AI-generated image
San Antonio puffy tacos
Fresh masa shells fried until they puff, filled with spiced beef
The puffy taco is San Antonio's own: a ball of fresh corn masa pressed flat and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp, hollow shell, then shaped into a U and filled with seasoned beef mince, lettuce and tomato. Family-run Tex-Mex restaurants on the West Side have served them since the 1950s, and the city's baseball team even has a puffy taco mascot. Chef's tip: as soon as the dough puffs, press a spatula into the middle to make the fold, before it sets.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
For the shells
To serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Brown the 1 ⅛ lb beef mince in the 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium-high heat for 8 minutes. Add the ½ onion and 2 cloves garlic for 4 minutes, then the 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ cup water. Simmer 5 minutes until saucy, the mince fully cooked to 160°F. Keep warm.
17 minStep 2: Mix the 9 oz masa harina, ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ cups warm water into a soft dough like playdough; add a little more water if it cracks at the edges. Divide into 8 balls and keep covered.
6 minStep 3: Heat 4 cm of 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 375°F. Press each ball between two sheets of plastic in a tortilla press or with a heavy pan to 13 cm.
6 minStep 4: Slide a raw tortilla into the oil; it puffs in seconds. Spoon oil over the top and press a metal spatula into the centre to fold it into a U. Fry 1 minute more, turning, until crisp and golden. A common mistake is thick masa, which won't puff.
16 minStep 5: Drain upside down on paper and fill at once with the beef, 3 ½ oz shredded lettuce, 2 tomato, 2 ⅛ oz grated cheese and ½ cup salsa.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does san Antonio puffy tacos take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi is rib meat chopped finely, pressed back into neat slabs and grilled, so it's soft enough to eat without struggling with a bone. Two places in South Jeolla claim it: Damyang, the bamboo county, where all-beef patties come with rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Gwangju's Songjeong district, whose restaurant street near the railway station mixes beef with pork. This home version uses minced beef and pork, seasoned with soy, garlic and pear, then brushed with a soy and honey glaze as it cooks. Serve with rice, lettuce and a few banchan; leftovers are good cold in a lunchbox. Chef's tip: slap the mince against the bowl for a few minutes; it turns sticky and the patties hold together on the grill without any breadcrumbs.
Korean
Char siu
Hanging in long glossy strips in the windows of Guangzhou's siu mei shops, char siu is the roast pork Cantonese families pick up on the way home to put on rice, noodles or into steamed buns. The outside is lacquered, sweet and a little charred at the edges; the inside stays juicy, savoury and faintly scented with five-spice. Shoulder (pork butt) is the cut to use, because its marbling keeps the strips moist through a hot oven. Marinate it overnight in the fridge, roast it the next day and eat it warm with steamed rice and blanched greens, or cold in fried rice and noodle soups. Chef's tip: save the honey for the last ten minutes; brushed on at the start it burns black long before the pork is cooked.
Chinese