Classic American Tacos
For many of us, this classic combination of ground beef, shredded lettuce, and cheese were the tacos we grew up with.
It wasn’t until later in life that we learned that other than being called tacos, this version had little to do with real Mexican cuisine.
This taco recipe is still one of my favorite comfort foods. We regularly make up a batch of taco meat and keep it in the fridge for quick lunches and dinners.
A couple of tips for making better tacos are to mix up the spices and the taco sauce with a little water before adding it to the ground beef.
A great substitute for the seasoning is our Southwest Seasoning which can be kept around the house. Using our homemade Red Enchilada Sauce in place of the taco sauce creates even better tasting tacos filled with Southwestern flavors.
Mixing everything this way helps to distribute the flavors throughout the ground beef and creates a little sauce that makes the tacos taste better.
If you’re making nachos, burritos, or enchiladas you can use our taco meat recipe.
A couple of dishes that go well with this recipe are Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Pinto Beans with Chilies.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup white onion, minced
- 1 4 oz can roasted green chilis, diced
Spice Mixture
- 1/3 cup taco sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Taco Fixins
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 8 to 10 tortillas, hard or soft
- Taco sauce
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté the onion and roasted green chilis in a little oil, add in the ground beef to brown. Make sure to stir the ground beef regularly to break it into small bits.
- While the meat is browning, mix the taco sauce, water, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together.
- Once the ground beef has finished browning, drain any extra liquid, and turn the heat down to a low simmer.
- Add in the seasonings and cook covered for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, to incorporate all the flavors.
- To make the tacos, warm the tortillas and top with a couple of ounces of ground beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce.
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
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