If you know, you KNOW. Walking Tacos, arguably one of the easiest, most versatile, and fun-to-eat dishes loved by kids and adults alike. Minnesotans are no stranger to walking tacos made with classic Nacho Cheese-flavored Doritos.
Although some would argue they are better with Fritos. I prefer Doritos myself.
I grew up calling them Walking Tacos, but they are also commonly called Tacos in a Bag (pronounced bAYg by Minnesotans).
A Walking Taco with Doritos is one of those enjoyable, comfort food-type meals ideal for feeding a crowd. You can prepare the taco meat yourself in advance and toss the ingredients together for quick, slightly meal-prepped dinners.
This walking taco recipe is amazingly delicious thanks to bold, crunchy Doritos and taco-seasoned ground beef.
Side note: You may also know the Walking Taco as the Frito Pie. And yes you can absolutely use Fritos corn chips instead of Doritos if you'd like.
If you want to be EXTRA, you could also bust out this Doritos Taco Salad Board for your crew - inspired by the charcuterie board trend that’s been all the rage. Or serve up these poppable Taco Balls alongside.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Walking Taco Recipe
- I had one of these at cookout and knew I had to make them at home.I used drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, green chilies, taco seasoning in the ground beef. Then I crunch up the chips in the bag, add the meat, top with cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. It is so good. If I have it, I'll also add queso dip. - Regina (a Walking Taco aficionado!)
- Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make a Walking Taco
- Serving Suggestions - Toppings
- Expert Tips
- Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Walking Tacos with Doritos
Why You Will Love This Walking Taco Recipe
- Great for Serving a Crowd. Tacos in a Bag make serving a crowd less daunting. It’s all gravy (or maybe I should say salsa!) after you pick up the base ingredients - individual-sized bags of Doritos chips, ground beef, and taco seasoning. From there you can keep it as simple or make it as extravagant a taco buffet as you’d like. Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and salsa and/or hot sauce are a must for me, but I often mix it up with pinto beans, sliced black olives, sour cream, avocado and diced tomatoes.
- Easy and Completely Customizable! They are SO easy to prepare; plus, you can add whatever toppings strike your fancy. Hello fully customizable walking taco.
- People Pleasing Dish. Because walking tacos are customizable, they make most everyone happy! I've also made this dish with pulled pork, which is a fantastic twist! I recommend trying this Pulled Pork made in the Instant Pot - it's a great way to get pulled pork ready quickly!
- Reduced Clean-Up Efforts. The Dorito bag doubles as the serving vessel, meaning no plates to clean up afterwards! Grab plastic forks for serving to make clean-up even easier.
I had one of these at cookout and knew I had to make them at home.
I used drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, green chilies, taco seasoning in the ground beef. Then I crunch up the chips in the bag, add the meat, top with cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. It is so good. If I have it, I'll also add queso dip. - Regina (a Walking Taco aficionado!)
Ingredients
To make Doritos Walking Tacos, you will need the following ingredients. The top 5 ingredients are the heart of the recipe, and you can serve whatever toppings you’d like to make the dish customizable. This recipe is more of a guideline.
- Doritos chips, individual-sized bags - I often reach for classic Nacho Cheese Doritos, but Cool Ranch works great too! And of course if you're team Frito, you can use individual-sized bags of Fritos Corn Chips as your base.
- Ground beef - I tend to opt for an 85/15 (85% lean, 15% fat) mix of ground beef to strike a happy balance when serving a crowd. And to ensure the resulting dish isn't too greasy.
- Taco seasoning - Reach premade taco seasonings or make your own, like this homemade low-in-sodium Taco Seasoning. Or try this homemade Fajita seasoning made with crystallized lime.
- Salsa - I like Pace or Village for nostalgia reasons, and because they tend to be not too spicy to cater to the Midwestern palate.
- Black beans - I like to include either black or pinto beans to make a more well-rounded Walking Taco.
- Toppings - This is my favorite part! The customizations are too many to name, but shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, etc.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Variations
- Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper along with the taco seasoning to make spicy Doritos Walking Tacos. And/or top with hot peppers like jalapenos or serranos, or a fiery salsa or hot sauce.
- Vegetarian-friendly / vegan-friendly - Replace the ground beef with black or pinto beans. You could also coarsely grind some chickpeas like in this Buffalo Chickpea Quesadilla so that it mimics ground meat. Or use a plant-based meat substitute of your choosing like Trader Joe’s soyrizo.
- Change the Meat - Ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef. Instead of seasoned ground beef, walking tacos are also fantastic with Instant Pot Pork Butt and Instant Pot Salsa Chicken.
- Doritos chips - Classic Nacho Cheese is the go-to Dorito flavor here, but other flavors like Cooler Ranch are also delicious. Instead of Doritos you could also use Fritos corn chips, sun chips, or plain old tortilla chips. Just make sure you get the individual-sized bags!
