Doritos are crunchy, cheesy, salty and flat-out addictive ― and when they’re turned into a tortilla, they’re pretty epic and even more addicting.
Taco Bell mastered this ingenious idea with its fried Doritos Locos Taco, but in an effort to skip the mystery meat I decided to DIY it to create my own. My version uses crushed up Nacho Cheese Doritos and turns them into the perfect soft tortilla, because, in my opinion, soft tacos beat fried tacos any day of the week. Who’s with me?
Making tortillas might seem daunting, but it’s actually a straightforward process requiring minimal ingredients and no culinary skills. It’s as easy as preparing a cake from a box mix ― just dump and stir.
The secret to soft, pliable tortillas is a mixture of both all-purpose flour and masa harina. This combination results in a tortilla that tastes like corn but has the elasticity of a flour tortilla, making it easy to roll without breaking or drying out. Masa harina is corn that’s been dehydrated and ground into a flour that’s considerably finer than cornmeal. It is basically the easier way to make tortillas if you don’t have access to fresh masa. It’s often found with ingredients used in Mexican and Latin American food, or sometimes with other flours in the baking section.
The ground-up Doritos give the dough the nacho cheese flavor, while the addition of fat (shortening or lard) helps keep it moist. I also added some nacho cheddar popcorn seasoning to really bump up that iconic Doritos taste. If you can’t find it, feel free to skip it.
When forming the tortillas, it’s best to use a tortilla press but if you don’t have one, a rolling pin works just as well. As for the filling, go crazy! I went traditional with ground beef, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, but do what makes your heart happy.
Doritos Tacos
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup masa harina
2 cups Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nacho cheddar popcorn seasoning
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup shortening or lard, melted
3/4 cup water
Directions
1. Place Doritos in a food processor and pulse until they turn to fine crumbs. Measure out 1/2 cup and place in large bowl. Add flour, masa harina, salt, popcorn seasoning and baking powder. Stir until combined.
2. Slowly whisk in water and melted shortening to the dry ingredients until a dough forms. If it feels dry, work in a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 16 equal dough balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
5. Preheat nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium heat.
6. Line the bottom of a tortilla press with a piece of wax paper. Add one ball to the bottom of the press and top with another sheet of wax paper. Press down until tortilla is flattened. NOTE: If you don’t have a tortilla press, simply roll out the tortillas on lightly floured surface with rolling pin.
7. Add tortilla to hot pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until lightly browned.
8. Transfer cooked tortillas a bowl lined with a kitchen towel and cover. The steam will help keep them moist and soft.
9. Repeat with remaining tortillas and stuff with your favorite taco fillings.
Before You Go
