I have a confession. I eat at Taco Bell about once a month. And I love it. More than love it. Look forward to it even. I know, I know. You hypocrite, you say. Well, let me explain.
You see, the reason I eat at Taco Bell is because when I meet a dear friend for lunch every month, our dining options are limited to El Pollo Loco, IHOP, Togo’s and Taco Bell.
And at Taco Bell I can order a bean and cheese burrito, two in fact, and I can pry open the steaming nearly transparent tortilla holding those beans and cheese from oozing out, and I can smother it with hot sauce. What a treat. Seriously, it’s the little things.
All I’m saying is that if you, like me, are picky about what meat you eat, know that at Taco Bell a delectable vegetarian option awaits you. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Incidentally, I was searching cooksillustrated.com for a taco recipe when I stumbled upon the results of a refried bean taste test. Which brand do you suppose prevailed on top? That’s right, Taco Bell Home Originals Refried Beans. Despite these results, however, I like to use Trader Joe’s refried pinto beans “salsa style.” They are tasty and made with just a handful of ingredients (… you may recall Michael Pollan’s eating algorithms.)
So what could be better than a Taco Bell burrito? Why one made in your own home, of course, with homemade flour tortillas. I know, homemade tortillas, “come on” you are saying. “What’s wrong with store-bought flour tortillas?” Indeed, store-bought tortillas are a perfectly fine product, one I undoubtedly will purchase again. That said, if you have the time and the curiosity, I think you’ll find the value in making them from scratch — these homemade tortillas are light and lovely with just a hint of butter taste, and truthfully, not too tricky to make. The dough requires minimal kneading and a short 30-minute rest before being rolled. And while a tortilla press is nice to get the rolling process going, it is an unnecessary tool in this process. A rolling pin does the job.
While nothing makes me happier than a couple of refried bean-and-cheddar burritos for dinner, I am conscious of my husband’s preferences, too, which lean toward meat-based entrees. Fortunately, I always have some of J&J’s grass-fed ground beef in the freezer and thanks to Cook’s Illustrated, I now have a favorite beef taco recipe. The filling, a mixture of sautéed onions, tomato sauce, a little vinegar, a pinch of brown sugar and a homemade spice mix — cumin, coriander, chili powder and oregano — is a snap to make. We’ve been eating tacos once a week here. They are awesome.
And as you can imagine, this beef mix makes a nice burrito filling as well.
Tortilla Dough. Note: A tortilla press is unnecessary. I mostly use my rolling pin.
When making homemade tortillas, you don’t really want them to brown too much, especially if you are making burritos. You want them to be cooked, but still pliable, capable of being filled and rolled.
See that pan in the lower left corner of the above montage? It’s filled with beef taco filling. We’ve been eating tacos once a week here. I found the recipe (included below) on CooksIllustrated.com. It’s fantastic.
Bean and Cheese Burritos
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: however many you'd like
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- refried beans, I like Trader Joe’s brand
- cheddar cheese
- large flour tortillas, homemade if you are feeling ambitious, recipe below
- salsa and sour cream, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread flour tortillas with beans and cheese. Wrap burrito style. Wrap in foil. Place in oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. I’m not totally sure how long these take, but if you have a whole bunch wrapped and heating in the oven, just pull out one to check and adjust time accordingly.
Note: I ended up placing the beans in a small frying pan to heat before I spread them onto a tortilla. This is mostly because it was hard to stir the beans up while they were still in the can. Also, a little beans and cheese go a long way — think “less is more” while assembling.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8-9 taco-sized tortillas or 4 to 5 burrito-sized tortillas
Ingredients
- 9 oz. (about 2 scant cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. table salt (not kosher) I used sea salt, fine
- 1/4 t. baking powder
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. With a knife cut little pieces of the butter into the flour. Then with two knives cut the butter into the flour until mealy, smaller little bits of butter than in a pie dough.
- Stir in 2/3 c. warm (not from tap, preferably) water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes until smooth, soft, and not sticky.
