Hairy Bikers Chilli Salad Bowls Recipe

Hairy Bikers chilli salad bowls are spiced beef mince in crispy baked tortilla bowls with lettuce, tomatoes, Cheddar, and crème fraîche, and they come from The Hairy Dieters cookbook at 397 calories. The whole thing takes about 40 minutes since the tortilla bowls bake while the chilli simmers.

Si and Dave call this “one of the gutsiest salads we’ve come up with,” and the trick is shaping the bowls by draping oiled tortillas over a ball of scrunched-up foil. Five minutes at 200°C sets the shape, then you press them on an upturned glass to flatten the base.

The chilli cooks with the lid off at the end on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the liquid is gone, because dry mince is what keeps the tortilla crisp underneath. Si and Dave designed the filling to sit on top of the salad rather than soaking through it.

Hairy Bikers Chilli Salad Bowls Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Mexican Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 35 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:397 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Spiced beef mince in homemade crispy tortilla bowls topped with shredded lettuce, vine tomatoes, Cheddar, crème fraîche, and salsa. From Si and Dave’s Hairy Dieters at 397 calories, with the foil ball trick for shaping the bowls at home.

Ingredients

For the chilli

• 300g lean minced beef (less than 10% fat)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 300ml beef stock (1 stock cube)
• Flaked sea salt and black pepper

For the bowls and salad

• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 romaine or 3 baby gem lettuces, thickly shredded
• 3 vine tomatoes, sliced
• 15cm piece of cucumber, sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• Juice of ½ lime
• 40g mature Cheddar, grated
• 4 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
• 4 tbsp fresh tomato salsa

Instructions

1. Start the chilli: Put the mince, onion, and garlic in a non-stick saucepan over high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring with two wooden spoons to break up clumps. Add the cumin, coriander, and chilli powder, then cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Simmer: Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 30 minutes.
3. Make the tortilla bowls: Preheat the oven to 200°C (Fan 180°C, Gas 6). Scrunch a metre of foil into a ball about 10cm across and place it on a baking sheet. Brush the centre of a tortilla with oil, drape it over the foil ball oil-side down, and pinch into a bowl shape. Bake for 5 minutes until crisp.
4. Shape the base: Remove from the oven and press the hot tortilla onto an upturned glass to create a flat base. Repeat with the remaining tortillas one at a time.
5. Dry the chilli: Take the lid off and turn the heat up high. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid has gone and the mince looks dry.
6. Assemble: Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and spring onions with the lime juice. Fill each tortilla bowl with salad, top with hot mince, grated Cheddar, crème fraîche, and salsa.

FAQs

Can I use ready-made taco shells instead?

Si and Dave say taco shells work and are lower in calories than tortillas, so you can have more filling. The homemade foil method gives bigger bowls that hold more salad, but shop-bought shells save time on a weeknight.

Why does the chilli need to be dry?

Wet mince soaks through the tortilla base and turns it soggy within minutes. Si and Dave cook the liquid off on high heat at the end deliberately, which is why the recipe says to stir constantly for those last 4 to 5 minutes.

Can I make the tortilla bowls ahead?

They crisp up nicely but lose their crunch after about an hour, so make them just before serving. Reheating does not bring the crispness back, and Si and Dave designed this as an assemble-and-eat dish.

How is this different from the main chilli recipe?

This Dieters version uses lean mince cooked without oil and simmers for 30 minutes, while the Hairy Bikers chilli con carne from Meat Feasts uses both mince and diced steak with dark chocolate for a much richer result.

What else can I put in the bowls?

The Hairy Bikers vegetarian chilli works well as a meat-free filling since the three-bean version is thick enough to hold its shape. Guacamole, pickled jalapeños, or sliced avocado all fit the Mexican theme.