Southern Soft-Shell Tacos

Sometimes you just need dinner on the table in 30 minutes with whatever’s in the pantry. These soft-shell tacos use canned chili with beans and instant rice as the filling, piled into warm flour tortillas with salsa, shredded cheddar, lettuce, and sour cream.

The rice and chili cook separately, then get layered together inside the tortilla. The rice soaks up the chili sauce and gives each taco more substance, so the filling stays put instead of dripping everywhere when you fold it.

Is it traditional Mexican? Not even close. But it’s hearty, satisfying, and something the whole family will actually eat on a busy Tuesday night.

Kitchen Tips

• Warm the tortillas before filling. Cold flour tortillas crack and tear when you try to fold them. A quick 15 seconds per side in a dry skillet does the trick.
• Drain any excess liquid from the canned chili if it’s particularly soupy. Too much liquid makes the tortillas soggy.
• Let everyone build their own at the table. Set out the fillings and toppings buffet-style for an easy, no-complaints dinner.

Variations

• Use homemade chili instead of canned for a from-scratch upgrade.
• Swap cheddar for pepper jack cheese if you want more kick.
• Add diced avocado or guacamole alongside the sour cream for a richer topping.