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Crispy Chipotle Beef Tacos

Pan-fried until they shatter, stuffed with smoky chipotle beef.

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Tacos dorados, the way they should be: corn tortillas filled with chipotle-seasoned beef and cheese, folded over and fried in shallow oil until the whole thing goes golden and crisp. The filling has to be thick and nearly dry — wet filling is how you get soggy tacos and a splattering pan.

Steps

1. Brown the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, about 7 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
2. Stir in the garlic, chipotles and adobo, cumin, paprika, oregano, and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is thick and nearly dry. Season with salt and pepper. This dryness matters — wet filling makes soggy tacos.
3. Warm the tortillas until pliable: 30 seconds per side in a dry skillet, or 45 seconds wrapped in a damp towel in the microwave. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.
4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of beef down the center of each tortilla, top with a pinch of cheese, and fold in half.
5. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the tacos in batches, folded-side down first, 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a rack, not paper towels — the rack keeps the bottoms crisp.
6. Open each taco just enough to tuck in lettuce and pico, dollop with sour cream, and serve with lime wedges and pickled jalapeños. Makes 12 tacos.

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