Chalupa – A Beautiful Mess

Traditional charupa is simply fried masa dough shaped like a small boat topped with salsa, cheese and shredded lettuce. Chalupa means “boat.” Think of it as a mini taco salad type situation almost.

For me, I tend to think of the Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme. This is like a fried tortilla shell (or essentially a flatbread) with ground beef, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. We love making this charupa recipe at home. And it’s easy to customize with all kinds of different taco fillings.

Related: Learn to make the best arepas and easy weekday tostada.

material

• Chalupa Shells
• Ground beef
• Taco seasonings
• Shredded cheese – Like cheddar or blends
• sour cream
• lettuce
• tomato

You can also add other toppings like salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole and more!

How to make a chalpass

Cook the ground beef, season with taco seasonings, and cook over medium heat until medium heat. Pink should not remain. Shred the cheese, lettuce and cut out the tomatoes.

Fry/heat the chalpa shell according to the method you prefer (three options below).

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

Tips and alternatives

• Ground beef can be used in place of ground meat such as turkey or chicken.
• I like to use the store-bought Chalupa shell (you can do this too Buy online) But if you want to try making it yourself, try this whole wheat flatbread recipe and then use one of the methods below to fry the chalpa after baking.
• To make this Chalupa recipe vegetarian, you can use re-beans or black beans instead of beef.
• Other great charupa fillings include Karnitas, Rev. Al, or Barbakoa.
• This recipe is perfect for the day it was made. If you want to make these first, we recommend creating/prepare fillings and toppings and heating the shell when you’re ready to eat.

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The best way to cook charupa shells

There are three ways to warm/fry the kalpa shells: an oven, an air fryer, or a stove top. The results of these methods can be seen in the photo above (from right: oven, air fryer, two stove tops).

• Oven Method – Heat the oven to 425°F. Pour both sides of the shell with a small amount of oil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes and turn it over halfway. It can then be placed in a TACO holder or similar device to help maintain the shape.
• Air Fryer Method – Air Fry at 400°F for 3 minutes. It can then be placed in a TACO holder or similar device to help maintain the shape.
• How to use a stove top – Add a few teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat over medium/high heat. Fry the bread on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Fold in half until ready to fill.

In my opinion, the best way is to fry it on the stove. However, if you are cooking a lot at once, we recommend an oven.