The walking taco is genius.
These are easy to make, and they’re always a hit at parties, camping, and other occasions where you need something quick. These are all the greatness of hard tacos in a portable, easy-to-eat package. You will love the crunchy corniness of Fritos and the delicious, savory, saucy meat. It’s the perfect comfort food bite.
What are walking tacos?
A bag containing Fritos, seasoned ground meat, shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green onions, green cilantro, and sour milk. A walking taco contains all the ingredients of a Mexican American crunchy, hard shell taco. They might be called Frito pies, but they are basically the same thing. The origins of these popular foods are murky, as is the case with most food items. They are comfort food for children, and bring back childhood memories.
How to make walking tacos?
You’re a master of hard shell tacos!
- Prepare the seasoned ground taco beef. Saute some chopped onions until tender but not brown. Add ground meat to the skillet and stir until it is browned and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning to taste and mix in the fire-roasted tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring everything to a boil.
- Prepare the toppings. Wash and chop the lettuce and tomatoes. Shred the cheese and slice the green onion.
- Assemble. Take a bag of Fritos and fold the sides down. Then, add the taco meat, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream. Continue to do so as necessary.
- Enjoy. Everybody eats their walking tacos in his or her own way.
Ingredients for walking tacos
- Fritos is the oldest brand of corn chips available in the United States. The classic scoop shape makes these corn chips crispy and crunchy. Because they are both made from corn, Fritos look very similar to tortilla chips. Fritos are crunchy, thick, and rigid with a strong roasted corn flavor.
- onions A diced onion gives sweetness and depth to any taco meat sauceground meat. I prefer lean ground beef but you can use any other ground meat such as chicken, pork, or turkey. You can also substitute beans or crumbled firm tofu if you are vegetarian.
- taco seasoning I make my own taco seasoning using granulated garlic powder and chile powder. However, I also have some store-bought taco seasoning. Low sodium is what I prefer so that I can adjust the saltiness if necessary when I use store-bought.
- Fire roasted tomatoes– A small can of fire-roasted tomatoes gives taco meat umami, sauciness and weight. Walking tacos are often made with seasoned ground meat. I prefer adding fire roasted tomatoes to add smokiness, liquid and flavor.
- lettuce– Chop or shred lettuce adds freshness to the salad. It’s almost a salad if it has lettuce. You can use green leaf or iceberg for romaine.
- cheese A taco mix of shredded cheese and mozzarella is a classic combination. However, you can also choose shredded cheddar, mozzarella or Colby jack or authentic Mexican cheeses like queso fresco, cojita, or even queso fresco.
- tomatoes – Diced fresh tomatoes give this dish a nice touch of freshness and acidity. Although there is tomato in taco meat, fresh diced tomatoes provide a great deal of contrast.
- Sour cream — A dollop of sour milk adds richness to the dish.
- green onions/cilantro: A sprinkle of fresh chopped green onions or cilantro adds the final touch.
What is Fritos?
Fritos, which means “fried” in Spanish, are the original brand name of corn chips. They were first created in 1932. Charles Elmer Doolin, the inventor of Fritos wanted a snack to sell at his confectionary shop. But he didn’t want tortilla chips as they got stale. He found extruded corn chips that were made by a Mexican man at a gas station. He paid him for the patent and began to fry and bag Fritos today. They are made from corn, corn oil, salt, and other ingredients.
Corn chips vs tortilla chips
Corn chips are typically saltier, more durable, and harder than tortilla chips. Corn chips are also extruded in a scoop-shaped shape and made of whole cornmeal (dried, ground) Corn chips are stronger in flavor due to the roasted corn.
Tortilla chips consist of triangles made with tortillas. They are made from ground masa (cooked ground corn). They are thinner and more delicate than corn chips.
What should you do if Fritos aren’t available?
You can substitute any brand of corn chips. If you don’t have corn chips, Doritos and other brands of tortilla chips will work.
Walking tacos
Vegetarian walking tacos
You can skip the seasoned beef by using beans instead. You can use two 14-ounce cans of black beans, or any other beans of your choice, to replace the ground beef.
Doritos
You can substitute Fritos for Doritos. Before you put the bag together, give it a light crush so that the chips don’t seem too heavy or bulky to be able to be sucked up with a spoon.
Upgrade
To make it more authentic, you can crush some homemade tortilla chips and place them in a bowl. Next, add the taco meats (barbacoa and tinga), pico de gallo and salsa. Finally, crumble queso fresco and cojita.
Tacos for meal prep and walking
For school lunches or meal prep, walking tacos work well. You will need a bag of Fritos and a sectioned Lunch Box with all the toppings. The beef is in a warm thermos, while the lettuce, cheese and sour cream are in a cold thermos. Add everything to the bag and shake it up before you eat.
