ArcaMax

Commercial taco kits are convenient, but the seasoning packets taste dusty and flat and the shells are short on flavor and prone to cracking.

Frying your own shells results in great taste and texture, but the process is tedious and messy. Instead, we made tacos dorados, a Mexican preparation in which corn tortillas are stuffed with a beef filling before being folded in half and fried. The tacos are then opened like books and loaded with garnishes.

We first tossed ground beef with a bit of baking soda to help it stay juicy before adding it to a savory base of sauteed onion, spices and tomato paste. Next, we stirred in some shredded cheese to make the filling more cohesive.

To build the tacos, we brushed corn tortillas with oil, warmed them in the oven to make them pliable, and stuffed them with the filling. Finally, we pan-fried the tacos in two batches until they were super crispy and golden.

Crispy Tacos (Tacos Dorados)

Serves 4

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

12 ounces 90% lean ground beef

7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 onion, chopped fine

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Chopped tomato

Sour cream

Pickled jalapeno slices

Hot sauce

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine water and baking soda in a large bowl. Add beef and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste is rust-colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef mixture and cook, using wooden spoon to break meat into pieces no larger than 1/4 inch, until beef is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl; stir in cheddar until cheese has melted and mixture is homogeneous. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

5. Thoroughly brush both sides of tortillas with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tortillas, overlapping, on a rimmed baking sheet in two rows (six tortillas each). Bake until tortillas are warm and pliable, about 5 minutes. Remove tortillas from oven and reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.

6. Place 2 tablespoons filling on one side of one tortilla. Fold and press to close tortilla (edges will be open, but tortilla will remain folded). Repeat with remaining tortillas and remaining filling. (At this point, filled tortillas can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)

7. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line rack with double layer of paper towels. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange six tacos in skillet with open sides facing away from you. Cook, adjusting heat so oil actively sizzles and bubbles appear around edges of tacos, until tacos are crispy and deeply browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs and thin spatula, carefully flip tacos. Cook until deeply browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary.

8. Remove skillet from heat and transfer tacos to prepared wire rack. Blot tops of tacos with double layer of paper towels. Place sheet with fried tacos in oven to keep warm. Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook remaining tacos. Serve tacos immediately, passing extra cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, jalapenos and hot sauce separately.

(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)

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