Recipe: Walking Taco
Walking Taco is a fun portable snack or meal option. Flavourful chili and toppings are added to a bag of tortilla chips rather than a taco. Walk around with the bag and enjoy taco. An absolutely easy way to serve a snack for picnics, movie nights, while watching your favourite sports match, etc. All you need is a bag of Fritos, Dorito, Tostitos or Takis. Add toppings of your choice and you have a filling snack or meal.
Sharing Walking Taco With Sunday Funday
This Sunday our host is Camilla and she suggested the following “July 21st is National Junk Food Day. Share a favorite DIY recipe for junk food or a recipe that uses a junk food in its creation (think chip-crusted chicken wings or candy cocktails.” Truthfully, almost skipped the theme as we are trying to avoid junk food and couldn’t think of what to make that we would enjoy. Just 2 days before I was travelling to London, remembered I had jotted down a recipe for Walking Taco. Making the popular junk food at home is slightly healthier as we can add fresh ingredients, use less salt, and a healthier fat.
Why Make Walking Taco?
- First of all it is a fun recipe.
- Secondly, if like me you’re going to buy ready made sauce, guacamole, etc then it is an absolutely easy peasy recipe.
- For us it turned out more like a meal than a snack. So yes it does make a quick and filling meal option.
- Add toppings, sauces, chile of your choice. I could have used canned bean chile but am not a fan of the flavours. Therefore made the bean chile at home using canned beans.
- Anyone can make walking taco as it does not require cooking skills.
What Is Junk Food?
What is considered as junk food? Not all foods available at fast food restaurants or street food are considered as junk food. Some tend to be healthy like pav bhaji, bhel, mollete, Etc.
Food is considered Junk for the following reasons:
- low in nutrients, lacking vitamins, minerals, fiber.
- high in calories due to the amount of sugar, fat it contains.
- high in sugar like pastries, donuts, brownies, cakes, etc.
- high in fat, like deep fried foods. Most junk foods contain unhealthy fats.
- high in sodium or salt. Like chips.
Some Homemade Junk Food Recipes You May Like
DIY Junk Food Made By Members of Sunday Funday
- Brownie Pizza by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Copycat Hobi’s Bites Original Hot Crackers by Food Lust People Love
- Crunch Bars (copycat) by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Donuts & Chicken Strips by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Roasted Pumpkin Hummus Veggie Wrap by Sneha’s Recipe
- Walking Taco by Mayuri’s Jikoni
Some Topping Suggestions
- meat chile
- sour cream
- pickled onion
- pickled jalapeno
- queso
- mixed salad leaves
- corn dip
- chopped avocado, tomatoes, spring onion
- stir fried tiny cubes of tofu or paneer
- cooked sweet corn
Ingredients Required For Walking Taco
Tortilla Chips
Use any brand of your choice. Frito, Dorito, Yaki, My favourite is Dorito and opted for the cheese flavoured one. You need the small snack size bags. The number of bags required will depend on the number of guests. Generally, it is one bag per person. I cut a wide slit on one side of the width of the bag. This makes it easier for people to pick up the taco with a fork or hand and enjoy.
Cooked Beans
Generally a meat chile is used but I replaced it with a bean one. I used canned black beans to prepare the chile. Can use either black or red beans. Or if you like go for the ready made chile of your choice. I made the chile using 1 can. Had some chile leftover which was handy in making a Mexican style Shakshuka.
Onion
Peel and finely chop some onion for the chile. I used ¼ cup chopped onion. Can use white, yellow or red. I used red onion.
Garlic
I added some finely chopped garlic to the chile for flavour.
Salsa
I used ready made salsa sauce to add to the bean chile.
Guacamole
Used store bought guacamole to keep in line with the theme, Junk Food. Not that guac is junk food.
Taco Seasoning
Add some to the chile if you have any.
Salt
Add according to your taste. Will need some for the chile. Be careful as the ready made sauce, guacamole and the chips will contain salt.
Fresh Coriander | Cilantro
Optional. I had some in the fridge so added it to the chile and as a topping.
Lettuce
Taco without salad leaves is incomplete, so added some chopped iceberg lettuce.
Cheese
I went for the shredded Tex Mex cheese we get at my local supermarket. It has a blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar and mozzarella.
Spring Onion
Chop the spring onion both the white and green parts for topping.
WALKING TACO
Ingredients
- 2 bags tortilla chips approx 180g each bag
- 1 can black or red beans
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce chopped
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup spring onion chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander| cilantro chopped
- ¼-⅓ cup cheese shredded
- ½ cup guacamole
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup salsa sauce
Instructions
PREPARE THE BEAN CHILE
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and stir fry till it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped garlic. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the beans into a colander. Run fresh water over them.
- Add the beans to the pan.
- Add the salt and taco seasoning Mix well..
- Mash the beans lightly.
- Add the salsa sauce. Mix well.
- Allow the mixture to heat up well for 5 minutes over low to medium heat. Make sure you stir it in between.
PREPARE WALKING TACO
- Lightly crush the chip bags between your palms.
- Cut the corner of the taco chips and slit it open width wise.
- Add the bean chile Add according to how much you prefer.
- Add some chopped lettuce leaves.
- Add some guacamole and cheese.
- Top with some chopped spring onion and cilantro.
- Walking Taco is ready. Enjoy.
Notes
- You may have some leftover bean chile. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it up for more walking taco. I generally use it up to make burrito, huevos rancheros or Tex Mex style shakshuka.
- Add your favourite topping.
- If you prefer, use ready made chile.
- Don't use the really small snack size taco chip bags. It will hold enough of the toppings.
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A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62