Published: · Modified: by Cadry Nelson
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This is my vegan take on the Tasty Taco recipe in Des Moines, Iowa. Get ready for some serious indulgence with these fried puffy tacos filled with seitan chorizo and black beans.
I still remember the first time I ever had a flour taco (i.e. puffy taco) from Tasty Tacos, a Des Moines institution. I was a preteen visiting one of my aunts and cousin. My cousin was older, and he’d just gone to pick up his dinner.
I looked inside his paper fast food bag and insidethere were tacosunlike any I’d seen before. They had fluffy, puffy shells that were entirely different from the hard corn shells or floppy tortillas I was used to seeing.
Noticing my increasing interest, he asked if I’d like to have one of them. I quickly agreed.
The warm, soft bread, fried and packed with taco fillings was an instant hit. It was love at first bite.
Now like I said, I was a preteen at that time. I didn’t have any access to a car. And furthermore, I didn’t even know the name of the restaurant where he’d purchased them. We didn’t see that cousin often. So I began a search to find them again.
I went to Taco John’s, Taco Bell, Taco Time… Nada. My parents hadn’t tried the tacos. And they were no help in getting me any closer to taco glory.
If only Google had existed back then. I kept explaining the tacos to anyone who would listen… “See, it’s made of thick, fried bread…” But it was no use.
It literally took years until I found them – at a location just a few blocks from my high school.
Inside, there were simple booths. And you paid at the counter. On all of their styrofoam cups were the words, “Nada es imposible.”
Last year I shared a recipe inspired by Tasty Tacos for fried vegan nachos. But this time I’m sharing a vegan version of the food for which Tasty Tacos is known – the puffy taco.
By the time I was a high school upperclassman, I was visiting Tasty Tacos multiple times a week to get my fix.
My senior year, I was the food columnist for our school newspaper. My column was called Always Use a Condiment. And Tasty Tacos earned a four star rating.
I’d become friendly with the owner. He cut out my review and taped it to their window. I loved seeing it hanging every time that I visited.
On my last day of high school, he treated me to lunch – two puffytacos.
Vegan Tasty Taco recipe
After I moved away from Des Moines, Tasty Tacos was a must visit on every return trip. If I was in the area for a week, I’d always go at least twice on a visit – once for the nachos and once for the puffytacos.
I am so excited to share this veganized Tasty Taco recipe with you today.
When I stopped eating meat back in 2005, Tasty Tacos was one of the things I felt most concerned about giving up. (They fry their shells in lard and have lard and cheese in the beans. So even a bean taco isn’t an option.)
I wouldn’t say these shells are quite as puffy as those from Tasty Tacos, but they’re pretty darned close.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Start by making a simple dough, forming it into balls, and then pressing them in a tortilla press between two sheets of parchment paper.
(I like to press them a couple of times, moving them slightly between presses, for a larger taco.)
If you don’t have access to a tortilla press, just use a rolling pin and make them between 4 and 6 inches.
In a skillet, make your taco filling mixture by sauteing onions and garlic. Then add seitan, beans, and spices.
Put a couple tablespoons of taco filling inside of the flattened dough.
Then fold the shells and lightly pinch them closed, like an empanada.
Fry in a skillet with oil, stopping once to flip.
After both sides are brown, move the shells to a towel to let them drain and cool.
Once a few minutes have passed, open the pinched area of the tacos and fill them.
Now it’s time to fill the tacos with toppings like shredded non-dairy cheese, plenty of crunchy green leaf lettuce, and tomatoes.
All of the components come together to recreate the experience so beautifully. Eating them made me feel all warm and squishy inside.
A vegan Tasty Taco? Aaah… Like the cup says – nada es imposible.
📖 Recipe
Vegan puffy tacos with seitan chorizo & black beans
Author: Cadry Nelson
5 from 2 votes
These fried puffy tacos were inspired by the flour tacos sold at Tasty Tacos in Des Moines, Iowa. However, this version is completely vegan. Seitan chorizo and beans, non-dairy cheese, crunchy green leaf lettuce, and tomatoes all come together to recreate the experience beautifully.
