Tacos are designed to be eaten with your hands but if you like a lot of filling, like me, they can soon become messy and unwieldy.
So when I discovered this viral "walking" air fryer taco recipe on TikTok, I had to give it a go. It gets its name from the fact you can walk while eating these tacos because they're served in a bag of tortilla chips rather than a standard taco shell.
It's definitely one of the more unusual recipes I've made while testing the best air fryers but it's not only delicious, it's also a great conversation starter for parties.
Below, I show you how to make tacos using just your air fryer, as well as how to serve them for eating at home, or on the go.
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Air fryer tacos recipe
The air fryer tacos recipe I followed is by The Cubicle Cookers – co-workers Steve Jaeckle and Anna Ganser who post air fryer recipes via their @thecubiclecooks TikTok channel. It's already been watched 3.3 million times and counting.
@thecubicalcooks ♬ original sound - The Cubicle Cookers
Air fryer tacos ingredients
You don't have to serve these air fryer tacos in a bag of tortilla chips, you can also make and serve them using any shell of your choice.
- 500g ground beef
- Shredded mozzarella (or cheese alternative)
- Lettuce
- Taco seasoning
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- A bag of Doritos/tortilla chips OR taco shells of your choice
Air fryer tacos method
To make air fryer tacos you will need the following:
- Air fryer – I used the Tower Vortx 9 Litre Duo Capacity Basket Air Fryer with Smart Finish 5.2L and 3.3L
- Serving spoon
Step 1: Set the air fryer to 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Place the ground beef in your air fryer and, using a spoon, separate and flatten.
Step 3: While the beef is cooking, slice the lettuce into thin strips and cut the top off the Doritos bag, lengthways.
Step 4: After 10 minutes, open the air fryer basket and sprinkle the cheese and taco seasoning over the beef.
Step 5: Stir to make sure the seasoning is equally distributed. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 6: After 20 minutes, check that the meat is cooked and place a row of beef on top of the Doritos inside the bag.
Step 7: Top the beef with the rest of the cheese and lettuce and finish the taco with a spoonful of sour cream and salsa.
Step 8: You can then use the Doritos to spoon out the mixture, or use a fork.
If you want to use a traditional taco, repeat the process of layering beef, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and salsa into a standard taco shell or even a taco pocket.
Air fryer tacos verdict
It can be tempting to resort to a frying pan when cooking ground beef or similar for tacos but your air fryer works just as well. Especially when it comes to melting the cheese.
The use of Doritos in this recipe adds a fun element and brings an added crunch and flavor to the dish that you'd usually get from the shell. It also makes it easier and less messy for parties, or on-the-go snacking.
You can also use any Dorito flavor or any tortilla chips of your choice.
If you're a traditionalist though, it's easy to just swap the tortilla chips for a soft, or hard taco shell.
If you're still sitting on the fence and wondering whether to buy an air fryer, you may want to read our article to decide whether air fryers are worth it?
