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Close-up of crispy, golden-brown restaurant-style tacos filled with melted cheese, served with a side of dipping sauce.

Burnt Cheese Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

Make restaurant-style burnt cheese tacos at home with this quick and easy recipe. These tacos feature a crispy, golden-brown cheese shell and a creamy chipotle dipping sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 tacos
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 805
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chipotle sauce
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons canned chipotle in adobo sauce plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
For the tacos
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 3 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese divided
  • 6 corn or fajita-style flour tortillas 6-inch

Equipment

  • Small bowl
  • Large nonstick skillet
  • Rubber spatula

Method
 

  1. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, chipotle, lime juice, and salt. Taste and season with more salt or stir in more chipotle in adobo sauce for extra heat. Set aside.
  2. Make the tacos: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Once hot, sprinkle in 1/3 cup cheese in a 6-inch circle. It’s okay if there are gaps in the cheese, as long as the circle is large enough.
  3. Lay the tortilla on top of the cheese circle. There should be some pieces of cheese still visible around the edges of the tortilla. Then, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top of half of the tortilla. Cook until the cheese in contact with the skillet starts to turn golden brown around the edges, about 2 minutes.
  4. Use a rubber spatula to gently lift the crispy cheese off the skillet and fold the bare half of the tortilla onto the cheesy half, and press to adhere.
  5. Cook until the center is completely melted and the crispy cheese is a deep golden brown on both sides, 2 minutes. Make the remaining tacos following these steps.
  6. Serve immediately with chipotle sauce for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 805kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 37gFat: 56g

Notes

If you make too many tacos, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat them on a hot skillet to re-crisp the exterior and melt the insides.

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