Double Decker Tacos
These easy double-decker tacos combine a cheesy, crunchy taco with a soft flour tortilla spread with warm queso. The soft tortilla catches the filling if the crunchy shell cracks, making taco night easier and less messy for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- Taco seasoning for 1 pound of meat
- Water as directed by your taco-seasoning recipe
- 12 hard taco shells
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican-blend cheese
- 12 standard taco-size flour tortillas
- ¾ cup prepared queso warmed
- Lettuce, Tomatoes & Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking the meat apart as it browns, until no pink remains. Drain any excess grease if needed.
- Add the taco seasoning and the amount of water directed by your taco-seasoning recipe. Cook until the meat is well seasoned and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Arrange the hard taco shells upright on a sheet pan. Place them close together so they can help support one another.
- Divide the taco meat evenly among the hard shells. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the meat.
- Bake the filled taco shells for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the shells are hot and crisp.
- While the tacos bake, warm the queso according to the package directions.
- Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of warm queso in a thin layer over one side of each flour tortilla. If the tortillas are stiff, warm them briefly so they can fold without tearing.
- Remove the baked tacos from the oven. Place each crunchy taco in the center of a queso-covered flour tortilla.
- Fold the soft tortilla around the hard taco shell and gently press it against the sides.
- Serve immediately with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, hot sauce or your family’s favorite taco toppings.
Notes
- The taco meat can be prepared several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it before filling and baking the tacos.
- Add lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and other cold toppings after baking so the hard shells stay crisp.
- Use only a thin layer of queso. Too much may soften the outside of the crunchy shell.
- For the crispiest tacos, assemble and serve them soon after they come out of the oven.
- Shredded chicken or ground turkey can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Refried beans can be spread over the flour tortillas instead of queso.