After resigning to the fact that I would never be able to fully replicate the recipe, I thought to myself "Self, just make your own version with similar J in the B feels. My recipe of course had to be easy and affordable and I think I pretty much nailed that. My filling consists of two, yes I said just two, ingredients..., beef chorizo and a can of fat-free refried beans. What is great about the chorizo is it already has all of those tasty Mexican spices in it so it saves us from having to add them ourselves. And it is so affordable for a protein! Only $2.99! The refried beans help with getting the right texture similar to Jack-in-the-Box as well as helping stretch out the quantity of the chorizo to give us more filling. Bonus: These are air fried so they are a little bit healthier! (If you don't have an air fryer you can do a shallow pan-fry on the stovetop.)
This is just the basic recipe so you can use whatever toppings you want. All the classic toppings like chopped lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and avocado/guac all work very well here. . And of course, we encourage you as always to make them your own by adding any extra seasonings or ingredients that you love to the filling. Enjoy!
Copycat Jack-In-the-Box Tacos Recipe
Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas
Olive Oil or cooking spray
8 ounce roll of Mexican chorizo (beef or pork)
1 16-ounce can of fat-free refried beans (You will use 2/3 of the can)
4 Slices of American cheese
1 bottle of Taco Bell taco sauce (I find it the closest to the Jack-in-the-Box sauce but of course you can use your favorite taco sauce instead)
Toppings of your choice
Instructions:
1. Remove the casing from the chorizo and put the contents into a frying pan. Over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo, stirring often, around 8-9 minutes. Do not drain. That excess spicy fat is going to flavor the beans nicely.
2. Fold in refried beans and cook for another 3-4 minutes, just until combined and heated through. Remove from heat.
3. Wrap the corn tortillas in a paper towel and microwave for about 1 minute so they get a little pliable and don't crack when folding.
4. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the tortilla and fold over to get the taco shape. Press down gently on the filling part of the taco but leave the top part open some so you can insert the cheese and toppings when they are done.
5. Brush the outside of the tacos with olive oil (or if you prefer you can give them a good spritz of your favorite cooking spray).
6. Place the tacos in your air fryer basket, after pre-heated, and cook at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. (I cook 4 at a time) Turn them over and cook for an additional 4 minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer.)
7. Remove tacos from the air fryer. Cut each cheese slice into two triangles. Insert one triangle on the inside of each taco. Add some taco sauce on the top of the tacos and fill with your favorite toppings.
NOTE If you expect these to taste just like a Jack-in-the-Box taco, you will be disappointed! The have a totally different flavor but you will get most of the Jack-in-the-Box taco feels.