Yeah, let’s fry up some tacos. Why not? Jack in the Box does it.

Let ‘er fry!

Crispy tacos is kind of a special treat. A special treat for a special day, like, Cinco de Mayo perhaps? This is actually the perfect meal for Cinco de Mayo, because it’s Americanized Mexican just like the holiday. :) Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!!

While not difficult to execute, the pan frying takes a little extra time. Or, if you prefer, you could say it takes a little extra love. These aren’t exactly the same as the deep fried Jack in the Box tacos, but the inspiration is there without the poor grade meat and i-don’t-know-what-else is in there. Regardless, they are really really good, and a nice little treat and a twist on regular old tacos if you’re feeling special. To make it go a little faster, you could just fry the outside of the tortilla (and not fry it on one side before flipping and filling it, but I think the extra step helps make them crispier).

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If you want that deep fried-ness about them, fry them in about 1/4 inch oil and make sure to dab them with paper towels after. I started with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and really found it to be too much. I threw away the first tortilla it was so greasy. I resorted to pan spraying both sides of the tortilla and that yielded perfect crispy, without greasy, results. If the cheese starts to ooze out, let it ooze away; it will crisp up in the pan in a tasty little way.

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Onto the filling. I added sweet potatoes because I love them, and they make this dish an iota healthier. I’ve been into fiber lately, what can I say. You could add black beans instead, but I wouldn’t do both as if the filling got any bulkier it would be really difficult to flip the tacos. Depending on the size of your taco you want about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling in each one. Also, you really want to be able to have 1/2 taco sizzling away with enough room in the pan to start frying the other tortilla, so choose your tortilla and pan size wisely, otherwise you’ll be at the stove way too long.

Crispy Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion (diced)
  • 1/2 sweet potato (diced small)
  • 1/2lb ground venison
  • 2 cloves garic (minced)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 heaped tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 8oz shredded cheese (or a block, thinly sliced)
  • 8-10 corn tortillas
  • pan spray

Optional

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

Step 1
Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spices and the garlic and stir until well mixed. Add the diced sweet potatoes and stir around a little to coat them with the oil and spices, add about 1 T of water and cook covered until they are al dente, about 5-7 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook until browned. Set aside until you are ready to fill the tacos.
Step 2
To assemble and fry the tacos, heat a pan on medium high heat and spray with pan spray. Spray both sides of the tortilla, and cook until crisp and starting to brown on one side. Then flip and add cheese and filling and fold the top half over, pressing down so it sticks to melted cheese. Cook on each side until crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling. Serve with salsa, guac, or other taco fixin's.
Non game substitution: As usual, ground anything. Beef, or chicken or turkey for something a little lower in fat.
Vegetarian substitution: Substitute the meat here with black beans and voila! Your crispy tacos are vegetarian.
Posted in Venison
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