French Tacos are a hearty, French-inspired fast food that can easily be made at home. The "tacos" are a cross between a burrito, a panini and a sandwich wrap but with a rich and creamy cheese sauce. It's a unique combination of protein, French fries, caramelized onions and more! Does versatility abound in this recipe? Mais oui! (But yes!)
Serve with homemade French Fry Sauce and a side of Crunchy Cole Slaw for a delicious meal!
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves French Tacos
This recipe is a hat tip to France, a beautiful country I've been lucky enough to visit twice. The food there is memorable but this recipe is easygoing French food that's become popular in the last 20 years or so.
The cheese sauce! Gruyère cheese is rich, creamy and delicious and is one of the many reasons why French Tacos have a unique wow factor.
It's a unique way to use flour tortillas and a change of pace from Baked Beef Burritos or enchiladas.
🧀 Ingredients to Have on Hand
When we think of French food, we usually think of fresh crepes, cheesy quiche Lorraine or recipes that use buttery croissants, like bread pudding. But now we can add French Tacos to the foodie French repertoire!
French Tacos are wildly popular in France and are gaining traction all over the world.
Here's what you need to have on hand to create these hand-held, fast-food French Tacos at home.
Tortillas: Go big! To have enough tortilla space to wrap around all the filling ingredients you'll need a large tortilla.
Pro Tip: Buy burrito-sized flour tortillas.
Protein: There are lots of options here, but my favorite protein for French Tacos is ground beef. But you can use shredded pork, sausage, cooked chicken or even chicken nuggets and have a wonderful result.
French Fries: Buy frozen French fries and bake them while you prepare the other ingredients. You could make homemade French fries if you like, but frozen is easiest.
Onions: A scoop of diced, carmelized onions adds a slightly sweet bite to your French Taco. And the flavor goes great with any protein and it tastes wonderful with the cheese sauce.
Cheese Sauce: This might be my favorite ingredient in French Tacos! It's very easy to make a homemade cheese sauce. Typically it includes Gruyère cheese. (Pronounced "gree-yair.") But you can use any cheese or cheese sauce you like. Even store-bought queso cheese from the jar!
Condiments: It's optional, but adding a squeeze of French Fry Sauce is delicious in French Tacos. You could also use mayonnaise or ketchup, even relish.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📖 French Taco Substitutions
French Tacos are incredibly versatile so there's not just one way to make them and no standard recipe. This means you can mix, match, swap and adapt the ingredients to your liking.
Protein Options: Swap the ground beef for chicken nuggets (a delicious substitution). Use your favorite brand of store-bought frozen chicken nuggets. Cook the nuggets on the same baking sheet as the French fries. After baking, slice each nugget into small strips and layer them in the tortilla in place of beef.
Vegetarian Option: Not a meat eater? Leave it out or boost the filling with strips of cooked carrots or steamed zucchini.
Cheese Substitutions. If you enjoy Garlic Parmesan Cheese Sauce, you'll enjoy making a Gruyère cheese sauce. But you can use any variety of cheese in the cheese sauce. Sharp or mild cheddar are delicious options. Or take the really easy road and buy a jar of queso at the grocery store. You could even just use grated cheese.
More Options to add to your French Taco:
- Diced cooked bacon
- Crumbled and cooked ground sausage
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Add sliced pickles, dill or bread and butter
- Use barbeque sauce in place of other condiments
- Skip the condiments and double the cheese sauce
🥗 Step-by-Step Instructions
Pro Tip: As a time saver, bake the French fries while you prepare the other filling ingredients.
Follow the instructions on the bag of frozen French fries. You'll use about half of a 32-ounce bag of fries. The fries take about 20-25 minutes to bake. Here's what you do step-by-step while the fries are in the oven.
