TINY TACOS

Tiny Tacos image

These tiny tacos were inspired by a fast food commercial I saw. I loved the idea and wanted to figure out how to do them better, and at home. Serve in a taco salad presentation (on top of shredded lettuce with avocado, onion, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges) or as appetizers.

Provided by Chef John

Time 1h40m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup finely diced onion
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
2 pinches cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup water
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers
15 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed

Steps:

Add oil, onion, and ground beef to a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Break beef apart with a spatula to mix in spices; cook until browned and crumbled into very small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and water and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in jalapeno peppers and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Stack up 2 or 3 corn tortillas at a time and use a 2-inch round pastry cutter to cut 4 small circles out of each stack, making 60 total. Place circles in a single layer, 1/2 inch apart, on sheet pans.
Mix Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses together. Top each tortilla circle with cheese, using the pastry cutter to keep it from spilling onto the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. Top each with about 1 teaspoon taco beef and another teaspoon cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Carefully fold each tortilla in half, being careful not to press out the filling. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as necessary, pan-fry tacos until crispy and heated through and the edges are a bit caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 299.9 calories, Carbohydrate 19.1 g, Cholesterol 49.8 mg, Fat 18.3 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 15.6 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 192.8 mg, Sugar 0.9 g