- Cut the dough into 2-oz. pieces for taco-sized tortillas or 3-oz pieces for burrito-sized tortillas. You will have 8 to 9 small pieces or 4 to 5 larger pieces. Shape pieces into a ball.
- Cover with a very light kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Be careful that your room isn’t too hot. Let the dough rest 30 minutes and up to two hours.
- Roll out each ball to about 9 to 10 inches (taco) or 11 to 12 inches (burrito) in diameter, or till you can see the counter start to come through. Note: A tortilla press is nice to flatten the ball into a disk to get things going, but ultimately a rolling pin works best. The tortilla press is unnecessary if you don’t have one.
- Heat a 12 inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (do not add any oil) on medium-high. Lay the tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs and little brown spots on the underside appear. Turn with tongs and cook. Each tortilla takes about 45-60 seconds. You don’t really want the tortilla to brown at all. The tortilla in the above picture was actually cooked a little too long.
Notes: When making tortillas for burritos, it’s best if the tortillas are cooked just before you plan on filling them, wrapping them and placing them in the oven. This way they’ll stay pliable.
Beef Tacos
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos, serves 4
Description
Source: Cook’s Illustrated, Published May 1, 2002
Ingredients
Beef Filling:
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or corn oil
- 1 small onion , chopped small (about 2/3 cup)
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin*
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander*
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef, I used J&J grass-fed beef
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider vinegar)
- Ground black pepper
* I like to toast whole cumin and coriander seeds and then grind them in my spice grinder with all of the other spices listed above. Just a thought, if you have the time.
Shells and Toppings:
- 8 taco shells or small tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces), or Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 small tomatoes , chopped small
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 avocado, diced medium
- 1 small onion, chopped small
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
- Tabasco sauce , or another brand of hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking meat up so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Using wide, shallow spoon, divide filling evenly among taco shells; place two tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing toppings separately.
talley says
if you see a huge uptick in your traffic for this post – it’s ME! I’m making your tortillas for carnitas and I keep closing the page for some reason. Cannot wait to try them – the balls are resting on the counter now.
alexandracooks says
haha, you are funny. Oh Talley, I hope they come out well for you! I haven’t made them in ages, but now I’m feeling inspired. Also, my mother just made a lamb shoulder for dinner — totally amazing — and there is so much left over…the texture is braised, not dissimilar from carnitas, and I think with some sort of mint salsa, the leftover meat might taste pretty nice in a homemade flour tortilla. Hugs to you and Baby Alice. Wish I could meet her.
Julia says
I am thinking about using your taco seasoning as a dry rub for sirloin and grilling it for steak tacos. Have you tried this? Any ideas one how to make the steak taco idea work?
alexandracooks says
That sounds delicious! I have never tried it, but I have used similar seasonings for a different rub. For steak tacos, I think you can keep it really simple: grill your meat, let it rest, slice it up; serve it with some shredded lettuce, some grated cheese, some sort of salsa, maybe a dollop of sour cream? So fun!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
This is a great taco recipe. I made it tonight with ground turkey, which was excellent. Thank you for the winning recipe. Judging by the other comments, it looks like I’m going to have to try making homemade tortillas next time. I’m wondering about the vinegar in the taco recipe. Do you know it’s purpose? The tomato is already acidic, but Cooks Illustrated knows what they’re doing and usually has their reasons. Best, Dana
alexandracooks says
Dana, that’s a really good question. I’ve wondered the same thing myself — I mean, it’s such a small quantity, does it really make a difference? The only thing I’m thinking is that it offers a teensy bit of bite, something to counter all of the spice and other heavy flavors. I know the tomato adds acidity already, but perhaps a different kind of acidity — the same way crushed red pepper flakes and fresh cracked black pepper are both hot but offer different flavors — makes a difference? Just a though. So glad you liked the recipe!
diana says
I just made the tortillas tonight, and they were so tasty! Do you think the dough would freeze well after being cut into the smaller pieces? And then thawed out completely before rolling/cooking? Thanks! Diana
alexandracooks says
Yay! Wonderful to hear this! I think they will freeze beautifully, especially since there is no yeast. Good luck with it! Let me know if you make any discoveries.
