Taco Bell Tostadas
If there is one restaurant you will never find in Mexico, it is Taco Bell. There have been two attempts to open franchises in Mexico, and both attempts have failed. The reason for this is that nothing in Taco Bell’s menu resembles Mexican Food. Even though you will see that a Taco Bell has menu many choices, it is usually the same prepared ground meat as the main ingredient. The difference in the menu items is the meat enclosure that can be a hard corn shell, a soft flour tortilla, or a corn basket.
Taco Bell Tostadas
The first time I took my family to Taco Bell I told them not to think about tacos, but to think about deluxe prepared nachos. With that introduction they knew what to expect and surprisingly they enjoyed the meal. I personally like the prepared ground beef that is the basis for most of Taco Bell’s menu. Even though I know it is a badly Americanized version of a Mexican dish, the same could be said about fast-food Pizza. If you remember the old chihuahua commercials, you know that “Yo quiero Taco Bell.” After several experiments to find a decent substitute recipe for the ground beef I came with the following. Notice that in the picture I used tostadas which are the same thing as taco shells but flat.
For the Prepared Ground Beef
1 Lb Ground Beef
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup of water.
Mix the ground beef, flour, chili powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a bowl. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. In a large frying pan, add the meat and the water. Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is cooked throughly and browned.
For the Fillings and Shells
1/2 Cup Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Diced Onions
1/2 Cup Red Bell Peppers
1 Cup of Lettuce
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Can of Baked Beans
Sour Cream
Salsa
12 Tostadas or Taco Shells or Soft Tortillas
Scoop the meat into the Taco Shells. Add Tomatoes, Onions, Lettuce, Red Bell Peppers, Beans and Cheddar Cheese according to personal preference. Add a dollop of cream on top. If you want to spice it up add a spoonful of Salsa. You can use tostadas, or soft flour tortillas to make different types of tacos. If you are throwing a party, you can even use nachos chips and make Deluxe Prepared Nachos with the same ingredients.
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During a world cup match (Mexico v Argentina) I decided to give this recipe a try. It was simple too hot to cook carne asada outside and I needed to feed 15 people. I tripled the recipe and hand fried some small tortillas for tostadas bodies and added a can of herdez salsa casera to the mix. They were absolutely a hit. Everybody thought they were great. A good quick recipe if you are having company for a sporting event on TV. Gracias Nadim!
I am glad to hear that this recipe worked for you. It is really simple to do and you can feed a lot of peopler in a pinch. i’ll keep posting more simple recipes for your enjoyment. Let me see if I can put my recipe for buffalo wings. Those are also great party food for any type of event.
Slim, I love vegetable Tostadas from Taco Bell, but I home make meat and bean tostadas for my family which they are crazy about. The recipe from your Taco Bell Tostadas has me puzzled. It states to cook the meat in the water. I find this repulsive to consider. Are you sure that is right? I just brown the meat by frying until it is no longer pink and then add whatever ingredients are required. I was searching for a good Taco Bell recipe, but some things I read, including yours, just made me turn off Taco Bell.
Hi Jackie,
The reason for the water, is because it creates an instant roux, which latter becomes the meat sauce. Most traditional sauces require a source of fat which is usually the drippings left over from the meat you have cooked, flour, and a liquid which is usually the meat stock. With this recipe you do all of this in one step to get a meat sauce. What I do, is that a let the meat cook a little until semi brown for flavor before adding the water. The spices and flour you’ve added to the meat together with the water will make that meat sauce which is similar to the original which they serve in taco bell. I usually cook the water until the liquid is almost evaporated, which will give the meat a stronger flavor. If you want to omit the water, then also remove the flour since the sauce will not be made, but I can not guarantee the same flavor.