I have a confession. Up until recently, I was a taco spice packet user. I tried to make my own spice mixture, but it was just never as pungent as the kind from the yellow packet. After taking a gander at the nutritional information, and the whopping amount of sodium (I’m a salt lover folks, but come on. How do they pack that much sodium into that tiny little package? The world may never know) I decided it was time to ditch the packet for good!
As far as taco shell selection goes, we like to fry our own corn tortillas in this house. Every once in a while I get a hankering for a boxed shell that you just warm up in the oven. But, there is definitely something to be said for the pan-fried corn tortillas. They aren’t soft, yet they aren’t completely crispy either. I find that the outer portion of the shell gets nice and crispy, while the center stays soft and pliable.
I’m sure this recipe would be just as wonderful with ground turkey or chicken as well.
Beef Tacos
1 lb ground beef (at least 80/20)
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank’s)
1/2 cup jarred salsa
12 6-inch corn tortillas
4 tbsp vegetable oil
kosher salt, for seasoning taco shells
iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 roma tomatoes, diced
shredded cheddar cheese
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef to hot skillet, breaking up with your hands as you add to the pan. Cook until beef begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove most of the grease from pan (leave a little bit for flavors sake!) and add chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to bring out the flavor in the spices. Add in the hot sauce and the salsa. Cook for another minute to warm through, then place the beef into a bowl, cover, and set aside.
In a clean skillet warm 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Fry tortillas in pan for about 1 minute on each side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and season with a pinch of salt. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
I like to serve with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomato, red onion, hot sauce, and sour cream. Or, whatever floats your boat!
Leftover taco meat is good for stuffed peppers, taco salad, or quesadillas.
16 Comments
These look great! I made a taco spice blend that turned out very good. I got it off of recipezaar, I think.
Mmmmm. These look delicious! I have heard you can fry a corn tortilla to make shells. I haven’t been brave enough to attempt it yet though.
Theses look wonderful. We love tacos in our house.
Love tacos! In fact, I prefer the hard shell. Like you, I will admit that I also use the taco seasoning packet. Looks like you made the leap to spicing up your ground beef with a variety of spices. I need to make that leap too.
By the way, I have been taking lots of photos here in Holland. Looking forward to updating my blog when I get home. There is so much that I want to write about!
Oh wow, I am definitely craving one of these. Who can resist a luscious beef taco. YUM!
Yum! I love using pan fried corn tortillas for tacos, too. SO tasty!
I don’t know how thye squeeze that much salt into those tiny spice packages. Maybe they use dehydrated salt or something
Ever try using Chipotle Chilis in Adobo sauce in your filling? I don’t ever remember seeing it before I moved to Wichita. Oh man it’s good stuff. Smokey and spicy. Yum!
Karen – I have thought about using chipotle…but was worried it would be too chipotle-ey. I will definitely try this next time around though.
I always have a can in the pantry, and usually leftovers from the previous can in the freezer. It is really good stuff!
I love that you made your own seasoning. Great picture too.
These look AWESOME!
Fantastic as always!
Yay for making your own spice mix! These look amazing…tacos are a total comfort food for me. I always find salt content amazing too especially because if I included that much salt in my recipes they would be inedible…they must do something to disguise it.
I agree about that little yellow spice packet, but I admit I sometimes grab it in a pinch. I’m loving the look of your tortillas! Wow, they are perfect.
OMG, I love your blog and I love that you fried the flour tortillas. I too, always wonder why so much sodium has to be packed into small amounts of food. My body sure can’t take it without rebellion!
This looks fresh & delicious! I also find the sodium content in those seasoning packets appalling! (but that doesn’t mean I don’t have 1 or 2 of the low sodium packets hanging out in my cabinet…)
It is shocking isn’t that they can pack so much sodium into most processed foods. I much prefer your version here. It sounds fresh and delicious. Have a good new year!