Description
These flavorful ground beef tacos are a quick and easy meal perfect for weeknights. Featuring a homemade blend of spices and fresh toppings like pico de gallo, cilantro, cheddar cheese, avocado, and pickled onions, this recipe offers a nostalgic twist reminiscent of classic 90s tacos. Serve in warm corn or flour tortillas, hard shells, or tortilla chips for a delicious and customizable dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Mixture
- 1 pound 85% to 93% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Pico de Gallo
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Toppings and Serving
- Corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- Hard shells or tortilla chips (optional)
- Sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- Avocado, diced
- Fresh cilantro
- Quick pickled onions
- (Optional) 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil for sautéing vegetables
- (Optional) 1 diced bell pepper
- (Optional) A few minced garlic cloves
Instructions
- Heat the skillet: Place a skillet over medium heat. For ground beef, adding oil is usually unnecessary due to its fat content, but if needed, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or your preferred cooking oil.
- Brown the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the hot skillet and break it apart using a wooden spoon. Stir frequently while cooking until the beef begins to brown evenly.
- Season the beef: Sprinkle in the ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Stir well to evenly distribute all the seasonings throughout the beef. Continue cooking until the meat is fully browned but not dry.
- Make it saucier (optional): If you prefer a moister, saucier filling, add 1 tablespoon of beef or vegetable stock or tomato sauce to the beef mixture and stir to combine. Cook until heated through.
- Prepare pico de gallo: Combine quartered cherry tomatoes, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss gently and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Heat tortillas: Warm corn or flour tortillas in the oven for a few minutes until pliable and slightly toasted.
- Optional sautéed peppers and onions: If you want to add peppers and onions, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, diced bell pepper, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the ground beef and follow the seasoning and browning steps.
- Assemble tacos: Spoon the seasoned ground beef into warm tortillas or hard taco shells. Top with pico de gallo, freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and quick pickled onions as desired.
Notes
- This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner and recalls the nostalgic flavors of 90s tacos with a homemade seasoning blend.
- You can adjust the spice levels by changing the amount of chili powder or adding fresh chilies.
- The beef can be made saucier by adding broth or tomato sauce according to personal preference.
- If desired, include sautéed bell peppers and onions for extra flavor and texture.
- Use corn tortillas for a gluten-free option.
- Store leftover beef and pico de gallo separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2 tacos with toppings)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