Julia says
I love these more and more each time I make them!
Do you have any recipes you can share for:
Yellow cake
Sloppy Joes
Baked Beans
Spring and summer are coming, eventually, and I’m craving some good ol’ classics!
alexandra says
So happy to hear this Julia!
OK, I don’t have exactly what you are looking for, but here are a few ideas: This is a delicious lemon-buttermilk cake recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2008/08/12/wedding-cake-desconstructed/ And this is absolutely not what you are looking for but one of my favorite cakes: orange and olive oil: https://alexandracooks.com/2008/10/29/orange-olive-oil-cake-perhaps-for-election-day/
I don’t have a sloppy joes recipe but I love my mother’s homemade hamburger helper recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/
And I haven’t made these in a long time, but they were really good. Sally Scheider’s Bourbon Baked Beans: https://books.google.com/books?id=5q8w1HuBrI0C&pg=PT127&lpg=PT127&dq=Sally+schneider+bourbon+baked+beans&source=bl&ots=drJhVqcgaw&sig=N6MF0WqQfzyh0kFhZRCbD6iT9NI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qF4TU6fSNu2GyQGLh4HwBQ&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Sally%20schneider%20bourbon%20baked%20beans&f=falsev
And I know, spring couldn’t arrive a day too soon!
Emily says
Ali,
My older daughter Maddie and I made these for lunch today and they were delicious!! John is a huge Taco Bell fan and he loved them too. I wish I could post a pic because Maddie was on flour duty while we were making the tortillas and she was pretty diligent about flouring everything aggressively, herself included. Anyhow it made for a fun morning activity on a cold day and also an amazing lunch. Thanks!!
Hope all is well with you and your fam!
Xo,
Emily
alexandra says
That is so fun, Emily! I wish you could post a picture! Ella (my oldest) has been really enjoying any sort of cooking activity that requires a rolling pin and flour. So happy you liked these and that it made for a fun activity with Maddie. Love that name. Also, side note, I have been thinking of you because Ella and Graham watched Toy Story for the first time about a month ago, and I told them how I had seen this movie in the theater when it first came out (at which point they looked at me the way they will look at me when they are teenagers), and I kind of can’t believe that I am showing my children a movie that we went to see in the theater and that is still awesome today. Anywho, I think there will be many more Toy Story viewings in my future. Hope you are well, too! xoxo
Julia says
Hello again!
I wanted to update my comment and say that these are crave-worthy! My 2.5 yr old daughter LOVES these! She calls them “Tatos” (Ta-Toes). I’ve adjusted the spice some to make them a little more mild for her but they still come out so awesome. I add about 1/2 c of water to the pot and let them simmer for 2-3 hours and it actually makes the texture somewhere between a taco and bean burrito. So good!
Thanks again for the recipe; we’re eating them weekly now bc she’s always asking for momma’s tatos and bread (aka tortillas)
julia says
I know I’ve commented on this before but really this recipe does stand the test of time! It doubles/triples well, freezes and thaws beautifully and does well in a slow cooker. The tortillas freeze well (only tried up to two months thus far) and taste wonderful with an amazing texture. After moving YET again (3rd state in three yrs) this recipe gives us that “home” feeling.
Thank you!
alexandra says
So great to hear from you Julia! And wow, another move, hope you are settling in OK. I’ve been making this recipe with ground chicken recently and loving it. Haven’t made the tortillas in ages, but you, as always, are inspiring me to. Hope you are well!
Tanaman Hias says
Hmmmm look like delicious. 🙂
Will try rhe recipes.
Val says
I am getting ready to make the tortillas and am a bit confused by “warm water (not from tap preferably). We have a well that is untreated with any kind of chemicals and am wondering if that is the reason you don’t want tap water used?
alexandra says
Yes, that’s why! My mother always told me there were lead in the pipes … but even if there isn’t lead, I don’t love the idea of using hot tap water only because of the idea of it having been sitting in a hot water tank. It probably doesn’t make a difference in the end. If you are comfortable with your well (how nice?!), just go for it 🙂