Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos
Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos deliver a bold crunch with shells dusted in tangy ranch and cheesy seasoning, wrapped around juicy, spiced ground beef. Each bite balances creamy sour cream, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, and sharp cheddar for a fun, nostalgic twist. Perfect for game nights or casual dinners when you want fast-food flair at home.
- Prep40 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 51 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 2 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 54 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 18
- Heart Health
- 66
- Metabolic
- 23
- Digestive
- 24
- Inflammatory
- 46
- Performance
- 32
- General Wellness
- 1
To make the “Cool Ranch” and "Nacho Cheese" shells, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C).
- 2
For the "Cool Ranch" shells, place tomato powder, buttermilk powder, onion powder, sugar, garlic powder, cheese powder, and ranch dressing mix in a food processor bowl; pulse until well combined. Move the spice mixture to a medium bowl. Working with 1 taco shell at a time, brush the outside of the taco shells with canola oil using a pastry brush; sprinkle the outside of each shell evenly with the tomato powder mixture, tapping it against the side of the bowl to shake off any excess. As you finish coating each shell, arrange them in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- 3
For the "Nacho Cheese" shells, add cheese powder, buttermilk powder, dehydrated bell pepper, cheesy taco seasoning mix, onion powder, tomato powder, sugar, and garlic powder to a food processor bowl; pulse until the dehydrated bell pepper is ground and everything is well combined. Working with 1 taco shell at a time, brush the outside of the taco shells with canola oil using a pastry brush; sprinkle the outside of each shell evenly with the tomato powder mixture, tapping it against the side of the bowl to remove any excess. As you finish coating each shell, place them in a single layer on the same large rimmed baking sheet with the “Cool Ranch” shells.
- 4
Bake the “Cool Ranch” and “Nacho Cheese” shells in the preheated oven at 325 degrees C (162 degrees C) for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly toasted.
- 5
To make the taco filling, whisk flour, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, sugar, garlic powder, red pepper, and turmeric together in a bowl. Whisk in beef stock; set the mixture aside.
- 6
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef to the pan; cook, stirring and “chopping” with a wooden spoon to break it up, until the beef starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the heat and stir in the beef stock mixture; cook for 1 minute. Stir in cheesy taco seasoning; cook, stirring often, until the beef is cooked through and the liquid has thickened. Remove from heat.
- 7
To assemble the tacos, spoon 1/4 cup beef mixture into each of the 12 shells; top the meat evenly with sour cream. Evenly layer lettuce, tomato, and cheese on each taco.
- Calories 501.27 kcal High 25%
- Protein 33.98 g Good Source 68%
- Carbohydrate 20.38 g 7%
- Total Fat 30.34 g High 39%
- Saturated Fat 14.59 g High 73%
- Trans Fat 0.03 g High --
- Cholesterol 121.32 mg High 40%
- Sodium 472.89 mg High 21%
- Dietary Fiber 2.5 g Low Source 9%
- Total Sugars 3.93 g --
- Added Sugars 0.05 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 294.01 mg Good Source 23%
- Iron 3.72 mg Good Source 21%
- Potassium 248.45 mg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin A 37.75 mcg Low Source 4%
- Vitamin C 5.87 mg Low Source 7%
- Vitamin D 0.19 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Corn 🌽
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Homemade Doritos Style Locos Tacos is made with 23 ingredients and serves 6. It takes about 50 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include All Purpose Flour, Beef Stock, Canola Oil, and Cheese Powder. Each serving provides about 501.27 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos made of?
- The main ingredients are All-Purpose Flour, Beef Stock, Canola Oil, Cheese Powder, Chili Powder. The full list of 23 is above.
- How long does it take to make Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos?
- About 50 mins in total: 40 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 501.27 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 23 ingredients and 7 steps.
- Is Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos healthy?
- Homemade Doritos-Style Locos Tacos has an easyChef Pro health score of 37/100. Per serving, it provides 501.27 calories and 33.98 g of protein, or 68% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of calcium and iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 472.89 mg (21% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 14.59 g (73% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Corn, Tomatoes, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required