Weeknight Beef Tacos
Ground beef simmered with onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and tomato paste, spooned into warm tortillas with your choice of toppings.
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
Ingredients
A 12-inch skillet handles up to 2 pounds of beef. For more, brown the meat in batches so it browns instead of steaming.
For the filling
To serve
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet
- Second skillet for warming tortillas
Instructions
Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the beef. Cook, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula, until browned in spots with no pink left, 6–8 minutes.
Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 1 tbsp of the fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3–4 minutes.Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3–4 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly and coats the meat, 1 minute.
Pour in the water and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the liquid thickens and clings to the meat, 4–5 minutes. A thermometer pushed into a mound of the meat should read at least 160°F.Pour in the water and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the liquid thickens and clings to the meat, 4–5 minutes. A thermometer pushed into a mound of the meat should read at least 71°C.
While the filling simmers, warm the tortillas one or two at a time in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until soft and lightly spotted, 30–60 seconds per side. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Taste the filling and add more salt if needed. Spoon it into the tortillas and top with lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and cilantro, with lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- Chili powder here means the American spice blend, not pure ground chile, which is much hotter.
- Ground turkey works too. It is leaner, so cook it in 1 tbsp of oil, skip spooning off the fat, and cook it to 165°F.Ground turkey works too. It is leaner, so cook it in 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil, skip spooning off the fat, and cook it to 74°C.
- Refrigerate leftover filling within 2 hours and use it within 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot.
My notes
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Nutrition estimate
- Calories
- 390
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 19 g
Per serving, estimated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed amounts. Optional ingredients and to-taste seasoning are not included, and actual values vary by brand. How we estimate
