- Maybe I should have maracas.
(Natasha chuckles)
Today, you will learn
how to make a restaurant-quality taco salad.
And it's so fun to do a taco party
with these crispy tortilla bowls,
and they couldn't be easier.
Check this out.
(chopping board thuds)
Set a large nonstick pan over medium heat
and add about two tablespoons of oil.
I'm using an extra light olive oil,
but any oil with the high smoke point will work.
Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla
and fry for about 30 to 45 seconds per side.
Flip the tortilla when you see its golden browning spots.
You'll see that tortilla start to puff and bubble up,
and that's what you wanna see.
For making larger salad bowls,
I love using the 10-inch flour tortillas.
You can use either store-bought
or try our homemade flour tortilla recipe.
As soon as that comes off the heat,
immediately transfer it over the top of an oven-safe bowl.
Use the back of a ladle or a smaller bowl
to push the tortilla in
and shape it to the size of the bowl.
I like using oven-safe bowls that have a flat base.
This way, your tortilla shells won't wobble or fall over
when you fill them with salad.
Add more oil to the skillet
and continue cooking the rest of the tortilla shells.
Those puffed brown spots
end up super crispy and irresistibly good
once these are baked.
And move quickly
because the tortillas are easiest to shape
while they're still hot.
(jaunty music)
Once they're all shaped,
transfer those on a baking sheet
to a 350-degree preheated oven
and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes
or until the tortilla shells are crispy and golden brown.
Once they're out of the oven,
right away, I like to transfer them to a wire rack,
so that they don't get steamy inside of the bowls.
(jaunty music)
While they cool to room temperature,
we're gonna work on the taco salad
to fill these delicious taco shells.
Grab your ground beef and your taco seasoning,
and we do have a really good homemade taco seasoning
that's super easy and really makes the best taco meat.
I will link to it in the recipe notes.
Set a large skillet over medium heat.
Add your ground beef and break it up with the spatula.
Cook until it's brown
and you no longer see any pink spots on the meat.
You'll wanna spoon out
and discard any excess fat released from the beef,
then add your taco seasoning.
If you prefer,
you can also use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning.
Also add half a cup of water,
then cook, stirring occasionally
for about three to five minutes.
It's done when most of the liquid has evaporated.
All right, our taco shells are prepped, our beef is cooked.
All that's left is the sauce and all the toppings.
Now, you can use sour cream if you're feeling lazy,
but oh, my goodness, this lime crema,
it made our fish tacos famous,
it made our shrimp tacos famous,
and it is so good as dressing for taco salad.
Check this out.
To make this dressing, combine sour cream and real mayo,
then squeeze in two tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
And if you're looking for a good citrus squeezer,
this is our favorite and it has lasted the longest.
I will link to it in the recipe notes.
(Natasha grunts)
And last but not least, add some garlic powder.
And if you love a spicier sauce,
you can also add some sriracha sauce.
That's what we do with our fish tacos and it's so good.
Since I know my kids are gonna be eating this,
I'm gonna leave out the hot sauce.
Whisk to combine and set that aside for the flavors to meld.
Now, we're gonna work on all of the taco salad toppings.
Because this is a salad,
we wanna go a little heavier on the lettuce,
and my favorite lettuce for taco salad is iceberg.
I love how crisp and fresh it is.
Also, dice up some red onion.
And if you like a more milder onion flavor,
you can also try chopped green onions or chives.
Now, dice up some fresh tomatoes
and you can also use pico de gallo.
We have a really good recipe for pico,
which is a perfect topping for taco salad.
I like keeping all of the different toppings
separate in little bowls like this
and serve the salad buffet-style.
Then, everyone can build their own.
Next, the avocado.
And here's the safest way that I've found
to peel and pit an avocado.
Cut it into quarters, remove the pit,
then peel off the skins and dice it up.
(jaunty music)
I feel like you can't have a great taco salad
without avocado.
But then I also am obsessed with avocado
and try to put it on everything that I can.
(jaunty music)
Here comes the exciting part.
Now that everything is prepped and ready to go,
we're gonna build our salad.
Starting with that crispy tortilla bowl,
set it on a plate to make it easier to transfer
and load it up with lettuce.
Now, add a generous amount of that taco meat.
What I love about this recipe
is if you're planning ahead for a taco party
or a taco night...
(Natasha mumbles indistinctly)
(jaunty music)
All right, we love lots of tomatoes.
Plenty of avocado, of course.
Then, a little sprinkle of onion,
and I do find that a little bit goes a long way.
Also, add some shredded cheese.
We're using a mild cheddar cheese,
but you can also use a Mexican cheese blend
or your favorite cheese for tacos.
Top it off with some tortilla strips
to give it that restaurant quality
and garnish with cilantro.
Ah! (Natasha chuckles)
I'm so hungry.
My mouth is totally watering for this.
Just a few finishing touches.
We've got some fresh cilantro,
which is so nice on anything tacos.
And then the sauce.
If you want, for parties,
I love to transfer it into these little squeezy bottles.
And then people can just, you know,
well, not open it but drizzle it on their own taco salads.
But, just for time, and because I'm hungry,
we're just gonna drizzle this with a spoon.
So here we go.
And be generous with this.
Treat it like it's salad dressing, all right?
So good.
You'll find yourself adding more of this, okay?
Good thing this makes a big batch,
so you don't have to worry.
You won't run out.
Okay.
And if you want to,
squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the top,
but it's already in the dressing,
so technically you don't have to.
But why not?
Okay, there we go.
And we dig in.
(Natasha chuckles)
So excited.
I don't know, tacos make me happy.
Taco Tuesday is for a reason, people.
(Natasha chuckles)
Big bite.
I like to get all the way down to the bottom
where all the delicious, crisp, and fresh lettuce is at.
Little bit of everything.
And that taco meat 'cause it has tons of flavor.
Okay, here we go, big bite.
(jaunty music)
Oh,
hmm.
(Natasha chuckles)
Make this taco salad.
You're gonna feel like you're winning at life.
And I'm so surprised.
I love that my kids totally love this.
My daughter raves about it
and I think it's because it's not too spicy.
That homemade taco seasoning is perfect.
It has so much flavor without being too fiery.
I mean, you could always add more spice to it.
And then make sure you're actually eating
that crispy salad bowl.
Because I mean, listen.
(taco bowl crunches)
It's crunchy.
So, so delicious.
I like to bite it as I go.
Oh.
And then my strategy,
when I get close to being done with the taco salad
and there's still something left in the bowl,
I just fold it and eat it like a taco
because I like to eat the whole thing.
It's not just there for looks, okay?
You can change it up and add your favorite toppings,
but we love the combination of that crisp and fresh lettuce,
juicy tomatoes, creamy avocados,
and then that fresh punch from cilantro is...
(Natasha chuckles)
Let me know what are your favorite toppings
for taco salad in the comments.
I'd love to hear from you.
It's actually really good for entertaining.
My sister made this for my,
I wanna say...
first baby shower?
Except she ordered these from a restaurant
and it was way more expensive.
Make them at home,
impress everybody with your taco-making skills.
Let me know also if you spotted Sharky in the comments.
And before we wrap up,
our new cookbook is finally available to order.
I will leave a link to this in the comments
and let me know if you've pre-ordered it.
The end.
I'm gonna go eat this.