Portabello Tacos with Chipotle Aioli

This weekend, we celebrated my grandmother’s 90th birthday, which meant I made a trip from Costa Rica to Alabama. I had a planned overnight layover in Dallas and made the most of the few hours I was there by ordering my favorite tacos. You know Chick-Fil-A is on my shortlist of US must-haves, but anytime I’m in Texas, Torchy’s Tacos also makes the list. So while on my layover, I enjoyed a hotel room feast of tacos and queso, while watching an intense episode of House Hunters. Solo travel is riveting. Years ago, Torchy’s discontinued my all-time favorite taco, which they called “the independent.” It had crispy portabello mushrooms, loads of veggies, refried beans and a spicy, creamy sauce and I’ve been missing it ever since. I’ve been burned by plenty of copycat recipes and for the most part, I stear clear. I’d rather wait for the real thing to get my fix. But, since I can’t have the real thing when it comes to this taco, this is my version. And I must say, it’s pretty darn close to the one I remember. But, even if you’ve never had a Torchy’s independent taco, if you like mushrooms even a little bit, you will LOVE this taco. Creamy refried beans, crispy baked portabello strips, crunchy shredded carrots, buttery avocado, sweet corn, salty feta and that spicy sauce. Oh man, It’s good. And easy! For your next taco tuesday or meatless monday, make these tacos. You will be glad you did.

Cleaning the portabello mushrooms

If you aren’t really familiar with portabello mushrooms, cleaning and prepping is an important first step. As with all mushrooms, it is best not to run them directly under water or soak them in water. They are little sponges and soak up that moisture. It gives them a rubbery texture that isn’t very pleasant. Instead, use a damp paper towel or cloth and gently wipe off the tops to remove any dirt. This should be done immediately before using. After cleaning the tops, flip your mushroom over and carefully twist the stem and pull to remove it. In smaller mushroom varieties, the stem is fine to leave on. But, in portabellos it can be really tough. It would also make cutting our strips a little tricky. Then, using a spoon, scrape the gills off the underside of the mushroom as well. They can sometimes be a little bitter and for this recipe, we want to remove them. Slice your mushrooms into strips about a half inch wide. For this recipe, I like to look for the biggest portabellos I can find because it makes it easier to get those nice, long strips.

Breading the mushrooms

Once you have your mushroom strips ready to go, it’s time to coat them. In a gallon sip top bag or in a large container with a lid, add your mushroom strips and the flour. If using the zip top bag, seal, but don’t remove any air. Very gently, turn your mushrooms in their container until coated in the flour. In a separate shallow dish, mix up the egg wash with egg and water. And in another, add the panko breadcrumbs, salt, garlic, and chili powder. Mix together. Dip the flour coated mushroom in the egg wash to fully coat, then place in the breadcrumbs. Using your fingers or a spoon, cover the mushroom strip with breadcrumbs and gently press the breadcrumbs so they adhere. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place the mushrooms on the baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the mushrooms are breaded. You may need a second baking sheet or an additional small baking sheet. You want to be sure the mushroom strips are not touching. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack in an oven that has been preheated to 425. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and flip the mushroom strips. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

All about the toppings

While your mushrooms are baking, it’s time to get the toppings ready. This is where you can put in as much or as little effort as you’d like. You can make your own refried beans or open a can and heat them up. Refried black beans only, please. You can boil or roast your own corn and remove the kernels yourself, or buy a bag of frozen corn kernels. Bonus points if you can find fire-roasted frozen corn kernels. I will ask you nicely to grate your own carrots. Please, don’t buy the pregrated flavorless, dry bag. It takes 30 seconds. Slice your avocado and crumble your feta. In a small bowl, mix together your favorite mayonnaise and the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo. My favorite brand for salsas, chipotles, and any other latin ingredients is hands down Herdez, so if you happen to find anything in that brand. Grab it! Set aside your sauce and toppings until your mushrooms are ready.

Assembly

Want to know a secret to making your store-bought tortillas better? Heat them up in a hot pan. To do it, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once preheated, place one tortilla at a time in the pan. Let it heat for about 15 seconds, flip it, and heat for an additional 15 seconds or until it starts to puff up. As soon as it puffs up a little, remove and place it on a kitchen towel. Wrap it up to keep the heat in. Repeat the process, stacking the tortillas on top of each other and wraping them in the towel to keep them warm. Once you are ready to serve, spread about 2 tablespoons of black beens on the center of your tortilla. Layer a few portabello strips on the beans. Then top with shredded carrots, a slice of avocado, warm corn, crumbled feta and some of the chipotle aioli. Eat immediately. Want to make these tacos extra special? Serve them with this Authentic Hibiscus Tea for an extra special taco night.

What to do with leftovers

Cooking for 1 or 2 and know you will have leftovers? Store the mushrooms in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and have tacos twice in one week. To reheat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and place your mushroom strips on a baking tray. Heat for 5-8 minutes and they will crisp back up.