Puffy taco
The puffy taco is a San Antonio specialty in which a disc of raw corn masa is dropped into hot oil, where it balloons into a crisp, airy shell that is then folded into a U and filled. It is most closely associated with the Lopez family of San Antonio's West Side and their restaurants Ray's Drive Inn and Henry's Puffy Tacos.
Description
Unlike a hard-shell taco, which is made by frying an already cooked tortilla, a puffy taco begins as an uncooked round of masa. When it hits hot oil the steam inside makes it swell like a pillow, and the cook presses it into a cradle shape while it sets. A good shell is crackly on the outside and slightly chewy within without being greasy. Because it softens quickly once filled, it is meant to be eaten as soon as it reaches the table.
Typical San Antonio fillings are seasoned ground beef (picadillo) or shredded chicken topped with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and cheese. Some restaurants also fill them with carne guisada, guacamole, queso or shrimp.
History
The dish is bound up with one San Antonio family. Relatives say a Lopez family matriarch first made puffed shells by frying masa while making tostadas; Texas Monthly notes that family accounts credit Maria Rodriguez Lopez, while Texas Highways describes the inspiration as Ray Lopez's grandmother, who fried rounds of masa shaped over a wooden spoon. Both publications acknowledge that the story has been handed down orally.
Ray Lopez opened Ray's Drive Inn on San Antonio's West Side in 1956, and for years the family sold the shells as crispy tacos. His brother Henry later ran a small takeout spot called El Taco Food to Go. Another brother, Arturo, opened Arturo's Puffy Taco in Southern California in 1977, which Texas Highways credits as the first commercial use of the puffy taco name. Henry returned to San Antonio and opened Henry's Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn Avenue around 1978, with Arturo's blessing to use the name. Arturo later took over Ray's Drive Inn. Henry's son Jaime Lopez created Henry the Puffy Taco in 1989, a costumed mascot that became a fixture at San Antonio Missions minor league baseball games and helped make the dish a civic symbol.
Other claims exist. Texas Monthly reports that Caro's in Rio Grande City, opened in 1937, says it invented the dish, that food writer Robb Walsh found similar fried masa shells at Austin restaurants in the 1950s under other names, and that the words puffy tacos appeared in a Louisiana restaurant's advertising around 1970. The puffy taco is related to older Mexican puffed masa snacks such as the Yucatecan salbute and the gordita inflada of Veracruz.
Spread
Beyond the Lopez family restaurants, San Antonio institutions such as Los Barrios, founded by Viola Barrios in 1979, helped popularize the style. Versions have appeared in Austin, where Amaya's Taco Village still calls them crispy tacos, in Dallas, and in New York City restaurants run by Texas expatriates.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra puff)
- Vegetable oil or lard for deep-frying
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 small onion and 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small potato, finely diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chile powder, salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- Shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato and grated cheddar or Monterey Jack
- Salsa to serve
Steps
- Make the picadillo: brown the beef with onion and garlic, add the potato, spices and tomato sauce, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the potato is tender. Keep warm.
- Mix masa harina, salt and baking powder with enough warm water to make a soft, smooth dough that does not crack at the edges. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
- Heat 5 cm of oil to about 190 C in a deep pan.
- Divide the dough into 12 balls and press each between plastic sheets in a tortilla press to about 3 mm thick.
- Slide one raw disc into the oil. Spoon oil over the top so it puffs, about 20 seconds, then flip.
- While it is still soft, press the center down with a spatula so the sides fold up into a U, and fry until crisp and golden, about 1 minute more.
- Drain upside down on paper towels. Fry the rest the same way.
- Fill immediately with picadillo, lettuce, tomato and cheese, and serve with salsa.
The dough must be fresh and moist; dry masa will crack instead of puffing.
Where to try it
- Ray's Drive Inn, San Antonio, Texas: West Side drive-in opened by Ray Lopez in 1956, where the family's crispy tacos were first sold.
- Henry's Puffy Tacos, San Antonio, Texas: Opened by Henry Lopez around 1978; its mascot Henry the Puffy Taco is associated with the San Antonio Missions.
- Los Barrios, San Antonio, Texas: Family restaurant founded by Viola Barrios in 1979, widely known for its puffy tacos.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "The Delicate History of the Puffy Taco". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "San Antonio's Famous Puffy Tacos". Texas Highways. Retrieved 2026-10-10.