beef.
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Return the beef to the pan.
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Stir in the spice mix and 3/4 to 1 cup water.
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Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until most of the moisture has cooked away. Remove from heat before the meat is completely dry.
Tacos
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If you like, you can refresh the taco shells in the oven at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes.
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To assemble the tacos, spoon a few tablespoons of the meat into each taco shell.
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Top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired. Serve immediately.
