Jump to Recipe (You're Welcome)

Mexi-Melt Tacos

This is a completely original recipe that my wife invented independently in our kitchen. It bears absolutely no resemblance to anything that may or may not have appeared on the menu of a certain fast food establishment approximately thirty years ago. Any similarities to items that may have been prepared by a teenage Casey behind a counter somewhere in the mid-'90s are purely coincidental. We will not be taking further questions on the matter.

What I can tell you is this: it's a soft taco, pan-fried until crispy on both sides, with seasoned beef, melted cheddar, pico de gallo, and hot sauce. It takes about 25 minutes, most of which is just standing at the stove flipping tacos. It's built for speed, not for impressing a food critic.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Makes: 8-10 tacos Difficulty: Fast food easy (literally)
A crispy pan-fried taco with melted cheese oozing out the edges
Completely original. Never seen anything like it before. Nope.

Ingredients

That's the whole list. Everything here is either from the meat section or already in your pantry. This is a Tuesday night dinner, not a project.

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until it's no longer pink. Break it up as it cooks. Drain the excess grease.
  2. Season the beef. Add the amount of water specified on the seasoning packet (usually about ¾ cup). Sprinkle in the taco seasoning. Stir it around and let it simmer until the liquid reduces and the beef is coated in that familiar orangey-brown sauce. Follow the packet directions—they've been doing this longer than you have.
  3. Set up your taco station. Get your fillings lined up and within arm's reach: the seasoned beef, a pile of shredded cheese, the pico, and your hot sauce. You're about to be assembling tacos one at a time at the stove, so you want everything close. This is an assembly line, not a scavenger hunt.
  4. Heat the second pan. Get a nonstick skillet (nonstick is important here—cheese WILL stick to regular pans and ruin your life) over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil—just enough to barely coat the surface.
  5. Cook one side of the tortilla. Lay a tortilla flat in the oiled pan. Let it cook for about 30-45 seconds until the bottom starts to get a little golden and toasty.
  6. Load it up immediately. While the bottom side is still cooking, add a spoonful of seasoned beef to one half of the tortilla. Pile on the shredded cheddar. Add a spoonful of pico. Hit it with hot sauce. Don't overthink the amounts—you want enough filling to make it satisfying but not so much that it won't fold.
  7. Fold it. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the loaded half, making a half-moon taco. Press it down gently with your spatula.
  8. Cook for about 90 seconds. Let the bottom get golden brown and crispy. The cheese should be starting to melt inside. You'll hear it sizzle. That's the sound of success.
  9. Flip it. Carefully flip the whole taco to the other side. Cook another 90 seconds or so. Same deal—golden, crispy, cheese fully melted. If some cheese oozes out and crisps up on the pan, that's a bonus, not a problem.
  10. Repeat until you run out of ingredients or willpower. One taco at a time. It's a little tedious, but each one takes about three minutes, and you can eat the first ones while you're making the rest. Production line dining. Maximum efficiency.

Notes

  • On the seasoning packet: Yes, I know you can make taco seasoning from scratch with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and all that. That's a great option for a different recipe on a different day. This recipe exists because sometimes you get home at 6:30 and need food on the table by 7:00. The packet is the move. No shame.
  • Nonstick is non-negotiable. Cheese and tortillas on a regular pan will stick, tear, and make you question your life choices. Use nonstick. This is the one time I will insist on nonstick.
  • Two at a time: If your pan is big enough, you can cook two tacos side by side. Now you're really cooking with gas. Literally, probably.
  • On the pico: The stuff from the deli section of the grocery store—usually in a plastic container near the hummus and guacamole. Not the jarred salsa. Fresh pico adds crunch and freshness that balances the greasy, cheesy goodness.

Stuff You'll Need

Two skillets (one for the beef, one nonstick for the tacos). A spatula. A spoon. A countertop close enough to the stove that you can assemble and cook simultaneously. Whatever is left of your plausible deniability about where this recipe came from.