Baked Crispy Beef, Cheddar, and Pickle Tacos

Let’s talk tacos for a minute. In my world there are two types of tacos the authentic real tacos that I am lucky to find all over LA and then there are the tacos I grew up eating. Let’s call them gringo tacos. They almost always included ground beef, shredded iceberg, crispy taco shells, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, that weird taco sauce that comes in packets, and in my house the crowning ingredient lots of chopped pickles. Not a taco I think you could find anywhere in Mexico, but a taco I love and a taste of home.

Recently I had a serious craving for these tacos and this was the result. Crispy, crunchy American taco goodness bubbling with melted cheddar cheese and stuffed with pickles. They are really delicious, like really really delicious. And for those of you in LA, they mirror the crispy deep fried pockets of gringo taco joy they serve at Malo, just a touch healthier. Yum.