
Bar Amá’s Puffy Tacos
- Makes 10 tacos
- PREP: 15 minutes
- TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
A San Antonio staple of fluffy, crispy, taco shells that you can fill with anything and they will taste incredible.
This recipe comes from Josef Centeno, chef-owner of Bar Amá in downtown Los Angeles and author of Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen. These puffy, deep-fried tacos will change everything you thought you knew about your favorite tacos.
You can find what everyone calls “puffy tacos”—tacos made with souffléed masa cooked in hot oil—all over San Antonio. They’re probably the city’s most iconic taco, with deep-fried shells that are as light as air. I grew up with the Lopez family’s version, served at Ray’s Drive Inn, which to me is the originator with the best shells—the crispiest without being greasy. We make our own version at Bar Amá—puffed tacos that fry up quickly and can be filled with anything—picadillo, chorizo, beans and rice, fried potatoes, or just avocado. The fluffy, crispy shells make everything taste delicious.
One filling option here is picadillo, a Tex-Mex standby made with ground beef, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and spices. My tía Mona cooked this all the time and liked to serve it in tacos with chopped tomatoes, or on top of enchiladas. You can also serve it simply with rice or use it in taquitos, chalupas, or queso. When served along with eggs in a flour tortilla, it makes a great breakfast taco.
Note: At Bar Amá, we buy fresh masa (from nixtamal) for tortillas. It’s key: The freshest masa is lighter and helps the puffed tacos keep their shape. Puffed tacos made with prepackaged masa or masa harina don’t work, so don’t bother. Use fresh masa—available at many specialty Mexican markets or tortillerias—within twenty-four hours so that it is soft and pliable. (Keep in mind it might take practice to properly form taco shells while deep frying.)
Reprinted from Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen by Josef Centeno and Betty Hallock with permission from Chronicle Books, 2019. Photographs © Ren Fuller.
For the Puffy Tacos:
- +
Vegetable oil (such as avocado or grapeseed) or peanut oil for frying
- 14
ounces fresh masa
- 2
avocados, sliced
- ½
head iceberg lettuce, cut into thin slices
- ¾
cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2
cups Tía Mona’s picadillo (recipe follows), or protein or vegetable of your choice
- 2
tomatoes, chopped
- 3
tablespoons finely diced onion
For Tía Mona’s Picadillo:
- 1
teaspoon olive oil
- ½
teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼
medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1
garlic clove, grated with a rasp-style grater or thinly sliced
- ¼
jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- ½
russet potato, peeled and cut into a ¼-inch dice
- 1
pound ground beef
- 1
ripe tomato, grated on the largest holes of a box grater, or 2 teaspoons tomato paste and ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1
teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1
teaspoon chile powder
- ¼
cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)
- ¼
cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Shop this recipe

Meaty stews, breakfast tacos, tres leches cake, crunchy salads, slow-cooked meats, fresh cocktails—Josef Centano's recipes bring diverse and delicious flavors into your own kitchen. The chef-owner of Amá in Los Angeles, Centano's exploration of Tex-Mex cooking is organized into chapters by type of food, so it's easy to find your go-to recipe for any occasion.

We call them Chrissy's faves for a reason—between this saucepan, skillet, and a universally useful multipurpose pan, you can cook pretty much anything. All three feature aluminum core induction for even cooking and double-layer stainless steel, and the skillet and cook-anything pan feature non-toxic nonstick coating. This stunning, gold-handled set includes the all-day, everyday essentials that make kitchen life chic and easy.

This richly colored knife block is the low-profile, high-quality answer to storing every knife you need in the kitchen. Chrissy designed this 8-piece set based on the knives she and John use every day, so the ashwood block is filled with exactly what you need (including a cleaver!), and nothing you don't. Each stainless steel blade is taper ground to stay sharp. The ashwood handles feature a full-tang (meaning the metal runs through the handle) for easy control—and a damn good dice.

Big enough to hold piles of sliced and diced veggies while you prep, beautiful enough to take straight to the table stacked with cheese and charcuterie. This wooden cutting board has a slim-but-sturdy, easy-to-store profile, but you'll use it so often it's more likely to earn a permanent place on your counter.

The best of bowl worlds: Use the curved rim on these cream-colored bowls to scoop up the last of the pasta sauce, let hearty salads shine, and keep your pad Thai in place. Perfect for everyday dining and entertaining, this easygoing, elegant set zhuzhes up your tablescape without feeling fussy.

Deep enough to hold a side of crispy Brussels sprouts or an ice cream sundae, these bowls complete The Fresh Plate Dinnerware Collection. In a neutral hue with an artisanal matte finish, these perfectly-sized side pieces keep nuts, snacks, and dips looking cute when it's party time.