Step 1: in a 3 or 4-quart saucepan (medium-size pan) heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are softened and start to caramelize. Remove the onions from the pan. (Photo #1)
Step 2: To the same pan, add the pound of ground beef. Season it with garlic salt and pepper until the meat is fully cooked. Remove the beef from the pan and scoop it onto a plate covered in paper towels to drain. Set aside. (Photo #2)
Step 3: Place the same pan back on the stove. Turn the heat to medium. Add the butter and once it melts whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for about a minute. Add the milk and continue stirring until it thickens. Turn off the heat. Add the chopped fresh dill and grated cheese. (Photo #3)
Step 4: Whisk the ingredients until thoroughly combined and creamy. (Photo #4)
Step 5: Place a flour tortilla on a cutting board or large plate. Spread a scoop of cheese sauce in the middle then top with about ½ cup of ground beef, and ¼ cup of onions. (Photo #5)
Step 6: Top with 5 or 6 French fries then top with about a tablespoons of French fry sauce or your favorite condiment. As an option, add another spoonful of the cheese sauce on top. (Photo #6)
Step 7: Fold the sides of the tortilla together then fold the top and bottom over the top to form a square. (Photo #7)
Step 8: Place the French Taco on the hot griddle or skillet and heat until the tortilla is golden brown on both sides and until the filling ingredients are hot, about 4 minutes per side. (Photo #8)
Step 9: Adjust the heat as needed so the tortilla doesn’t get too brown. (Photo #9)
Step 10: Slice each taco in half and serve with sliced tomatoes and fresh dill or your favorite fresh herbs and veggies. (Photo #10)
💭 Recipe FAQs
Mexican tacos are spiced with cumin and chili powder and the taco shells are open to allow for the addition of fresh lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and salsa. French Tacos include a creamy cheese sauce and French fries, and all of the ingredients are folded into a large, flour tortilla.
Burrito-size flour tortillas are best. Flour tortillas are more sturdy and pliable for wrapping around the filling and the larger size ensures plenty of space for all the ingredients.
That's up to you. They can be if you season the beef (or other protein) with spicy seasoning or use a spicy condiment. French Tacos are pure comfort food full of unique flavors.
Absolutely. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for properly heating a panini sandwich. You'll want to cook it until the tortilla is crispy and the grill marks appear, likely about 5-7 minutes.
🍅 What to Serve with French Tacos
Fresh Veggies and Herbs: Sliced tomatoes with a few springs of fresh dill are wonderful alongside French Tacos, but use any combination of fresh vegetables or herbs that you enjoy. A crisp salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Dressing is another great option.
Salads and Sides: Since these tacos are heart, heavy eating choose salads or sides that are light and bright. Easy Edamame Salad is a great choice as is Mixed Bean Salad with its tangy balsamic glaze.
Pro Tip: French Tacos are rich and very filling. (I eat half of one in one sitting.) I recommend cutting each taco in half at an angle through the middle and serving them in half-sized portions. Super-hungry folks can eat more than one if they have room!
♨️ Leftovers and Storage
Storage: Store any French Tacos covered and in the refrigerator. Reheat and enjoy the leftovers within a week.
Reheating Leftovers: To reheat, warm them up in the microwave. Place each taco on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with waxed paper. Heat at medium power, and check the taco at 1-minute intervals until the filling is warm and the cheese sauce is melted.
Pro Tip: To replicate the texture of a French Taco when it's fresh from the griddle, preheat the oven to 325°F and place the leftover tacos on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a few drops of water, about half a teaspoon, on the top of each taco and place the baking sheet in the oven. (The water helps keep the tortillas from drying out in the oven.) Bake until the tortillas are heated and the filling is hot about 20 minutes.
⏲️ Make Ahead French Tacos
You can also assemble the tacos in advance, and cover and refrigerate them for up to one day before you cook them. Keep in mind, the chilled filling ingredients and the cold tortilla will require more time to heat up on the griddle or in the skillet.
👩🏻🍳 Other Tasty Recipes
French Tacos are a wonderful way to enjoy a hearty, fast-food favorite from France. Check out these other recipes from my website! These are some of my favorites!
If you make French Tacos I'd love to hear how they turn out. Please leave a 🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Leslie says
Where have these been all my life? Loving your french tacos!!
Nicole says
These french tacos were so delicious! I have never tried something like this before and it was a great recipe.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thank you Nicole!
Swathi says
Loved this french tacos. it is nice to flavor different from my usual tacos recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Oscar says
These French Tacos were amazing! The creamy cheese sauce and combination of ingredients made for a delicious and filling meal.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thank you Oscar, I'm glad you enjoyed them! And yes, they are filling. Very!
Liz says
My kids thought this was the best dinner we've had in weeks. It will now be on our meal rotation--it was definitely a hit!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Great to hear Liz! French Tacos are 100% "kid friendly." Thank you for the five star rating.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
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