Tacos stand as one of Mexico's most iconic and sought-after culinary treasures, combining mouthwatering appeal and quickness of preparation.
Let's dive into a 20-minute classic ground beef tacos recipe, including some extra customization tips.
INGREDIENTS
- 1lb ground beef, 2 tbsp tomato paste, ⅔ cup water, 8 Mama Grande’s corn tortillas.
- For seasoning: 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp (or to taste) salt, 1 tsp (or to taste) pepper.
- For serving: chopped lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican cheese blend), chopped tomatoes, chopped red onions.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Brown ground beef over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add seasoning mixture, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
- Meanwhile, prepare your tortillas with one of the following methods:
- Soft shell (corn or flour tortillas): Slightly warm them up in a microwave, on a stove, or in a preheated oven; then, put some beef and toppings in the center of your tortilla and fold it in half; enjoy your taco while holding its shape with your hands.
- Hard shell - fried (corn tortillas only): Fill a pan with 1 inch of oil (preferably neutral oil); let the oil heat to roughly 350°F; fry half tortilla while holding the other half with a tong; when the first half is golden and crispy, flip the tortilla and fry the raw side while holding a taco shell shape with the tong; then, give an extra fry to the bottom of the shell, if needed; during the whole process, puncture the bubbles that might form on the tortilla during the frying process.
- Hard shell - oven (corn tortillas only): While you prepare beef and seasoning, preheat the oven to 350-375°F and put some foil on the bottom to catch any oil drippings; microwave the tortillas for a few seconds to make them more pliable; use a light coat of oil or spray on both sides to turn them crispy; using a tong, position the tortillas directly on the oven rack and fold two sides towards the bottom (through the rack’s spaces) to give them a taco shape; bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the tortillas are golden and crispy and carefully remove from the oven using tongs.
- As soon as your taco shells are ready, fill them up with seasoned beef and topping, and you can now enjoy this Mexican goodness!
- Customization tips: to customize your tacos, you can adjust seasoning and toppings to your liking. However, the main difference in terms of customization lies in choosing your favorite shell type (listed above) and tortilla variety. In fact, our website offers a wide catalog of tortillas to choose from, each with unique flavor, texture, color, and nutritional features.
You can stick with the classic options for simplicity and tradition, or explore new varieties for a special twist on your tacos… Either way, a delicious and fun adventure awaits you!
Start preparation 👈🏻