Copycat Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme

These copycat Taco Bell chalupas are better than the fast food favorite and loaded with all your favorite taco toppings! Using a homemade fried dough “boat” to house delicious taco meat, cheese, and lettuce, these chalupas will quickly become a family favorite.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Flour: All-purpose flour is the base for this delicious chalupa recipe.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder will help the dough rise just a little and form perfect, crunchy bubbles for your chalupa.
• Table Salt: While I typically use Kosher salt in most of my recipes, this recipe works best with table salt because the smaller granules distribute more evenly throughout the dough.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk will you the best texture for these chalupas. Warm the milk by zapping it in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. The dough binds better when the milk is slightly warm.
• Melted Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in all my recipes because it allows me to adjust the salt level myself.
• Canola Oil: I like canola oil best for frying these chalupa shells. You can also use vegetable oil.
• Fillings: Taco meat, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream are my favorite taco fillings. Don’t sleep on my easy taco meat recipe – it’s literally the best! I use my simple taco seasoning (made with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, Kosher salt, and black pepper) and a special secret ingredient – tomato paste!

Instructions

Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in milk and melted butter. 

Combine with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until the dough becomes mostly smooth. The dough should feel tacky but it shouldn’t stick to your hands.

Cut dough into 8 equal size pieces. Roll each into a ball. 

Use a rolling pin to gently roll out each dough ball into a circle about 6 inches in diameter and 1/8 of an inch thick.

Gently shake the excess flour off. Add dough to the pot of oil, cooking one shell at a time. Let it cook on each side for about 5 seconds, then use metal tongs to gently fold it in half. 

Use the tongs to hold one half of the chalupa in the oil, cooking it for about 1-2 minutes. Then use tongs to hold the other half of the chalupa in the oil, cooking it for another minute or two.

Once it’s a golden brown color, use tongs to gently remove the shell from the oil and let the excess oil drip off.

Hang a wooden spoon over the center of a medium bowl. Place the cooked chalupa shell over the handle of the spoon to help form its shape as you cook the next chalupa shell. 

Then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue cooking the remaining shells.

Fill chalupa shells with my awesome taco meat recipe, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

Tips

• This recipe works best with warmed or room-temperature milk. When cold milk is added to the dough it causes the melted butter to seize into chunks. Warm the milk by zapping it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
• Be sure to measure the flour correctly, spooning it into the measuring cup and using a knife to level it out. If you are scooping your flour right out of the bin and then leveling it off, you are likely adding too much flour.
• If you’re having trouble folding the chalupas while they fry, just cook them flat instead! Cook them for about the same amount of time on each side, let them rest on a paper towel-lined plate, and then top them flat with all your favorite taco fillings, assembling them kind of like a tostada. They will still taste just as delicious!
• Be careful with the oil! Make sure to use tongs when handling the shells and carefully place the shells into the oil. It’s also best to fry one shell at a time to keep the temperature of the oil consistent.

Variations

Here are some of our family’s favorite chalupa fillings and various toppings!

• simple ground beef taco meat recipe
• vegan quinoa walnut taco “meat”
• black bean quinoa taco “meat”
• instant pot shredded salsa chicken
• 3-ingredient slow cooker shredded chicken
• creamy avocado sauce
• spicy chipotle sauce
• Pico de Gallo
• black beans
• refried beans

What is a chalupa?

A chalupa is a thick, fried shell filled with all your favorite taco fillings like taco meat or shredded chicken along with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. The shell is made with flour and while it’s fried, it’s still slightly fluffy and super delicious.

What is the difference between a taco and a chalupa?

The biggest difference is their shells. Taco shells are usually made with corn tortillas or flour tortillas that are thin. Chalupas have thick, fried shells made with a dough comprised of flour, butter, milk, salt, and baking powder. They can both be filled with taco meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

What is a chalupa shell made from?

Making your own chalupa shells might seem daunting, but it’s super easy – I promise! The dough comes together in just minutes with flour, butter, milk, salt, and baking powder. Divide the dough into 8 equal dough balls, roll each ball into a thin disk, and fry in canola oil until golden brown and delicious. Fill with my easy taco meat recipe and serve with your favorite taco toppings!

Make-Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: I do not recommend making these chalupa shells ahead of time. As with most fried foods, they taste best fresh from the fryer, and the quality will diminish the longer they sit out.
• Storage: If you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container on the counter overnight. Just be aware that they won’t be quite as good as when you first cooked them.
• Freezing: You can freeze the dough ball in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Or you can roll the dough into disks, stack them with pieces of parchment paper in between, and pop them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat place chalupas shells on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven and bake until warmed through. Fill and enjoy! 

Easy Taco Recipes