If you haven’t been to San Antonio,, you can be forgiven for not knowing about the city’s culinary mascot: the puffy taco. It was introduced to the city in 1982 by Arturo Lopez at Ray’s Drive Inn, a restaurant he bought from his brother Ray. This is not a hard-shell taco, nor is it a regular soft taco, explains writer and Texan Priya Krishna. “The puffy taco occupies an ideal middle ground between the two. The outside is delicate and crispy, dotted with hot bubbles of air that form in the fryer; the inside is juicy and dense.” Unlike a flatter, denser tostada, the tortilla for a puffy taco is manipulated while frying to create a boat shape you can fill with various mix-ins. Eating one is all about the balance of textures between the taco filling and the shell.
While some puffy taco recipes start with fresh masa dough and a tortilla press, this one from Superica in Atlanta, keeps things simple by frying store-bought corn tortillas in hot oil to make the puffy taco shells. To achieve the trademark steam pockets, be sure your tortillas are fresh.
When it comes to toppings for these beef tacos, follow Superica’s lead with lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and cilantro, or choose your own adventure with additions like guacamole, sour cream, and pickled jalapeños.
