Best Tacos Dorados Recipe: Perfectly Crispy Homemade Golden Tacos (2024)

Tacos dorados, or 'golden tacos,' have a taco shell that is so amazing that you will never buy hard taco shells again. Warm tortillas are loaded with meat filling and then pan-fried to perfection. They are so good that you won't have any leftovers!

Serve with refried black beans and restaurant-style Mexican rice, or enjoy a Tex-Mex salad with dressing.

Crispy & Golden: Mastering the Art of Tacos

Do you have one of those meals that, when you make it again, you wonder why you aren't making it way more often? This is one of those recipes.

The process isn't that much longer than your standard taco night. The love you will get from your family for making these will solidify taco dorados as a family favorite, go-to meal.

Plus, they're A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

🤔 What Are Tacos Dorados

Tacos Dorados are crispy tacos, usually made with corn tortillas. The tortillas are warmed, filled with a small amount of ground beef or shredded chicken filling, and then pan-fried.

The resulting taco shell is crispy, yet chewy, and pliable enough at the seam where folded that they can be opened like a book. This allows you to lift one side and add your favorite taco fillings with the beef or chicken layer.

🥘 Ingredients

• Ground Beef - 1½pounds of ground beef (lean ground beef or strain off drippings).
• Garlic - ½ tablespoon of finely minced garlic.
• Onion - ½cup of minced white onion.
• Taco Seasoning - 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix. Try my recipe or use your own.
• Cilantro (optional) - ½ cup of chopped cilantro.
• Cheddar - 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided into two 1-cup portions.
• Tortillas - 12 corn tortillas. You could also use flour tortillas if that is what you prefer.
• Oil - Your preferred cooking oil for pan-frying your tacos. I used coconut oil.
• Lettuce - 2 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce.
• Tomatoes - 2 tomatoes, diced.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Tacos Dorados

All you need for this recipe is to make the filling, assemble the tacos, and cook them! Grab a large skillet, a baking sheet, measuring utensils, and a wooden spoon.

This recipe is for 6 servings (with 2 tacos per serving), but it is easy to scale it up to feed more if needed.

Make the Filling

Step 1: Brown the meat. Brown 1½ pounds (680 grams) of ground beef, ½ cup (26 grams) of onion, and ½ tablespoon (4 grams) of garlic in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat until cooked through. Drain off excess fat, add 2 tablespoons (5.3 grams) of taco seasoning (and ½ cup of chopped cilantro, if desired).

Step 2: Add cheese. Add 1 cup (120 grams) of your shredded cheddar cheese to the browned, seasoned ground beef. Stir into the meat, allowing the cheese to melt. This will help to keep your meat filling together and prevent it from falling out of your taco dorados while pan-frying them.

Assemble & Cook Your Taco Dorados

Step 3: Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (205ºC/Gas Mark 6). Place 12 corn tortillas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and use a pastry brush to coat both sides of each tortilla with a small amount of your cooking oil.

Step 4: Warm and fill. Warm the tortillas in your oven for about 3 minutes, and remove the baking sheet to a work surface. Fill each tortilla with a small amount of the meat filling (about 1½ tablespoons of filling for each warmed tortilla).

Step 5: Fold. Fold each tortilla over the ground beef filling and press firmly down to close the tortillas securely before frying them.

Step 6: Heat. Bring a large skillet or frying pan with a small amount of oil to medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Place 3 - 4 folded tacos in the pan. Adjust your frying pan temperature, as needed, until the oil is actively sizzling around the edges of your tortillas.

Step 7: Fry. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on the first side. The tortilla should have a nicely browned coloring with crispy edges. Use a spatula or kitchen tongs to carefully turn the tacos and cook the opposite side for about 2 minutes or until browned.

Step 8: Drain. Remove fried tacos to a paper towel-lined plate and pat the oil from both sides.

Step 9: Repeat. Repeat as necessary until all of your tacos are cooked.

Step 10: Serve. Serve with 1 cup of shredded cheese, 2 cups of shredded lettuce, and 2 diced tomatoes. Top with your favorite toppings.

🍽️ What To Serve With Tacos

Top your tasty tacos with one of my salsas like pico de gallo, salsa Roja, or salsa verde, and some creamy guacamole for a super taco night!

Another great idea is to use my Chipotle Barbacoa Beef Cheeks as a filling. My picadillo Mexicano is another great, traditional taco, taquitos, and empanadas filling. Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• I use this method when making a large batch of tacos dorados. To make smaller batches, you can heat your corn tortillas directly in the heated frying pan. Add the filling once the tortilla is heated, and fold over. Then, continue to cook as directed.
• When filling your tortillas, do not push the meat too close to the tortilla edges, as it will be more likely to fall out when cooking and/or flipping the tacos.
• Warming your tortillas before you fill them will help to prevent them from breaking when folded!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

The best way to store these tacos is by keeping everything separate from each other. Store your meat filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When ready, you can assemble and pan-fry your tacos as directed.

Reheating

If you do happen to have already-assembled tacos leftover, you can reheat them in the oven. Place them onto a baking sheet and warm them at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) until heated and crisp.

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