This Flour Tortilla Toaster Hack Will Change Your Taco Tuesday Forever
Social media site TikTok is at it again, this time offering a totally genius hack to switch up the way we make tacos. In a video posted by TikTok user @clean_air, you see them place a Mission Street Taco flour tortilla into a toaster. While the tortilla heats, it puffs up to resemble a pita, which @clean_air then cuts a slit into the top of and fills with their favorite taco ingredients. People are really digging this new tortilla toaster hack, as the short video already has over 180,000 views and almost 2,000 comments. There are some criticisms of the video, however, as many commenters are stating that this recipe is not new at all, but is essentially just a gordita. Mexico In My Kitchen describes gorditas as a popular Mexican dish that is made of a tortilla that is split and filled with various ingredients.
Delish tried out this viral taco hack and said you definitely need to have a smaller, street taco-sized tortilla for it to work. Be sure to turn down your toaster to a low setting as well, since the tortilla does not take that long to begin to burn if you're not paying attention.
TikTok does not have the best track record when it comes to toaster safety
Let's hope this TikTok tortilla hack ends up performing better than previous ones, as the toaster quesadilla hack that went viral in May 2020 ended up causing a bit of a controversy. While outlets like The Kitchn praised the time-saving toaster cooking method for being super easy and customizable, others were a little more skeptical it would always work the way it should. According to Better Homes & Gardens, the real issue is that cooking melty things like cheese in a toaster increases the likelihood of the appliance starting a fire. They spoke to Patricia Schweitzer, the director of the Hamilton Beach Test Kitchen, who told them they do not recommend toasting anything other than bread or similar foods in a toaster. Better Homes & Gardens states that it's much smarter to skip this trick and the possible house fire you could start, and just use a stovetop, panini maker, or microwave for your quesadilla needs.
As for this new tortilla toaster hack, it seems like it will be perfectly safe as long as you follow the original instructions and don't try to fill your tortilla while it is still inside the toaster. Extra melty cheese is not worth the hassle of an insurance claim if you set your kitchen cabinets on fire.
Simplify breakfast with this Tik Tok tortilla hack
Looking for a tortilla hack to simplify your breakfast? Check out this viral TikTok video, uploaded by user @mrs_dee_panda, which takes on the ever-popular breakfast burrito. This tortilla hack allows you to use just one pan to make your burrito, sealing all the ingredients together and creating less clean up both when you cook and eat.
In the video, she begins by pouring scrambled eggs into a pan. Once the eggs have begun to set, a tortilla is placed on top and the whole thing is flipped, adhering the eggs to the inside of the burrito. After flipping, they simply add their chosen burrito ingredients and roll, giving the breakfast food some additional time in the pan to allow the tortilla to brown and the cheese to fully melt.
While she used bacon and shredded cheese in the burrito video, other TikTok users were quick to suggest awesome ways to customize the recipe and make it your own, with recommendations to swap out the bacon for breakfast sausage, calls for hot sauce or salsa to spice it up, and the suggestion of adding extra cheese to really get a tight seal and prevent the seams from separating.
You can make authentic gorditas at home
Want to try making your own authentic gorditas at home? Isabel Eats offers a super simple recipe that first-generation Mexican American chef Isabel was taught to cook by her mom. This gordita recipe features homemade corn tortillas instead of the pre-made flour ones used in the viral TikTok video. Isabel Eats says that one great thing about gorditas is that they are super customizable and can be easily made gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian.
To make gorditas at home, start by making your tortilla dough with masa harina (corn flour) and grilling or frying it to create a thick tortilla pocket. When the tortillas are crispy and browned on both sides, move them to cool under a dish towel if grilled or on a layer of paper towels if fried. Once the tortilla pockets are cool enough to handle, split the tops and get to stuffing! According to Isabel Eats, common gordita fillings include refried beans, chile verde (pork in green chili sauce), chorizo and eggs, and papas con chile (potatoes in green chili sauce.) She even suggests using leftovers from the fridge to stuff gorditas, making this an even easier and faster dish than before.