Puffy Tortillas
I’ve got another 5 Minute Fix for you today! Making quick Puffy Tortillas is one of my favorite tricks to improve any Mexican dish. You’ve got to try this…
This is our second week of 5 Minute Fix. Recipes (or ideas) designed to improve your favorite go-to dishes, in 5 minutes or less, with minimal ingredients.
Last week we started with Raspberry Maple Syrup, a great way to give your weekend pancakes a little wow-factor.
Today we are moving onto tortillas.
Tortillas. The blank-slate of Mexican cuisine, used to hold and wrap all sorts of spicy goodies.
But why do tortillas have to be so boring?
Seriously, just because the filling inside the tortillas has bold flavors and lots of texture, doesn’t mean the tortillas shouldn’t get a moment to shine.
Puffy Tortillas are the answer…
Simply flash frying tortillas in hot oil brings out their wheaty flavor and creates a mind-blowing light crispy, yet flexible, texture with airy bubbles throughout. When frying, the tortillas puff up like balloons, then deflate a little, creating flaky layers.
When you fill puffy tortillas with chicken, beef, or veggies, the flaky texture complements the fillings without getting lost.
Puffy Tortillas make midweek tacos seem special, and at-home fajitas night better than going to your favorite Mexican restaurant.
I swear.
Once you try puffy tortillas, “Mexican Night” is going to happen a lot more often!
Puffy Tortillas
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- 10 flour tortillas 1 package
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2-3 tablespoons of oil.
- Once the oil is smoking hot, use tongs to carefully add a tortilla to the hot oil. Cook for 5-10 seconds until golden brown, then flip and fry another 5-10 seconds. The tortilla with puff up like a balloon once flipped.
- Carefully pull the tortilla out of the hot oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Lightly sprinkle with salt and repeat, repeat, repeat!
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Fry the tortillas a little bit longer. When you take it out of the pan sprinkle salt AND cheddar cheese. A little Mexican restaurant in Pacific Beach used to make them and they called them Crispas
After puffing the taco shell, cut it at the seam partially and fill with taco meat, cheese, lettuce and sour cream….
We make deep fried a lot. Our question is: how do you keep the tortilla crispy? They seem to get soggy. Is immersing them in the oil the problem? How long do they stay crisp after frying?
Hi Jody,
The puffy tortillas are not meant to be fully crispy. They are meant to be puffed, but still bendable. If you want hard crispy tortillas you will need to fry them a bit longer.
If you want to add a little something to your tortillas. I make you an ( oli, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, Lil crushed pepper, whatever your favorite seasonings into a Bottle by the stove) I pull it out and in my pan I put about a teaspoon of butter and teaspoon of that oil mixture in the skillet stir it together flip/coat both sides and heat on med heat for about 30 stop 45 seconds on each side YUMMY perfect for a snack or for tacos! ENJOY
I make flour tortillas from scratch. Would I need to make the tortillas first and then fry them or could I just fry the raw tortilla dough to make the puffy taco shells?
Hi Sabine,
You should be able to fry them once, from the raw state! :)
Sabine, did you ever try this? I am
wondering the same thing. Thank you!
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Trying this recipe recommended by a friend with the “best slow cooker carnitas!” Has anyone tried it with corn tortillas? Wondering if it will work the same?
Hi Christine,
When you fry corn tortillas they don’t really puff up. Instead they turn into tortilla chips… or Tostadas! :)
I know this is an old post, but I thought I’d share the way we puff our tortillas, and its so much more healthy. We get whole wheat tortillas, rub olive oil on one side of the tortilla, add some of our favourite spices and bake in the oven on 350 – 400 until they’re puffed & toasty in colour. They are YUM!! We love to dip it in Hummus!
Also works well with corn tortillas. Just made them.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Tastes amazing. Melts in your mouth. Yummmmm
Oh I am totally trying this!!! How fun!
I’ve never had a puffy tortilla but now I desperately want one or seven.
There is nothing better than a fluffy puffy tortilla!
Beautiful! I want these with my next meal!!
I will totally have to try this! I’m a sucker for crispy tortillas!
Mmmm… love puffy tortillas!!
Fantastic idea!
Awesome job, Summer! Definitely trying these out soon! :)
These are truly fantastic! Nice job!
Love the puff, what a neat trick!
What a cool trick! I cannot wait to try this one out! Thanks!
These look fantastic, Sommer. We love puffy tortillas! :)
It’s like imitation Indian Fry Bread, which I love – this is a definite try
Fun idea Sommer and so easy!
Learn something new every day! I had no idea they puffed up. Can’t wait to try it.