Chalupa – A Beautiful Mess

A traditional chalupa a fried masa dough shaped like a little boat topped with often simply salsa, cheese and shredded lettuce. Chalupa means ‘boat.’ Think of it as almost a mini taco salad type situation.

Although for me I tend to think of Taco Bell chalupa supreme. This is more like a deep fried tortilla shell (or flatbread almost) with ground beef, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and tomato. We love to make this chalupa recipe at home, it’s easy to customize with all sorts of different taco fillings.

Related: Learn to make the best arepas and easy, weeknight tostadas.

Ingredients

• Chalupa shells
• Ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Shredded cheese – like cheddar or a blend
• Sour cream
• Lettuce
• Tomato

You can add other toppings like salsa, pico de gallo or guacamole too!

How to make Chalupas

Cook the ground beef, seasoning with the taco seasoning, on medium high heat until cooked through. No pink should remain. Shred the cheese, lettuce and cut up the tomatoes.

Fry / heat your chalupa shell according to whichever method you prefer (three options below).

Fill the shell with the cooked beef, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve warm.

Tips and Substitutions

• Ground beef can be substituted for any ground meat like turkey or chicken.
• I like to use store bought chalupa shells (which you can also buy online) but if you want to make your own try this whole wheat flatbread recipe and then use one of the methods below for frying the chalupas after they are baked.
• To make this chalupa recipe vegetarian you could use refried beans or black beans in place of the beef.
• Other great chalupa fillings include: carnitas, al pastor, or barbacoa.
• This recipe is best served the day it is made. If you want to make these ahead I recommend making / prepping the fillings and toppings and then heating the shells when you are ready to eat.

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Best Way to Cook Chalupa Shells

There are three ways to warm / fry chalupa shells: oven, air fryer or stove top. You can see the results of these methods in the photo above (from right: oven, air fryer, and two stove top).

• Oven Method- Heat oven to 425°F. Brush both sides of the shell with a little oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then place in a taco holder or similar device to help keep it’s shape.
• Air Fryer Method- Air fry at 400°F for 3 minutes. Then place in a taco holder or similar device to help keep it’s shape.
• Stove Top Method- Add a few teaspoons of oil to a pan and heat over medium/high heat. Pan fry the shell for 1-2 minutes on both sides or until browned. Placed folded in half until ready to fill.

In my opinion the best way is to pan fry on the stove top. However, if you are cooking many at once then I would recommend the oven so they can all be warm at the same time as chalupas are best when served warm.