I love to make tacos for the kids, but I am not a big fan of taco seasoning or just plain ground beef. I was looking for a balance between the two when I happened upon this little recipe that will make my taco nights complete!
This taco meat is the best taco meat in the world- truly! The mixture of tomato sauce and chicken broth take away the beefy taste and give it just the right hint of flavoring. Since my kids can’t handle the heavy spices, we modified the chili powder to 1 teaspoon and skipped the cayenne pepper.
You could top this meat on top of a big stack of tortilla chips or stuff your tacos with this meat. The recipe is yet another recipe that comes from one of the most invaluable cookbooks on my kitchen shelf, “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook” Pairing this with their homemade chicken enchiladas & homemade enchilada sauce would take a Mexican-themed dining experience to a whole new level!
Beef Tacos
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced (I use a tablespoon of the bottled minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (adjust to your personal taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound (90 percent lean) ground beef (or use a higher fat beef and rinse the meat)
1/2 cup smooth canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
8 taco shells
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened, about ten minutes. Season with salt to taste. Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve passing any desired accompaniments separately.
Make-Ahead Version: The filling can be fully prepared, cooled, covered tightly and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding additional water to adjust the consistency.
Mexican is one of my favorite things to get take-out for so I am hoping that my new recipes will replace my cravings for take-out.
What is your favorite take-out food? I will start testing recipes to fill those cravings for you guys too!
Thanks for the recipe! It sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I love mexican, but don’t like the taco seasoning packets.
My favorite mexican food is Qdoba. I’ve been trying to make my own version of their queso, but haven’t had any winners yet…
[Reply]
I've got ground beef in my fridge that I was going to brown & season for the freezer. I think I'll give this recipe a try. As usual, thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
this loks delicious. Its sort of the way I do my taco meat. I have never used the vinegar or brown sugar, I will try that next time. Yum!
[Reply]
That recipe sounds very yummy. Hubby really loves Mexican food; we usually have it once a week but I don’t like spending money on the taco seasoning. I have my own spice mix that I use but I will give this recipe a try. Here are some of our family favorite Mexican dishes that you can use your taco meat for.
http://katescreativekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/06/mexican-mash.html
This on is our favorite!!! Mexican Mesagna.
http://katescreativekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/08/meal-plan-monday.html
Hope you enjoy!
[Reply]
Our favorite take out is Chinese! I found a great recipe for General Tsao’s Chicken on Weight Watchers …it is really spicy though..I’m sure your kids would NOT appreciate it
[Reply]
I don’t know how similar it is to this recipe, but the Tightwad Gazette has a recipe for making your own taco seasoning mix – all natural!
[Reply]
the ATK books are THE best books in the world. I love the lemon pie in the desserts book. HEAVEN!
[Reply]
Awesome! I can’t use any taco seasonings anymore b/c of Noah’s dairy allergy, so I can’t wait to try this!
[Reply]
We do a lot of Mexican at home (because I lived in Texas but now live in Penn so I’m a Mexican food snob). I’d love more Chinese food recipes. Even though take-out tastes so good, I know it’s not always good for us!
[Reply]
Thanks for sharing, Amy! Hubby wanted tacos this week, I’m eager to try out your recipe! Heather
[Reply]
My favorite take out food is Chinese but I never can seem to make it as good at home as it is at Panda Express or other Chinese places. Any suggestions or recipies for things besides the basic Chinese stir-fry?
[Reply]
My 13 Year old daughter just said to me the other day that she wanted to experiment with spices to make her own taco seasoning. She is amazing in the kitchen.
This will give her a great place to start… because, I, the culinarily challenged… had no where for her to start… lol… except with Taco Bell seasoning.
[Reply]
I’m going to try this next time we have taco salad. Except we eat ground turkey. I just started making it w/o a packet, why haven’t I don’t this before?
[Reply]
everyone talks about not wanting to pay for taco seasoning come on 33 cents at Aldi’s will not make or break the bank. You pay more buying all the spices needed to season ones own
[Reply]
Well, I would probably worry less about the $.33 personally, but would be more concerned with the sodium content that is in those packets. Aldi does not offer a low-sodium variety. It is always nice to be able to control the ingredients that go into your dishes…
[Reply]
This is more suited to your tastes. In my opinion this dish is far too sweet for a meat based meal. Losing the brown sugar and tossing a minute amount of white sugar on some minced onions while sauteing would work wonders on it.
[Reply]