How to Make a Walking Taco
- Cook the ground beef in a large pan over medium heat until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. This should take around 8 minutes. Strain the excess grease from the cooked ground beef.
- Add taco seasoning, a little water (per taco seasoning package instructions), and salsa to the pan and stir to combine. I like to add salsa directly to the meat because it adds another layer of flavor, but you can omit it.
- Cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Assemble your Doritos Walking Tacos buffet! Set out individual-sized bags of Doritos, and toppings of your choice, like black beans, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, and salsa.
- Assemble your own Doritos Walking Taco! Cut lengthwise (or across the top, your choice!) along the bag of Doritos. Open the bag up and add a large spoonful or two of taco-seasoned ground beef. Then add any toppings you like! I added pinto beans, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos (pictured). Grab a fork and dig in!
Serving Suggestions - Toppings
Not sure how to top your Walking Tacos? Well, the sky is the limit but here are a few ideas to get you started!
- Pinto or black beans
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese - try shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or a nice smoked cheddar
- Crumby cheese - cotija or feta
- Fresh or pickled jalapenos
- Pickled banana peppers
- Olives - sliced black or green
- Fresh tomatoes or this spicy pico de gallo
- Fresh or pickled onion
- Rotel canned diced tomatoes
- Salsa - use whatever you like, from chunky to smooth salsas
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream, crema, or some creamy green sauce
- Guacamole or Roasted Garlic Guacamole
Turn your Doritos Walking Tacos into a meal with a serving of my Instant Pot Spanish Rice and Easy Refried Beans! Or if you're in a hurry these Restaurant Style Refried Beans from a Can are quick and easy to make!
Expert Tips
- Storage Tips! Store leftover taco-seasoned ground beef in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Store any leftover toppings that need to be refrigerated, like black beans, in their own lidded containers, separate from the other toppings.
- Have fun with this meal! Make this Walking Taco recipe your own - there are so many different ways to customize this simple recipe to suit your personal taste preferences. Remember, recipes are only guidelines!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer lengthwise because it gives me more space to work with in crafting the perfect bite. Others prefer cutting across the short side (top) because it lessens the chance of spillage. Do it however you prefer! You might even consider setting out scissors and letting guests cut their own bags open (in case anyone has any strong opinions on the matter).
Of course! Another popular Walking Taco variation is to use Fritos corn chips (also called the Frito pie). You could also use regular tortilla chips, sun chips, or even Takis! As long as the bag is individually sized and pairs well with taco flavors, the chips you decide to use is fair game!
Unfortunately, the Walking Taco - which is also known as the Frito Pie - has several origin stories that cannot be wrapped up in one neat little Doritos bag. Most probably it was invented by Daisy Dean Doolin, the mother of Elmer Doolin, the founder of the Frito company (though Oaxacan immigrant Gustavo Olquin invented the actual Frito chip). Check out Oaxacans, Mormons, and a Bag Of Chips: A Brief History Of The Walking Tacp by Heavy Table for the full details on the possible origins of this beloved snack.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Looking for other quick meal recipe ideas? Try these.
If you tried this Doritos Walking Tacos recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Walking Tacos with Doritos
Ingredients
- 8 1 ounce bags Doritos (any flavor you wish!)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup chunky salsa (I like to use Pace salsa)
- 1 15 ounce can black or pinto beans, strained
- Colby Jack cheese, grated
- Your favorite taco toppings such as: chopped lettuce, tomatoes, homemade guacamole, shredded cheese, or sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large pan over medium heat until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. This should take around 8 minutes. Strain the excess grease from the cooked ground beef.1 pound ground beef
- Add taco seasoning, a little water (per taco seasoning package instructions), and salsa to the pan and stir to combine. I like to add salsa directly to the meat because it adds another layer of flavor, but you can omit it. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.1 1 ounce packet taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon water, ¾ cup chunky salsa
- Assemble your Doritos Walking Tacos buffet! Set out individual-sized bags of Doritos, and toppings of your choice, like black beans, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, and salsa.8 1 ounce bags Doritos, 1 15 ounce can black or pinto beans, strained, Colby Jack cheese, grated, Your favorite taco toppings such as: chopped lettuce, tomatoes, homemade guacamole, shredded cheese, or sour cream
- Assemble your own Doritos Walking Taco! Cut lengthwise (or across the top, your choice!) along the bag of Doritos. Open the bag up and add a large spoonful or two of taco-seasoned ground beef. Then add any toppings you like! I added pinto beans, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos (pictured).
- Grab a fork and dig in!
Regina
I had one of these at cookout and knew I had to make them at home.
I used drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, green chilies, taco seasoning in the ground beef. Then I crunch up the chips in the bag, add the meat, top with cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. It is so good. If I have it, I'll also add queso dip.