Walking Tacos

These Walking Tacos are so perfect for summer parties, tailgating, or any gathering that needs a little extra fun and nostalgia.

A Cafeteria Classic

It’s not often that I attempt to recreate a meal made in the kitchen of my high school cafeteria. I mean, breakfast for lunch was great and all, but frozen french toast sticks just don’t inspire me the way they used to.

But Walking Tacos are different. Walking tacos are seriously tasty and seriously fun. They bring back memories of that cramped cafeteria where I learned lines for musicals, drank a disturbing amount of Fruitopia, and totally nonchalantly (read: obviously) waited for my crush to walk through the door.

I haven’t had a walking taco since I left high school ten (has it really been 10???) years ago. In fact, had it not been for this post, I may have forgotten about them completely. Luckily, I didn’t. And as it turns out, these are as simple to make as I always imagined them to be and even tastier than I remember.

How To Make Walking Tacos

1. The walking taco starts with a bag of Fritos, which is basically the epitome of class. I’ve also heard these can be made with Doritos, but let’s not get crazy. Totally free pro tip: roll down the bag 1/3 of the way to avoid getting meat mess all over the top!
2. Next layer in your meaty mixture. A note about the meat. Some recipes use straight up taco seasoned ground beef, but the Walking Tacos of my memory had more of a chili-like feel to them. This meat mixture is definitely more in line with the latter version, with plenty of onion, pepper, beans, and tomatoes thrown in for good measure.
3. Next? Cheese. Lots and lots of shredded cheese. It’ll get nice and melty in there.
4. What’s a taco without some lettuce? Throw some on there!
5. Finally, add a big ol’ dollop of sour cream and unfold the top of the bag.

In case that wasn’t easy enough, I included this obnoxiously long photo collage which shows you every (arduous) step.

Once they’re all assembled, it’s time to roll up the bag and dig in! These are so perfect for summer parties, tailgating, really any gathering that needs a little extra fun and nostalgia. Speaking of fun and nostalgia, how about this photo of the Mr., taken four years ago when I was just a fledgling newbie blogger with zero photography skills?

The photo quality might have changed, but the recipe has not. It’s still just as irresistible as it was back then! Take it from the Mr. You can’t fake that kind of excitement!

Walking Tacos

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 small jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
• 1 14 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 14 ounce can kidney beans
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 Frito bags-make sure they are all corn if you're gluten free
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded Mexican Cheese blend
• Sour Cream

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until beginning to soften. Add the jalapenos and saute an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat then stir in taco seasoning.

Add the tomato sauce, kidney beans, and drained diced tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

To assemble, open Frito bags. Divide meat mixture evenly among the bags, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cheese. Add sour cream and lettuce if desired. Eat away!