Taco Salad
Forget the packaged taco seasonings with ingredients you cannot pronounce. Make your own for this delicious Taco Salad with an edible flour tortilla bowl.
There are about a billion ways to make a Taco Salad. They were purportedly first served as "Ta-Cups" at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1955, created by the original inventor of Fritos Corn Chips, Elmer Doolin. That's at least the official version of the story from a 2013 book, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.
Essentially, the Ta-Cup was a "Ta-Co", without the taco shell, per se, but instead, served in a taco cup, and, as you might expect, the cup was made entirely of Fritos. The contents were nothing more than that which was customarily served in a taco: seasoned ground beef or chicken, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and/or guacamole.
Today, of course, the dish has morphed into countless variations on the same theme. While the original Frito bowl didn't take-off, the practice of frying a corn or flour tortilla into a bowl shape became commonplace in the 1970s and 80s.
Equipment Needs: A Taco Salad Bowl Mold
Of course, it’s very possible to make a taco salad bowl at home in a more healthful way than frying and a lot less trouble. Taco Salad Bowl Molds are available online or at any kitchen supply store. They come in 8-1/2” or 6-1/2” sizes with the latter most popular and easily accommodating your average taco-sized tortilla. The 8-1/2” would make a formidable salad using a burrito-sized tortilla. They’re constructed of non-stick carbon steel and all you have to do is fit your tortilla (I much prefer flour) into the mold, and bake in a 400°F oven for 12-13 minutes. They dislodge easily and cool quickly.
All kinds of ingredients have been added to the original taco salad of the 1950s, like fried corn, black beans, green olives, and even shrimp. Kobe beef, lobster, beluga caviar and black-truffle Brie cheese are ingredients found in the world's most expensive Taco Salad - $25,000 - served at the Grand Velas Los Cabos in Cabo San Luca. So much for the taco salad’s humble beginnings.
No matter what you put in your taco salad, the first thing you need is the taco seasoning. I became discouraged from using any of the packaged taco seasonings; they all carry a lot of things that are not seasoning. Old El Paso, Durkee, Ortega, McCormick - all of the giant food packagers have their versions, but they all to varying degrees contain things like maltodextrin, hydrogenated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, corn starch, sugar, enriched flour, etc.. None of these things add flavor; some just add to the carb or calorie count and most were designed to extend the product's shelf life or to keep the ingredients from clumping.
Regardless of what you put in your taco salad and with credit to the Pioneer Woman website and my Number One Fan with her modifications, here is the basic formula for making the famous taco salad and its seasoning. It is meant to be served with or alongside the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Guacamole Salad.
Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 2- 1/2 tbsp Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Taco Seasoning (above)
- 3/4 cup tap water
- 4 taco-sized flour tortillas (like, Mission Carb Balance)
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- other preferred condiments, e.g., sliced jalapeños, sliced black olives, sliced green olives, diced chilies (like, Goya or Old El Paso), salsa (like, Newman's Own), sour cream
- Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Guacamole Salad
Instructions
- Measure out all ingredients for the Taco Seasoning in a mixing bowl and blend with a wire whisk. Store in your pantry in an airtight container. This will fill an 8-ounce jar about 3/4 full and would be the equivalent of six commercial packets.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small saucepan over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until it loses all of its pink color. Pour off all the accumulated grease.
- Add 2-1/2 tbsp of the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Taco Seasoning and the water.
- Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, place the flour tortillas in the taco bowl molds, and place the molds on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes until the taco shells begin to take on a little color.
- Remove the taco bowls from the oven and place onto a plate or pasta bowl. Spoon in 3 oz of the taco meat, and add preferred toppings. Top with a large dollop of the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Guacamole Salad.
