Waffle tacos use up lots of kitchen extras!

I’m a sucker for tamales, but have never been interested in the work it takes to make them. So I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are easy, but evoke that tamale goodness. These so-called Waffle Tacos are one such recipe. It’s become a favorite in our house and it’s a powerful food waste fighter. 

So, why am I calling them Waffle Tacos and not Waffle Tamales? Well, first off, “Waffle Tacos” sounds better, right? Second, while the waffle base is decidedly tamale adjacent, the final product is more like an open faced taco. And, full disclosure: you’d never fold these in half to eat like a classic taco (which I suppose raises the question of whether these are even tacos at all, but, well, I’m committed now, so let’s keep going). 

The key ingredient here is masa harina, the flour made from corn that’s been specially soaked to break down its hull and make nutrients more accessible. It’s the backbone of many Latin American specialties, like tacos, tamales and pupusas. Don’t substitute anything that’s simply “corn meal,” (or if you do, let me know how it goes!); you’ll definitely get a different result. 

The use-it-up powers of this recipe start with the waffle batter. It calls for milk, but you can also use:

• Milk on the edge, that’s just starting to smell off (for more on assessing “sour” milk head here)
• Yogurt water. Stay with me – whenever you use up a container of yogurt, slosh some water around in the container to get the last bits. Freeze that “yogurt water” until you have enough for a recipe like this. 
• Defrosted milk. If, like us, you freeze milk before you head out of town, this is a perfect use for it. Milk doesn’t defrost in a way that makes for good drinking, but it will be great for this recipe.
• Alternative milks. Soy, nut, pea? While I haven’t tried it myself, I suspect alternative milks would do fine in this recipe. 
• Broth. Feel free to use broth for some of the liquid components of the recipe. I haven’t tried this yet myself, but have used broth in other masa harina recipes. Let me know how it goes if you do
• A combination of the milks and broth until you get to the required amount of liquid. 

The toppings you offer can also be a free-for-all fridge clean out. For me, any Tex-Mex or Latin American flavor profiles are a great fit. Tomatoes, peppers, avocados, black beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, pickled red onions, maybe some lettuce and some shakes of Frank’s RedHot are go-tos in our house. Beyond those, however, there are truly so many options. 

I also don’t want to claim full credit for this recipe. The original is from King Arthur Baking Company. I’ve simplified it and made it friendlier for using up ingredients, but here’s their Savory Masa Harina Waffle recipe. 

Waffle tacos

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• Author: Rachael Jackson

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Description

Waffle Tacos are fun, delicious and use up lots of extras.

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Ingredients

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For Waffle Tacos:

• 1 ⅔ cups masa harina
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk/broth/nut milk/yogurt water (see note below)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted.

For toppings
We like to use the following, but see what works for you.

• Diced tomatoes
• Diced peppers
• Lettuce
• Pickled onions
• Chopped avocado
• Black beans
• Sour cream
• Frank’s RedHot

The King Arthur version of this dish calls for a mango salsa here’s their recipe.

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Instructions

 

1. In a large bowl, mix the masa harina, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and onion powder.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and melted butter.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until they’re just combined.

4. Let the mixture rest while you set up the waffle maker.

5. Scoop waffle batter into the waffle maker in whatever amount feels right to you – experiment as you do.

6. King Arthur recommends cooking until the steam stops seeping from the iron and the cooked waffle easily separates. I usually eyeball it and rely on my waffle maker to turn on its green light.

7. Serve hot; if possible, you may want to stash the waffles in a toaster oven or the oven at a “keep warm” temperature of 200 or so as you work your way through the batter.

8. Make sure to top with whatever toppings sound good! I usually prep my toppings while the waffles are cooking.