Makes 8 tacos
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
Keyword: comfort food, des moines, puffy tacos
Ingredients
Flour shells
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or other neutral-flavored high heat oil + more for frying
- ½ cup + 2 to 6 Tablespoons cold water add more splashes as necessary
Taco filling
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or other neutral-flavored high heat oil
- ½ cup yellow onion chopped small to medium
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 ounces seitan chorizo or your preferred vegan chorizo (I use Upton's Naturals)
- 1 cup black beans drained & rinsed
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 3 cups chopped lettuce
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
Instructions
For the flour shells
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder with a fork until evenly mixed. In a small separate bowl, combine 1 teaspoon avocado oil and ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons of water.
Pour the water mixture into the mixing bowl, and combine with a fork until a dough begins to form. Then use your hands to fully combine the dough. The dough should be dry with no additional leftover flour at the bottom. If needed, add two to four more tablespoons of water to form the dough. Remember, you don't want it to be wet and soggy, and so splash lightly.
Break the dough apart and roll into eight even-sized balls and set aside while you make the taco filling.
For the taco filling
In a large skillet, bring oil to a medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic a few minutes, until soft, translucent, and fragrant.
Add seitan to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes more.
Add the beans to the skillet along with the ancho chili powder, cumin, paprika, and water. Fully combine until the spices are spread evenly throughout.
Putting it all together
In a large, deep frying pan, fill the pan with at least a half inch of oil or more. It needs to be deep enough to immerse at least half of the taco. Bring the oil to a medium-high heat.
While the oil is heating, between two sheets of parchment paper, press each dough ball one at a time in a tortilla press. (I like to press each tortilla twice – picking the tortilla up and moving it slightly between presses.) If you don't have a tortilla press, roll each tortilla with a rolling pin until it's 4 to 6 inches in diameter.
Put 2 tablespoons of taco filling in the center of each tortilla and fold it closed, as if you were making the letter D (like the shape of an empanada). Lightly pinch the edges of the taco to seal it. Once all four taco shells are filled, move onto the next step.
Test the oil to see if it's hot enough. Pinch off a little piece of dough from one of the tacos and put it into the oil. If bubbles immediately form around it, the oil is ready.
Put the tacos into the oil and fry until toasty brown, flipping once when necessary. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to fry the tacos in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan.)
Once both sides of the tacos are brown, remove from the oil and onto a towel-lined plate to drain. Allow the tacos to cool for a couple of minutes.
Carefully open the closed off section of the tacos and fill with lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded vegan cheese. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 242IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg
More Taco night
- Vegan refried bean tostadas (air fryer or baked)
- Vegan lentil taco meat (Ready in 15 minutes!)
About Cadry Nelson
Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen. She's also the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd edition. Cadry loves sharing vegan comfort food classics that come together quickly. Her work has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Yahoo, Buzzfeed, Parade, Huffington Post, VegNews, and Vegan Food & Living.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Brent Salem
I’m thrilled that I found this! I ate these for a couple of months while staying in Des Moines for rotations during college. Will definitely try this recipe… but I’m still curious about the AMAZING red sauce they have. The Tasty Taco just isn’t the same if it’s not drenched in that sauce… any recommendations?
Reply
Cadry
That’s a great question, Brent! That red sauce is beloved for sure. I don’t have any recommendations, sadly. I wish I could help you out! I hope you enjoy the puffy tacos anyway. 😀
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Heather
They now sell the sauce and seasoning on their website. Hy-Vee sells it too
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Cadry
I’ve heard that! Have you tried it yet? I’ve seen the seasoning packet at my Hy-Vee, but I haven’t seen the hot sauce yet.
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Melissa
I grew up in Des Moines and love Henry Js and Tasty Tacos! I moved away 17 years ago but make sure to stop and get tacos anytime I go visit family. Thanks for sharing your recipe so I can make them at home now.
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Cadry
That’s great, Melissa! I hope you enjoy them!
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Vy
I’ve never had puffy tacos before. Thanks for the recipe!
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Cadry
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy them, Vy!
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zsudever
I’ve always wanted to try puffy tacos – ever since Bobby Flay was beat twice when he tried to make them. Now if he’d have made THESE – different story, I’m sure.
Zsu @ Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
Reply
Cadry
Thanks, Zsu! A long time ago I tried the Bobby Flay recipe (for just the tortillas obviously), but it wasn’t a success. He uses corn masa, which isn’t the same as what Tasty Tacos uses. (Theirs are definitely made with all-purpose flour.) So it didn’t tick any boxes for me in the nostalgia arena. I don’t remember how the recipe tasted otherwise.
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lazysmurf
WOW those look delicious!
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Cadry
Thanks, Lazy Smurf!
