Fried Tacos
- Author: Hilah Johnson
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove minced garlic
- pinch dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons masa
- oil
- 8 corn tortillas
- Toppings:
- American cheese slices
- shredded lettuce
- hot sauce
- Combine beef through oregano in a bowl and mix well. Mixture will be wet.
- Put into a skillet and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until meat is mostly cooked. Add masa to thicken. Turn off heat.
- Warm tortillas on an oiled griddle to soften. Spread about 2 tablespoons filling onto each tortilla and fold over. Press to seal.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tacos for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. (You can also freeze tacos for a few hours until solid, then store in a freezer container for tacos on a whim.)
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet to about 350ºF. Fry 2-4 tacos at a time depending on the size of your pan. Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. If you are frying frozen tacos, do not thaw first. Just fry as usual, adding an extra minute or so.
- Drain tacos on paper for a few minutes.
- Once cooled slightly, gently open taco and stick in a half slice of American cheese and a sprinkle of lettuce and hot sauce. It’s okay if the shell cracks a little; it will still hold together.
- Enjoy!