Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ⅓ cup refried beans
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- ¼ c Ortega or Pico Pica brand mild taco sauce
- 12 soft corn tortillas
- 3 c cooking oil, Crisco brand preferred
- 6 slices American cheese
- 1 head finely chopped lettuce
Instructions
- Brown ground beef over low heat, using a wooden spoon to chop and stir the meat, keeping it very fine and smooth.
- When the beef is brown, drain the fat.
- Add the refried beans and use the wooden spoon to smash the whole beans into the mixture. Remove from the heat.
- Add the salt, chili powder, and 2 Tbsp of the taco sauce to the mixture.
- In another skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until hot. (Test with a small piece of tortilla. I should bubble when dropped in the oil.)
- Spread 1/12 of the beef mixture on the center of each tortilla.
- Fold the tortillas over and press so that the beef filling acts as an adhesive and holds the sides together.
- Drop each taco into the pan of hot oil and fry on both sides until crispy.
- When cooked, remove tacos from the oil and place them on a rack to drain or on some paper towels to cool slightly.
- Pry open each taco and add 1/2 slide of American cheese cut diagonally and some lettuce. Top with about 1 1/2 tsp of the remaining taco sauce.
Notes
Try to use very thin tortillas for this recipe so that they won't crack when you fold the filled tacos in half before frying. It's best to use warm tortillas and even moisten them along the middle where you will be folding.