Beef Patty Tacos made with a hamburger patty folded into a tortilla and fried, then the taco is topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. hamburger patty is folded into a tortilla and fried, then topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. A plant-based, high-moisture ground beef alternative such as Beyond Beef also works well. Teresa Matias told me that to help satisfy her children’s cries for burgers when buns weren’t handy, she would fold a hamburger patty into a tortilla and fry it. Topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato, it later became a regular menu item at her restaurant, Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe. Apparently, a lot of moms had the same experience, because the beef patty taco has been standard restaurant fare around southern Arizona since at least the mid-1970s. El Charro Cafe is well known for their cotija and pea topped Charro Style beef patty tacos which their restaurant in downtown Tucson has been serving since 1922.
Ingredients
For each taco you will need:
- ¼ cup lean ground beef
- 1 corn tortilla
- Salt pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- 1 tablespoon Canola or neutral flavored vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons Shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons Shredded Iceberg or Romaine lettuce
- 1 tablespoon Diced tomatoes
- 4 to 5 peas, optional
- 1 teaspoon cotija
Instructions
- Spread a thin layer of ground beef over half of each corn tortilla so that the meat is about ¼-inch thick.
- Sprinkle the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Using tongs, carefully lay the open-faced tortilla meat-side-up in the oil. Fold the other side of the tortilla over the meat and gently press down.
- Fry for about 2 minutes, then flip the taco with the tongs and cook until until the tortilla is crispy and the meat is cooked, about two minutes longer.
- Remove the taco from the oil, turning it on its side over the oil to drain. Transfer to a paper towel.
- To[p with shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes.
- For tacos inspired by El Charro version shown above, replace the shredded lettuce, cheese and diced tomatoes with peas, cotija and taco sauce.
