Original Post: https://www.evolvingtable.com/bubbly-taco-salad-bowls/
Bubbly Taco Salad Bowls Recipe
If the bubbly tortilla shell is your favorite part of any taco salad, you'll love these Bubbly Taco Salad Bowls. Pan-fried for that golden puff and then baked extra long for super-crispy edges, then loaded with ground taco meat, all the fresh toppings, and a 2-ingredient salsa crema on top. Ready in about 45 minutes and perfect for meal prep!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Taco Bowls
- 4 (10- to 12-inch) flour tortillas burrito size
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil divided (or any neutral oil)
- Salt for sprinkling
Seasoned Beef
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño seeded and finely diced, optional
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
Salsa Crema Dressing
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup salsa
For Serving
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Tomatoes seeded and diced
- Avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- Black beans drained and rinsed
- Corn frozen and thawed, canned and drained, or grilled
- Fresh cilantro chopped, optional
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
- For the Taco Salad Shells: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set 4 oven-safe bowls (5 to 6 inches across) on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil in a large 12- to 14-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling so it forms a thin, even coating across the pan.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add 1 tortilla. Pan-fry for 30 seconds, flip, and continue frying another 15-30 seconds more, allowing it to puff up with large bubbles. Watch carefully so it stays golden brown and doesn't darken.
- Using tongs, lift the tortilla out of the skillet and press it down inside one of the bowls. Carefully fold the edges in places around the rim to create a wavy shape. Sprinkle immediately with salt.
- Add more oil to the skillet as needed and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Once all 4 bowls are shaped, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm and crispy. Cool slightly before filling.
- For the Beef Taco Meat: While the bowls bake, add the ground beef, onion, and jalapeño, if using, to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking apart, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
- For the Salsa Crema Dressing: Whisk together the sour cream and salsa in a small bowl until smooth.
- To Serve: Fill each crispy tortilla bowl with shredded romaine, then top with the seasoned beef, tomatoes, avocado, black beans, and corn. Drizzle with the salsa crema and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Tortillas: Mission brand flour tortillas bubbled up best in testing. HEB and other store brands work, but the bubbles will be smaller. Burrito size (10 to 12 inches) is the right size for a salad-size bowl.
- Oil amount: Don't skimp. A thin, even coating across the pan is what creates the bubbles. Too little oil and the tortilla will scorch before it bubbles.
- Medium heat is the sweet spot: Medium-high will brown the tortillas too quickly and smoke up the kitchen. Medium gives enough heat for big bubbles without burning.
- Bowl sizing: Use 5- to 6-inch shallow bowls and press the tortilla inside, gently folding the edges around the rim for that pretty wavy look. If your bowls are smaller than 5 inches, you can invert them and drape the tortilla over the outside. You'll lose the wavy edges and the shells will be flatter and more spread out, but they still work.
- Heat level: The cayenne and jalapeño are both optional, so adjust to taste. Even half the cayenne (⅛ teaspoon) still adds noticeable warmth.
- Make ahead: The seasoned beef can be made up to 2 days in advance and reheated in a skillet over medium-low with a splash of broth to loosen.
- Storage: Store leftover beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the salsa crema separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tortilla bowls are best the day they're made. If you have leftovers, store them in a ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't refrigerate, they'll get soggy from the humidity.
- Reheating bowls: Skip the microwave (also soggy). If your bowls have softened, re-crisp them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