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Chitra Jagadish
wowie, never tried fried tacho shells and they looks Amazing…
Reply
Cadry
Thanks, Chitra! I appreciate it!
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caitlingu
Whoa. I’ve never even heard of a puffy taco but now all I can think about is how much I want one!
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Cadry
You’ll have to try it sometime on a night when you want something a bit indulgent! 🙂
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Randi (laughfrodisiac)
These look amazing and I will definitely be making them. But I cannot get over ‘Always Use A Condiment’ hahahahahahhahahahaa.
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Cadry
Thanks, Randi! Yes, even as a teen I advocated safe snacks! 😉
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Nicole @ Vegan Nom Noms
Oh. My. Goodness. These look so delicious!
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Cadry
Thanks, Nicole!
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Shell
The tacos look amazing! I can’t wait to make these. I hope the turn out as beautiful as the pictures.Reply
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! You’ve had Tasty Tacos more recently than I have. So you’ll have to let me know how they do in a comparison! 🙂
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kalecrusaders
Always Use a Condiment! Love it! Of course you were a food writer and pun lover at such an early age. 🙂
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Cadry
Yes, the more things change, the more they stay the same! 🙂
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ameyfm
oh my gosh – i love “nada es impossible”! how awesome that you recreated these in a lardless form. They look so amazing. I’ve definitely never had a taco with a poofy shell like that, but I can see why they were called Tasty Tacos.
Reply
Cadry
Thanks, Amey! It definitely made my heart all warm and happy to eat them again.
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Veganopoulous
Great story and wow what a great looking meal. Fried bread, nothing more needs to be said really. Diviiiiiiine!
Reply
Cadry
Thanks!
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MeShell
These look so great! I’ve seen puffy tacos before, but I don’t think I’ve ever eaten them.
Fried bread indulgences are some of my favourite indulgences. And I like being indulgent. 🙂Reply
Cadry
Ha! You’ll love these then! 🙂
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Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Oh my gosh I love fried tacos. I have a friend that used to make them once or twice a year and I would go bananas for them. But then I kind of forgot about them. Thanks for reminding me! These look delicious!
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Cadry
Thanks, Liz!
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Richa
the tacos look fabulous! i have never had the fried shells, i need to make these!
Reply
Cadry
Thanks, Richa! Let me know if you try them!
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Nicole
I’ve never heard of fried tacos like these before, but they look amazing! Your photos make me want to bite into one right now. I love that you were able to veganize one of your favourite foods from childhood.
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Cadry
Aw, that’s sweet! Thanks, Nicole!
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Kelli
Yum! Those look incredible!
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Cadry
Thanks, Kelli!
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Jojo
Oh wow, puffy tacos sound AMAZING! I wish I had one or two to nom on right now.
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Cadry
I could go for a couple myself! 🙂
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Shannon Y-I-V
Sounds delicious – love the homemade shells, too! I always see Upton’s Chorizo at Whole Foods but haven’t tried it yet. Seems like it’s pretty tasty!
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Cadry
Yes, the Upton’s products are great, and I like the ingredients because they’re the same as if I was making seitan at home from scratch. (I often do make my own seitan, but sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the work!) Their bacon is my favorite, and then their Italian sausage. However, for tacos, the chorizo is a good fit!
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Kayley
I love that you use Upton’s! I actually used to work at Upton’s back in the day. I made and ate heaps of that Chorizo every week. Dream job! My stupid whole foods in Florida only carries their BBQ jackfruit.
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Cadry
Oh, that’s great that you used to work there! What a bummer that your current Whole Foods location only sells the BBQ jackfruit. Have you asked them to start carrying the seitan? Since Upton’s is already a vendor, it seems like it wouldn’t be too difficult for the store. I’ve always had really good luck with getting Whole Foods to carry new products. It’s worth a shot! 😀
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Caitlin
omigosh, these look heavenly!
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Cadry
Thanks, Caitlin! It’s so nice to have them in my life again! 🙂
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Pam
I’m from Des Moines Iowa and absolutely LOVE Tasty Tacos puffy shells! I have a friend who is related to the owners and asked years ago for their puffy taco shell recipe…….nada couldn’t do it. But now thanks to you I’m ready to create my own! Thanks and yours look like the real deal!Reply
Cadry Nelson
Aw, that’s great. I love that, Pam. I can understand why they’d be pretty proprietary about their recipe, since it’s their big moneymaker. I hope my version will do the trick for you. Please keep me posted!
Reply
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