Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos, Inspired by Taco Bell
Finely crumbled, saucy seasoned ground beef in a crunchy corn shell with shredded iceberg and a little cheddar, the drive-thru build at home. Inspired by, not official.
Inspired by Taco Bell. Not an official Taco Bell recipe: the company does not publish its seasoning recipe, and nothing here claims to reproduce it. Wikipedia says Glen Bell ran a hot dog stand in San Bernardino from 1948, across the street from the Mitla Cafe, known for its hard-shell tacos, where head chef Gloria Hoyle showed him her version of the dorado taco; he opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California, in 1962, and in March 2012 the chain launched Doritos Locos Tacos, a taco in a nacho-cheese-flavored shell made with Frito-Lay.
In 2011 a California woman sued, claiming Taco Bell's taco filling was under 50% beef. Reuters reported that Taco Bell answered that it was 88% beef and 12% "signature recipe", ran ads joking "Thank you for suing us", and that the suit was voluntarily dropped in April 2011 with, Taco Bell said, no money changing hands.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Finely crumbled, saucy seasoned ground beef in a crunchy corn shell with shredded iceberg and a little cheddar, the drive-thru build at home. Inspired by, not official.
🇲🇽 The original
In Mexico, a taco is a warm, soft corn tortilla with a little meat, salsa, onion and cilantro, eaten standing up at a stand. Cheddar and a crunchy shell aren't part of it. See the Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan) recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Simmer in water
Adding liquid after browning, as Taste of Home does, turns dry crumbles into a soft, saucy filling, and the cornstarch in Maggio's blend thickens it.
Mash it fine
Small crumbles hold the sauce and pack neatly into a shell, which is the fast-food texture.
Step by step
- Step 1
Stir all the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Step 2
Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, mashing it with a potato masher into very fine crumbles, until no longer pink (160°F). Drain off the fat.
- Step 3
Stir in the seasoning and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, mashing once more, until thick and saucy but not dry.
- Step 4
Warm the taco shells according to the package.
- Step 5
Spoon about 1/4 cup beef into each shell, add a handful of lettuce and finish with a pinch of cheddar on top. Serve right away.
Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos, Inspired by Taco Bell
Serves 4 (2 tacos each) · 8 tacos · 25 min total
Seasoning (half of Serious Eats' batch)
- 1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch ground coriander
- Pinch ground cloves
Beef
- 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
- 2/3 cup water
Tacos
- 8 crunchy corn taco shells (store-bought, or home-fried from our Hard-Shell Ground Beef Tacos recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar (2 oz)
Method
- Stir all the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, mashing it with a potato masher into very fine crumbles, until no longer pink (160°F). Drain off the fat.
- Stir in the seasoning and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, mashing once more, until thick and saucy but not dry.
- Warm the taco shells according to the package.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup beef into each shell, add a handful of lettuce and finish with a pinch of cheddar on top. Serve right away.
The spice blend is adapted from Serious Eats, "Homemade Taco Seasoning" by Yasmine Maggio (2023), halved to about 2 tablespoons. The cooking method (brown, drain, then simmer with the seasoning and 2/3 cup water until thick) follows the beef in Taste of Home's "Copycat Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch" by Lauren Habermehl. Mashing the beef fine and the beef-lettuce-cheese build are ours. Inspired by, not official. Serious Eats. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Make a full Serious Eats batch of seasoning; it keeps up to 2 months in a sealed jar (Maggio).
- Lettuce on the beef and cheese on top keeps the cheese from melting into the shell.
- Fill the shells at the last second so they stay crunchy.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Taco Bell's beef is mostly filler. Disputed: the 2011 suit claimed under 50% beef; Taco Bell said 88% beef and the suit was dropped (Reuters).
- Glen Bell copied the Mitla Cafe. Disputed in framing: Wikipedia says Gloria Hoyle showed him her version; some writers call it a stolen idea. Name the Mitla Cafe, not a theft.
- First Taco Bell's date. Disputed: Wikipedia gives July 6, 1962 (marked citation needed) in the text and March 21, 1962 elsewhere.
- Doritos Locos Tacos sold a billion. Disputed: search summaries cite 375 million in 2012 and "more than a billion" in the first year; we did not check the originals.
- This is the real recipe. Folklore: it is a copycat, inspired by, not official.
Every other taco
Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan)
Thin sheets of chile-and-achiote-marinated pork layered with bacon, slow-roasted into a sliceable loaf like a trompo, shaved, crisped and served with roasted pineapple, onion and cilantro.
Carnitas (Michoacán-Style Pork Tacos)
Thick slabs of pork shoulder braised in their own juices, then roasted hot until the fat renders and the edges turn golden and crisp, pulled into chunks for corn tortillas.
Quesabirria Tacos (Birria de Res with Consomé)
Beef chuck braised in a guajillo chile broth, shredded, tucked into fat-dipped corn tortillas with melted cheese, griddled crisp and dunked in a cup of the red consomé.
Tacos de Canasta (Basket Tacos)
Corn tortillas flashed through garlic-and-onion-scented oil, filled with a warm tomato, chile and fresh cheese mixture, then stacked in a towel-lined basket to steam soft.
Baja Fish Tacos (Ensenada-Style Battered Fish)
Fingers of white fish soaked briefly in salt and vinegar, dipped in a light pancake-mix batter, fried crisp and tucked into corn tortillas with creamy slaw, a fried serrano salsa and a mayo-ketchup sauce.
Sonora-Style Carne Asada Tacos
Half-inch beef steaks seasoned with nothing but salt, seared over a hot fire, chopped and piled into warm flour tortillas with refried beans, salsa and guacamole.
Hard-Shell Ground Beef Tacos (Home-Fried Shells)
The Taco Tuesday classic done properly: corn tortillas fried into U-shaped shells at home and filled with a saucy spiced ground beef, cheddar, lettuce and tomato.
San Antonio Puffy Tacos
Raw masa pressed thin and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp-chewy shell that is creased into a taco and filled with a beef and potato picadillo.
Korean BBQ Short Rib Tacos (Kalbi Tacos)
Thin-cut short ribs marinated overnight in a soy, pear, orange and sesame purée, charred on a hot grill and tucked into corn tortillas with a crunchy cabbage slaw and a chile-sesame salsa.
Texas Breakfast Tacos (Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Egg)
Parboiled potatoes crisped in rendered chorizo fat with serrano and scallion, topped with a fried egg and roasted tomato salsa in warm flour tortillas.
30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
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