Pan Fried Crispy Tacos with Chorizo

Crispy Tacos make me wanna do a happy dance! This is one meal that I can never get enough of.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Crispy Tacos

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Servings tacos

Calories 373kcal

Author Dana DeVolk

Ingredients

14 ounces Mexican chorizo sausage casings removed
1 cup red onion finely chopped
vegetable oil for frying tortillas
8 flour tortillas 8” diameter
2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
optional toppings shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, lime wedges, cilantro

For the Creamy Lime Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon lime juice fresh
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt to taste

Instructions

Add the chorizo sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small crumbles. Cook until almost fully cooked, about 6–8 minutes.
14 ounces Mexican chorizo sausage
Add diced red onion to the skillet with the chorizo and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the onions are softened. Transfer the chorizo and onions to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess fat. Set aside.
1 cup red onion
Reduce heat to medium and add a thin layer of vegetable oil to the skillet.
vegetable oil for frying tortillas
Place one tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle a layer of shredded cheddar cheese over half of it.
8 flour tortillas, 2 cups cheddar cheese
Add a few tablespoons of the chorizo over the cheese.
Top with more cheddar cheese then fold the tortilla in half, pressing down lightly with a spatula.
Fry the taco for 1–2 minutes per side, or until it’s golden and crispy, and the cheese has melted.
Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Keep the crunchy tacos warm in a 200°F oven while frying the rest.
Carefully open each taco and layer it with toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, and jalapenos.
optional toppings
To make the creamy lime sauce, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt in a small bowl.
1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If a thinner consistency is desired, add more lime juice.
Salt
Serve the crunchy tacos immediately with lime wedges and sauce.

Notes

Nutrition is calculated without additional toppings.
Don’t Overstuff: A small handful of cheddar cheese and a few spoonfuls of chorizo go a long way. Overfilling leads to messy frying and lost fillings.
Medium-High Heat: Keep the oil around medium-high so the tortillas crisp quickly without soaking up too much oil. Too low and they get greasy; too high and they burn.
Paper Towels: Drain each taco on paper towels right after frying to remove extra oil. This helps keep that crispy texture.
Work in Batches: Fry 1-2 tacos at a time in a large skillet. Overcrowding lowers the oil temp and leads to soggy tacos.
Don’t Overcook the Chorizo: Cook it just until it’s done; chorizo can go from perfect to dried out quickly. That’s also why the onion is added partway through the cooking—keeps the heat from drying it out.
Finish with Lime Juice: A squeeze of lime or a splash of hot sauce at the end can really wake up the flavors.

Nutrition