Walking Tacos

By
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
An internationally recognized culinary authority, Kristina Vanni is well-known for her recipe development, food photography, and experience as a TV show host.
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Updated on 02/11/23
Walking Tacos

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 walking taco bags

"Walking taco" is the name for a dish that has everything you love about a crunchy, hard shell corn taco but served out of a chip bag for ease and portability. All you have to do is open up an individual-sized bag of corn chips and then fill it with all of your favorite taco fillings and toppings. It is perfect for enjoying outside with friends a family—kids will love it.

Walking tacos (also known as Frito pies) originated in the Southwest, most likely Texas, where they're made with Frito chips and chili. Our recipe uses seasoned taco filling made with ground beef, tomatoes, and beans, a version that's become popular elsewhere in the U.S. But feel free to use your favorite chili instead.

The key to enjoying these tacos with friends is setting up a walking taco bar like you might with a nacho bar. Start by opening up individual-sized bags of corn chips (it helps to roll down the top of the bag slightly so the bags stay open for easy filling). Once the taco filling is done, transfer to a bowl and finish setting up the walking taco bar with all of your guests' favorite taco toppings to spoon into the bags. Shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro are all wonderful options, but you can feel free to get creative.

The best part is, walking tacos are so easy to eat and leave very little to clean-up. All you need is a plastic spoon and a big appetite. Scoop up a few corn chips, a bit of taco meat, and toppings for every bite to taste just like your favorite taco.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 (1-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix

  • 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

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

  • 6 (1-ounce) bags corn chips

  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

  • 1 tablespoon sour cream, optional

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Walking Tacos ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

  2. In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off the excess fat.

    Ground beef browning in a pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

  3. Stir in the taco seasoning mix, the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, and the pinto beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 10 minutes.

    Tomatoes and beans added to beef pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

  4. When ready to serve, open the bags of corn chips and set up the walking taco bar. Transfer the taco meat and beans mixture to a bowl with a spoon. Include options for favorite taco toppings.

    Open chip bags and toppings in bowls

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

  5. Spoon some of the beef mixture into the corn chip bag. Fill with your favorite taco toppings. Eat with a plastic spoon directly from the bag.

    Walking Taco

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

Tip

Walking tacos are easy to scale up to accommodate a bigger crowd. Feel free to double or triple the amount of ground beef, beans, and tomatoes, chips, and toppings.

Recipe Variations

  • Use your favorite canned or homemade chili instead of the seasoned taco meat.
  • Swap out the pinto beans with black beans
  • Swap out the ground beef with turkey or vegan ground meat substitute
  • Use a homemade taco seasoning mix
  • Offer more toppings like guacamole, sliced avocado, pickled jalapeños, salsa, sliced green onions, pickled red onions, and more
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
443 Calories
23g Fat
32g Carbs
26g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 443
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 1026mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 652mg 14%
*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.)