Walking Tacos

The tastiest, most fun snack I've ever tasted.

By
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo's recipes, writing, and food styling can be found on King Arthur Baking, Food Network, Delish, Food52, and more. She collaborated on the cookbook Delish Vegan Dinners and trained at Gramercy Tavern and Untitled at the Whitney Museum.
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Updated October 28, 2024
Myo Quinn
A tray with Walking Tacos and toppings

Simply Recipes / Jen Causey

Walking Tacos are small bags of corn chips like Fritos filled with taco or nacho toppings. Each bag is meant to be an individual portion that is portable—hence "walking."

The bag is the perfect vessel for holding toppings like ground beef with taco seasoning, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, or whatever you love on your tacos. It's not meant to be a meal (though why not?) but a tasty post-school snack or party treat. Dig in with a fork or your fingers, which will be messy and that's half the fun.

Smart Tips for Making Walking Tacos

  • Look for 3.5-ounce Frito bags sold individually next to the checkout counter at gas stations, pharmacies, or supermarkets. The bulk boxes found at stores like Costco hold one-ounce bags, which are too small. They are a little pricey, but I've also seen packages specifically made for Walking Tacos available in bulk for super fans of Walking Tacos or if you're serving it on an extra special occasion.
  • I always make double the meat sauce so that I can have prepped taco or quesadilla filling ready in my freezer for future meals. Transfer the leftovers into a zip top bag, label the bag, and freeze for up to six months.
  • In the below recipe, I suggest topping the Walking Tacos with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. Pick whatever toppings you like. Salsa, black beans, queso, guacamole or avocado, crema, pickled red onions, thinly sliced radish—there are so many delicious options.
  • Don't love Fritos? Use Doritos or even Takis.
Bags of walking tacos with toppings on the counter next to a bowl of shredded mozzarella

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

Other Delicious Toppings

Walking Tacos

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 8 servings

This recipe was developed by Ali Ramee

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20)

  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups), divided

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 (1-ounce) package taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning

  • 1/2 cup salsa (any kind)

  • 8 (3.5-ounce) bags corn chips, such as Fritos

  • 2 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce

  • 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

  • 1 large tomato, chopped

  • 1/2 cup tender cilantro stems and leaves

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • Pickled jalapeños and hot sauce, for garnish

Method

  1. Cook the beef and beans topping:

    Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, half of the chopped onions, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes. You can scoop out the fat if you'd like.

    Lower the heat to medium-low and add the pinto beans, taco seasoning, and salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat.

    Cooked beef topping in a pan with a wooden spoon for walking tacos recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
    Beans and ground beef topping in a pan with a wooden spoon for walking tacos recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
  2. Assemble walking tacos:

    Use scissors to cut either the top off or cut down the center front of each chip bag.

    To assemble each bag: Spoon about 1/2 cup beef on the chips, and top with 1/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons tomato, 1 tablespoon chopped onions, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

    Garnish with pickled jalapeños and hot sauce. Serve immediately. The chips will get soggy if assembled ahead of time.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Bag of Fritos chips with the top cut open using a pear of shears for walking tacos

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
    Beans and beef topping added to bag of chips for walking tacos

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
    Multiple bags of walking tacos on a tray with a bowl of diced tomatoes, bowl of jalapenos, and a bottle of hot sauce

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
247 Calories
14g Fat
16g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 247
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 851mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 7mg 37%
Calcium 271mg 21%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 448mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.