Instant Pot Walking Tacos. A single-serving bag of Doritos covered with ground beef taco mix and taco toppings like shredded lettuce, cheese, and salsa. The taco filling is easy to make in an Instant Pot and makes a fun recipe for kids.
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No, I'm not sponsored by Frito-Lay this week. No matter how much it looks like it. (Pepsi! The choice of a new generation!)
My kids get money to buy one lunch a week at school. They mark Walking Taco Day on the calendar so they won't forget. I always thought it was the same thing as Frito pie - chili on top of Fritos but with taco toppings.
I was close, but I was still wrong. I found out the difference at Cedar Point. After a few terrifyingroller coasters, I was finishing a smoked turkey leg when I saw the Walking Taco stand. And the kid walking away from it, digging into a bag of Doritos with a spoon.
Doritos plus taco filling? What kind of mad genius came up with this?
So, to summarize:
- Frito Pie = Fritos + Chili + Cheese
- Walking Tacos = Doritos + Taco meat + Salsa + Cheese + Lettuce + Sour Cream (+ other taco toppings)
I mean, really, I'm the last person to figure this out. Even Taco Bell knew it out before I did. What kind of a food blogger am I when I'm this far behind a food trend?
That's OK. You should have seen the kids when I told them what we were having for dinner. I'm officially the "Best Dad Ever," at least until I make them eat something healthy to balance out this meal.
Pressure Cooker Walking Tacos recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker Walking Tacos recipe - what could be more American than Mexican food served in a bag of Doritos?
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup water (or substitute beer)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (preferably 85/15 or leaner)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 (10- to 14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Muir Glen Fire Roasted with green chiles, or Ro*Tel tomatoes)
Doritos bags
- 16 single-serving bags of Doritos (I got a mix of regular and cool ranch)
Favorite Taco Toppings
- Shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
- Black Beans (Homemade Black Beans or canned beans, drained)
- Salsa or Taco sauce
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream
- Diced onions or minced green onions
- Hot sauce (I like El Yucateco Green Habanero for real heat, but use your favorite.)
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics and toast the spices: Heat the vegetable oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and sprinkle with ½ teaspoons salt, the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Sauté until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes.
- Simmer the ground beef until no longer pink, top with the tomatoes: Pour in 1 cup of water, then scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck onions or spices. Add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and brown sugar, and cook, stirring and breaking up the ground beef, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Pour the tomatoes with green chiles on top of the beef mixture, but don't stir - the tomatoes may burn if they sink to the bottom of the pot.
- Pressure cook the taco filling for 12 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 12 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 10 minutes in a stovetop PC. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot, and set it to 12 minutes). Let the pressure come down naturally for about 15 minutes.
- Serve in the Doritos bags: Unlock the lid and stir to break up any large clumps of meat. For each serving: Lightly crush the Doritos in the bag to break them into smaller pieces, then cut open the bag lengthwise (not across the top). Spoon a ladle or two of meat into the bag, then top with your favorite taco toppings (the shredded lettuce and cheese, salsa, etc.) Grab a spoon and eat straight out of the Doritos bag.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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Step-By-Step Pictures
Equipment
A 6-quart pressure cooker
A flat-edged wooden spoon
Scaling
This recipe doubles easily in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cut all the ingredients in half, and it will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same amount of time to cook the meat, no matter how much is in the pot.
Storage
The meat filling stores well; it will last for a few days in the refrigerator, or for months in the freezer. I usually make this as a two-dinner meal; I use half the meat and store the rest for a future taco night.
Notes
- No pressure cooker? No worries. Cook the meat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Increase the water in the recipe to 2 cups. Follow the recipe up to step 3, then instead of pressure cooking, simmer the meat on the stovetop until everything thickens up, about 1 hour. Continue with the serving step.
- Simple version: Skip the onion, and start with the ground beef and spices. Cut the spices back to chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Keep everything else (water, salt, brown sugar, canned tomatoes and chilies,
- Simplest version: Want to take the easiest way out? Use Taco Seasoning Mix, ground beef, and water. (You'll need 2 packs of taco seasoning and 1 ½ cups of water for 2 pounds of ground beef). Set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode, add the ground beef, and cook, stirring and breaking up, until it loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning mix and pour in the water, then pressure cook for 12 minutes at high pressure, with a Natural Release.
- No single-serve bags of Doritos: If you don't want to mess with individual serving bags, get a big bag of Doritos and serve them in bowls. Start with a base of Doritos, crush them a bit, and pile on the taco meat and toppings. It won't look as impressive, but it tastes just as good.
- Different chips: Any single-serving-sized bag of chips, like Fritos or Sun Chips, will work with this recipe. (I got a mixed bag of single-serving chips, and my kids liked tacos with Sun Chips almost as much as the Doritos.) I would avoid potato chips, though; they are very thin and get a bit soggy under the taco meat.
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Looking for a taste of southern Ohio? Try my Pressure Cooker Cincinnati Chili.
If you prefer Fritos to Doritos, you want my Pressure Cooker Frito Pie recipe.
If you want a sloppy (but quick) weeknight meal, here is my Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe.
For some quick chilis, try Instant Pot 5 Ingredient Chili, Pressure Cooker Quick Chili with Canned Beans, or Instant Pot Quick Turkey Chili with Canned Beans - DadCooksDinner.
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Looking for a taste of southern Ohio? Try my Pressure Cooker Cincinnati Chili.
If you prefer Fritos to Doritos, you want my Pressure Cooker Frito Pie recipe.
If you want a sloppy (but quick) weeknight meal, here is my Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe.
For some quick chilis, try Instant Pot 5 Ingredient Chili, Pressure Cooker Quick Chili with Canned Beans, or Instant Pot Quick Turkey Chili with Canned Beans - DadCooksDinner.
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.
Annie Huddy says
HI, I just discovered your site, and loved your BBQ rub...since you like adding espresso to other things, I thought I should mention that adding instant Folger's (or any kind of instant coffee) to the rub would be a great addition. Have done this previously and when they are served I usually get out of the way. My family and by extension the fire department guys all love them!
Jeffry says
This truly sounds amazing. What fun!!!
Bruce says
Could you use ground beef in place of the turkey? I assume you would be able to.
Mike V says
Absolutely
Teresa says
This will also work in casserole form once all your ingredients are finished. Chips on the bottom, meat, beans, sour cream, cheese, then layer your veggies and salsa or hot sauce. My kids love it.
Heather Ordover says
Seriously, this is the best chopped meat I've ever been lucky enough to make and eat. Truly astoundingly tasty. You've made my family very, very happy.
Thank you!
Mike V says
You're welcome!
Grace says
I am in love with this recipe. However, I need to know how many will it serve as is? I am making for a big group, about 50 people and have to figure on the amount of turkey and multiply the ingredients. Thanks for any help or direction.
Mike V says
That's going to depend a lot on the toppings - it served my family of five with some leftovers, so I'd guess it serves 6 to 8 people?
Kevin says
Mike, you never cease to amaze! These pressure cookers are really starting to take off!
Mauri OBrodo says
Mike: I didn't know about these either. I would have to go with the plain Doritos. What a fun meal--colorful too. great for the weather we are experiencing. Cleanup is a breeze.
Brandon says
I'm old school like you and do a hybrid "Walking Pie", usually using the leftover taco meat from the prior evening's dinner combined with fritos, cheese, salsa, olives, and peppers all in a Tupperware for lunch at work. Heat, shake, pop the lid and consume!
jhk says
awesome idea