Last Updated on May 1, 2024
Today, we’re going to be looking at a copycat Taco Bell chicken chalupa recipe.
Taco Bell is one of the most popular fast-food chains in the US, so it’s no wonder that you’re looking to recreate some of their most infamous food products at home.
Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines – and chalupas are absolutely delicious.
But how can you make your chalupas at home taste like you’re enjoying them at Taco Bell? Let’s take a closer look.
What Is Chicken Chalupa?
You may be wondering what a chalupa is. It’s a dish that’s from Mexico, specifically south-central. While the recipe we’re looking at today is a chicken chalupa, traditional chalupas do not usually contain meat.
They’re usually a boat-shaped dough, that’s been fried – and then lettuce, cheese, and salsa is added.
What’s great about chalupas is that the outside of the shell is crispy, but the inside is soft. A chicken chalupa is just like a traditional chalupa – just with added chicken!
What Is Taco Bell?
You’ll likely already be familiar with Taco Bell, but if not, Taco Bell is a fast-food chain. It offers a selection of Mexican favorites, including burritos, tacos, and nachos.
While Taco Bell is predominantly in the US, you can find stores across the globe, nowadays.
In fact, there are over 7,000 restaurants and they serve over two billion people every year!
They’ve been around for over 60 years, and it looks as though they’re here to stay.
Ingredients in Chicken Chalupa
The ingredients in chicken chalupa can vary depending on which recipe you’re following. However, our recipe uses the following ingredients:
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- vegetable shortening
- milk
- oil
- chicken breast
- chili powder
- paprika
- dried onion flakes
- water
- sour cream
- lettuce
- cheese
- tomato
Copycat Taco Bell Chicken Chalupa Recipe
Now onto the reason, you’re here – how to recreate the chicken chalupa at home!
A recipe from Key Ingredient inspires the recipe we’re looking at today – and it’s much easier than you may think!
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
For the chalupa:
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening
- 1 cup of milk
- oil (to fry)
For the filling:
- 1lb of chicken breast (shredded)
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of onion flakes (dried)
- 1/2 cup of water
- oil (to fry)
- sour cream
- lettuce (shredded)
- tomato (diced)
- shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
Recipe
Now all you need to do is:
Step 1: Make the bread
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and mix well. Once mixed, cut in the shortening and pour in the milk.
Once you have a dough, roll into a cylinder and distribute the dough into 8 equal pieces.
Work each piece into a tortilla shape (around 6″). Then fry in your oil (ensure it’s hot before you add the tortillas) until golden brown.
This shouldn’t take long!
Step 2: Make the filling
Add the water and onion flakes to a bowl and leave for around 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, add the chicken breast, salt, flour, chili powder, and paprika. Mix well, and then add the bowl of onion flakes and water.
Combine and leave to one side as you heat some oil in a skillet.
Cook the mixture until the juices of the chicken run clear, and is white. Keep stirring whilst cooking to avoid any lumps.
Step 3: Serve
Grab your chalupas and add the meat first, then add your cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes. Serve with a salsa of your choice. Enjoy!
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you an idea of a copycat Taco Bell chicken chalupa recipe.
It tastes just like the chalupas from Taco Bell, and it’s super easy to make in less than 30 minutes – which makes it perfect for a mid-week meal when you don’t have too much time for cooking!
What’s your go-to order at Taco Bell? Do you know any tips or tricks when it comes to making chicken chalupas?
If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
FAQs
What is in Taco Bell Chicken Chalupa?
The chicken chalupa from Taco Bell contains the following: grilled chicken (although if you'd prefer seasoned beef or black beans as the main filling, that is also an option), tomatoes, shredded lettuce, three cheese blend and sour cream.
What is a Taco Bell Chalupa Made of?
The chalupas from Taco Bell are made from wheat flour as the main ingredient, rather than corn (masa) flour, which is the traditional way of making them. However, the shells are just as delicious! A range of seasonings and flavorings are then added, alongside the traditional fillings of shredded lettuce, sour cream, cheese and tomato. Meat is also added, which can be any one of the following: grilled chicken, black beans or seasoned beef.
What Kind of Shell is on a Taco Bell Chalupa?
The chalupa is a one of a kind shell, that isn't quite a taco. What makes the chalupa so different from typical shells, is that the outside of the shell is extremely crispy and almost flaky. Whereas the inside is chewy and soft. Usually, tacos are either soft or crunchy - but with chalupas, you can get the best of both worlds!
What is the Difference Between a Chalupa and a Tostada?
Chalupas and tostadas are almost identical, especially as they're both usually made from using very similar ingredients. However, the main difference between the two is their shape. While both of them are fried, they both hold their shape very differently. The tostada is flat, which makes it easier to eat. Whereas the chalupa is curved. Chalupa literally translates to "boat" in Spanish - so if you're wanting to load up on fillings, the chalupa is the way to go (even if it does get a bit messy!).
Taco Bell Chicken Chalupa Recipe: How To
Ingredients
For the chalupa
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening
- 1 cup of milk
- oil (to fry)
For the filling
- 1 lb of chicken breast (shredded)
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of onion flakes (dried)
- 1/2 cup of water
- oil (to fry)
- sour cream
- lettuce (shredded)
- tomato (diced)
- shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
Instructions
- Make the breadAdd the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and mix well. Once mixed, cut in the shortening and pour in the milk. Once you have a dough, roll into a cylinder and distribute the dough into 8 equal pieces. Work each piece into a tortilla shape (around 6"). Then fry in your oil (ensure it's hot before you add the tortillas) until golden brown. This shouldn't take long!2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening, 1 cup of milk, oil (to fry)
- Make the fillingAdd the water and onion flakes to a bowl and leave for around 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, add the chicken breast, salt, flour, chili powder, and paprika. Mix well, and then add the bowl of onion flakes and water. Combine and leave to one side as you heat some oil in a skillet. Cook the mixture until the juices of the chicken run clear, and is white. Keep stirring whilst cooking to avoid any lumps.1 lb of chicken breast (shredded), 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of onion flakes (dried), 1/2 cup of water, oil (to fry), 1/4 cup of flour
- ServeGrab your chalupas and add the meat first, then add your cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes. Serve with a salsa of your choice. Enjoy!sour cream, lettuce (shredded), shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack), tomato (diced)
Nutrition
My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.
You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.
