There are many, many different kinds of tacos, but among my family’s favorites are Tacos Dorados. Filled with a savory combination of beef and cheese and then fried until crispy, they are the perfect combination of flavors and texture. Easy to make, these tasty tacos are always a hit!
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Also called Tacos Dorados de Carne Molida and Dorado Tacos, these tasty tacos are a quick and easy fix that everyone will love. Fill them with your favorite fixings, and you’ll be all set to munch on something fabulous for lunch or dinner!
What You Need to Make Tacos Dorados
- Lean ground beef
- Baking soda – see notes below
- Onion – fresh is best
- Garlic – fresh is best
- Chipotle in adobo – Freeze what you don’t use.
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Taco seasoning – I love using this Fiesta Taco Seasoning
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Oil for frying – vegetable oil is my first pick for this recipe
How To Make the Best Browned Ground Beef
Cooks Illustrated rocked the culinary world a few years back when they proved that adding a touch of baking soda to ground beef kept the meat moist while still allowing for ample browning. And it works! You just need to dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 2 tablespoons of water.
Mix the dissolved baking soda and water in with the meat and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before browning. The water will evaporate, leaving behind tender and juicy ground beef that’s still browned!
How To Make Tacos Dorados
- Dissolve the baking soda in 2 tablespoons of water, then mix it into the ground beef. Let the ground beef rest for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the hot pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the ground beef and brown it. Any water should evaporate, but DO NOT discard any fat in the pan.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add 1 cup of water and about 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, and turn the heat down to medium and cook until the water has evaporated. Leave any fat behind in the pan.
- Remove from the heat and finely chop the chipotle in adobo (about 1 chipotle and any sauce that’s stuck to it). Mix this into the beef. Let the beef cool slightly and mix in the cheddar cheese. The beef should melt the cheese slightly. Add salt if needed, but taco spices and cheese are both salty, so your filling may not need much.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lay a tortilla down flat in the skillet. Spoon about 1/3 a cup of beef filling onto half of each tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and shallow fry it in cooking oil until golden brown, then flip it over and continue frying.
- Continue as needed with remaining tortillas and oil for frying.
- Serve hot with all your favorite taco fixings like Tomatillo Pico de Gallo!
How To Make Tacos Dorados on a Blackstone Griddle
You can make this entire recipe on the Blackstone griddle. The trickiest part is when you add the water and taco seasoning. Instead of dumping in the water all at once, mix in the taco spice, then with your squirt bottle, add about 1/4 cup of water at a time, then pop a lid on top of the beef mixture. Let it cook for a minute, then stir it well and add another 1/4 cup of water. Repeat until the full cup of water has been added, and the meat and spices are well combined.
Turn the heat down to medium and add cooking oil to the top of the Blackstone griddle. Assemble your tacos and pop them onto the griddle. Grill on each side until golden brown, then serve!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- You can make the meat ahead of time and pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and cook the Tacos Dorados. They don’t keep well, so eat them while they’re hot!
- Use corn or flour tortillas in this recipe – whatever you prefer.
- Like it spicy? Double the chipotle for a bit more of a kick.
- Tacos Dorados de carne molida (with ground beef) are traditional, but you can switch up the fillings. Try it with carnitas, shredded chicken, chorizo, and more.
- Need to feed a crowd? This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.
Like This? Also Try:
What To Serve With Dorado Tacos
Now’s the perfect time to pull out all your favorite taco toppings and make a fiesta of it with Smoked Queso and this cheesy baked Spanish rice.
- Salsa – try this delish Smoked Salsa or Mango Habanero Salsa
- Lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Pickled onion
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Diced tomatoes
- Pico de Gallo
- Hot sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, not so much, no. They are a good source of protein, and if you use corn tortillas, you can get a bit of a fiber bump, but other than that, they’re cheesy, fried in oil, and so gosh darn good that you can probably afford to splurge a little and enjoy these tasty tacos!
There are a few differences, primarily that Tacos Dorados are traditionally made with corn tortillas, while quesadillas are usually made with flour. Quesadillas are also loaded with melted cheese, while Tacos Dorados have cheese in the meat, but there are no gooey puddles of melted cheese like in a Quesadilla. These tacos are also folded in a half moon and are meant to be picked up and eaten, whereas quesadillas are usually whole rounds of tortilla cut into wedges.
If you use a low-carb tortilla, they can be eaten on a low-carb diet. Low-carb tortillas have some ingredients in them that aren’t wholly strict keto, but they’re fine in a pinch or when you’re splurging.
Step By Step Process
Tacos Dorados
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20 works well
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 12 corn tortillas
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 2 tablespoons of water, then mix it into the ground beef. Let the ground beef rest for about 20 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the hot pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the ground beef and brown it. Any water should evaporate, but DO NOT discard any fat in the pan.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add 1 cup of water and about 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning and turn the heat down to medium and cook until the water is evaporated. Leave any fat behind in the pan.
- Remove from the heat and finely chop the chipotle in adobo (about 1 chipotle and any sauce that's stuck to it). Mix this into the beef. Let the beef cool slightly and mix in the cheddar cheese. The beef should melt the cheese slightly. Add salt if needed, but taco spices and cheese are both salty so your filling may not need much.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lay a tortilla down flat in the skillet. Spoon about 1/3 a cup of beef filling onto half of each tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and shallow fry it in cooking oil until golden brown, then flip it over and continue frying.
- Repeat as needed with the rest of the tortillas and beef filling.
- Serve hot with all your favorite taco fixings!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
