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Walking Tacos (aka Taco in a Bag) are such a fun gameday food. And this recipe reimagines the classic to be more interesting and—dare I say—more gourmet. Kettle chips replace the traditional nacho-cheese-chip offering way more crunch and a variety of flavor options (I like salt and vinegar). Plus, the gochujang filling lays the groundwork for all kinds of fun toppings. These are walking tacos done right!
I grew up eating walking tacos for just about any occasion—school lunches, graduation parties, weekend tailgates. They are their own food group in the midwest, and over the years, I’ve played around with different flavors and toppings to keep it interesting.
And this recipe variation is my favorite. Deeply savory ground beef paired with crunchy kettle chips—it just doesn’t get better. Plus, the topping options are endless here. If you’re going to make a walking taco, make it this one!
What are Walking Tacos?
Also called “taco in a bag,” walking tacos are a hand-held food built inside an individual-sized chip bag. The chips—generally Fritos or Doritos—are lightly crushed then topped with taco filling and all kinds of taco-related toppings.
Best Chips for Walking Tacos
The original or most common chip for walking tacos is Fritos. Doritos (nacho cheese or cool ranch) are also popular. But for this variation, I like to use kettle chips. Sea salt or salt and vinegar are best here.
Why kettle chips? They’re super crunchy and make a great base for the bulgogi-flavored beef.
Walking Taco Beef Filling
Traditionally, walking taco filling is made of cooked ground beef flavored with taco seasoning. This recipe modernizes it by using a ground beef bulgogi instead of taco meat. The beef is flavored with onions, ginger, gochujang and soy sauce. And the result is a deeply savory mixture with just a touch of spice.
Walking Taco Recipe Toppings
Traditional toppings include shredded Cheddar, salsa, iceberg lettuce and sour cream. The toppings I recommend for this recipe include:
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Sliced green onions
- Cilantro
- Kimchi
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Sour cream
Tips for Making Walking Tacos
- Slightly crush the unopened bags of chips before opening them. You want the chips slightly crushed to make it easier to eat. But don’t crush them so much they’re chip dust.
- Fat percentage of beef: I find 93% strikes the perfect balance of saucy, savoriness without being too fatty. Go any leaner, and you may need to add a drizzle of olive oil or toasted sesame oil to loosen it up and make it glossy.
Prep the Walking Tacos Ahead of Time
If you’re making these for a tailgate or a party, you’re likely going to want to prep things ahead of time. Here’s what I would do:
- Make the beef mixture up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can make it even further in advance and freeze the beef for up to 2 months.
- Thinly slice the iceberg lettuce and the scallions up to 2 days ahead of time. Store in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Prep the cilantro up to 3 days ahead of time. Wash and dry then either roughly chop or pick the leaves off. Store in an airtight container, layered with paper towels, in the fridge.
More From Zestful Kitchen
Walking Tacos Recipe
Description
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Ingredients
Filling
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 grated yellow or white onion
- 1 pound ground beef 93% lean
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Toppings
- 4 –6 individual bags of sea salt or salt and vinegar kettle chips
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Kimchi
- Sour cream
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium, add 1 grated onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 pound beef, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons dried ginger and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until no longer pink.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon honey; cook until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Lightly crush chips in bag, cut bag open along long side, add iceberg lettuce and a few scoops of beef mixture. Top with desired toppings such as green onions, cilantro, kimchi, sesame seeds and sour cream.
