Chalupas


Full disclosure: This may not be exactly like the Taco Bell chalupa you’re probably thinking of. Chalupas are a classic Mexican street food snack that are crispy, savory, and fun to eat. This chalupa recipe steps away a bit from the traditional tostada-style serving, and instead fills the fluffy fried shell with ground beef, black beans, onion, cotija, and homemade salsa verde for a taco-style treat. Skip the drive-through—this hearty, versatile snack is not only worth making at home, but is surprisingly easy. 

How To Make Chalupas

INGREDIENTS

Salsa Verde

• Tomatillos: Tomatillos are the base to classic salsa verde. Before roasting, make sure to gently peel off the leafy husk, then rinse off the sticky film that is leftover on the skin.
• Jalapeño: Half of a small jalapeño adds the perfect amount of spice to this salsa verde, but if you’re not a heat fan, you can use even less and adjust to taste.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is an absolute must here. If you’re a cilantro fanatic, feel free to taste and adjust based on how much you prefer in your perfect salsa verde.

Ground Beef

• The Beef: Although chalupas can have a variety of fillings, I went with a classic ground beef filling in this recipe. Alternatively, you can fill chalupas with chorizo, shredded chicken, or refried beans and other veggies.
• The Seasonings: Kosher salt, chili powder, dried Mexican oregano, ground coriander, and ground cumin combine to season our ground beef. If you’re having trouble finding Mexican oregano, feel free to leave it out or swap it for dried marjoram.

Chalupas

• Masa Harina: Masa harina makes preparing masa—the primary ingredient in things like tortillas, sopes, and tamales—a two- to three-ingredient affair that comes together rather quickly. You simply hydrate the dried corn flour to get a dough-like consistency. In this recipe, we do that by adding a little bit of milk at a time.
• Unsalted Butter: Cold unsalted butter is added to the flour, masa, baking powder, and salt mixture with your hands. Make sure your butter is cold, and mix it into the flour until small pebbles begin to form.
• Vegetable Oil: You’re going to want a good high-heat cooking oil for these chalupas, which is why I recommend vegetable oil.
• Black Beans: Black beans are an easy addition to these chalupas, but you can also use pinto beans instead.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in this recipe is to make the salsa verde. Roasting the tomatillos not only makes them easier to blend, but adds that smoky, charred flavor that salsa verde just isn’t complete without. Roast until softened and slightly charred, then let them cool before adding to a blender along with your onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until smooth—if for some reason your salsa is too thick, add more lime juice (or water) until it is your desired texture.

Once your salsa verde is complete and set aside (or, if you want to multitask, while your tomatillos roast), it’s time to get started on the ground beef filling. Add your ground beef and seasonings to a pan, then cook until it is browned and cooked through. Set it aside to get started on the main event: the chalupas.

Once you’ve combined your flour, masa, baking powder, and salt, add pieces of cold unsalted butter and mix with your fingertips until small pebbles begin to form. Then, slowly stir in milk until a dough begins to form, adding a bit at a time. Once a dough has formed, shape it into a ball and cover to let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

After your dough has rested, divide it into 6 pieces, rolling each into a small circle. Grab a fork, and prick each piece to prevent any air bubbles from occurring while frying.

Now, this frying method is important to note. Instead of lowering the entire piece into the oil, you'll use tongs to lower one-half of a circle in. Fry until the shell is firm and holds its shape, then release the other half you're holding with tongs into the oil. This will push the dough to fold into a taco shell shape. Turn it once, and keep frying until the entire piece is golden-brown. Once done, transfer to paper towels to drain any excess oil, then repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Do these one at a time—each piece of dough needs love and attention.

Once all your pieces are fried to perfection, add all of your desired fillings, and serve with plenty of extra salsa verde on the side.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

What Are Chalupas?

Chalupas, like sopes, are common street food snacks, or antojitos. Certain states like Puebla in Mexico are known for this crispy treat. Usually chalupas are served like a tostada—a tortilla or masa fried in oil with a little bit of salsa roja (a tomato-based salsa pureed with chiles, white onion, and lime) or salsa verde—topped with shredded meat, onions, and cotija cheese. But, because we know you’re looking for the fluffy fried bread-like taco shell, we decided to create a version that was the best of both chalupa worlds.

Storage

Chalupas are best eaten right away, but you can save the shells for up to 2 days in a resealable bag and reheat in a 350° oven.