Crispy Chicken Chalupas
Golden fried masa cups filled with shredded chicken, topped with fresh toppings and tangy crema. A showstopping appetizer or light meal ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups masa harina (corn flour for tortillas)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ¾ cup salsa (red or green)
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup crema or sour cream
- ½ cup queso fresco (fresh cheese), crumbled
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- 1
Mix masa harina and 1 cup warm water in a medium bowl with your hands until it forms a soft dough, like Play-Doh, with no dry flour visible, about 1 minute.
- 2
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball about the size of a walnut.
- 3
Heat the oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a tiny piece of dough sizzles immediately when dropped in, about 3 minutes.
- 4
Working with one dough ball at a time, gently flatten it between your palms into a thin disc about 3 inches across and 1/8-inch thick.
- 5
Slide the flattened disc into the hot oil and immediately use a ladle or metal spoon to gently press the center down to form a cup shape while it fries, keeping the shape pushed down for 2 minutes until the edge becomes golden and crispy.
- 6
Flip the chalupa cup over using tongs and fry the other side for 1 minute until it is also golden and holds its cup shape when you lift it out.
- 7
Transfer the fried chalupa cup to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon to drain excess oil.
- 8
Repeat steps 4–7 with the remaining 7 dough balls.
- 9
Warm the shredded chicken with 0.5 cup salsa in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- 10
Fill each crispy chalupa cup with 2 heaping tablespoons of the warm chicken mixture.
- 11
Top each chalupa with 1 heaping tablespoon of shredded cabbage piled in the center.
- 12
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of crema over the top of each chalupa in a thin zigzag pattern.
- 13
Scatter the crumbled queso fresco evenly over the top of all the chalupas.
Tools you’ll need
- medium mixing bowl
- deep skillet or Dutch oven (at least 3 inches deep)
- meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer (optional, to verify oil temp)
- ladle or metal spoon
- kitchen tongs
- slotted spoon
- paper towels
- small saucepan
- wooden spoon for stirring
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
