Description

These Crispy Beef Tacos are baked instead of fried, making them a deliciously crunchy and convenient meal. Ground beef is seasoned with taco spices and cooked with diced green chiles, garlic, and lime juice. The mixture is stuffed into corn tortillas with melted colby jack cheese, then baked until perfectly crispy. Served with a smoky chipotle crema and your choice of fresh toppings, these tacos are sure to be a family favorite.

Ingredients

Scale

For the tacos

1 Tbsp oil (can use canola, vegetable, or olive oil)
1 lb ground beef (85% lean/15% fat or 90/10)
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (store-bought packet)
1/2 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz colby jack cheese, shredded, divided
8-10, 6-inch white or yellow corn tortillas

Chipotle crema

1/2 cup – 3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp honey or sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste

For serving

Sour cream
Shredded lettuce, finely chopped
Fresh cilantro
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Pickled red onions

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Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly oil or spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray. Set aside the baking sheets.
Cook the ground beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, then drain the excess fat.
Season the beef mixture: Return the skillet to the heat and add taco seasoning, water, minced garlic, lime juice, diced green chiles, salt, and pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally until most of the moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Add cheese to beef mixture: Stir in 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese until melted and combined. Remove the skillet from heat.
Prepare tortillas: Wrap the tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 45-60 seconds, flipping halfway through. If still not pliable, microwave an additional 10 seconds.
Assemble tacos: On one half of each tortilla, spread about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over to seal and lightly brush the top with a little oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, aiming to make about 8-10 tacos without overfilling.
Bake the tacos: Place up to 6 tacos on each prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until hot and crispy. There’s no need to flip them during baking.
Make the chipotle crema: While the tacos bake, blend Mexican crema or sour cream, chipotle peppers in adobo, honey, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve: Serve the crispy beef tacos warm with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions alongside the chipotle crema.

Notes

Store leftover tacos in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, bake the tacos in the oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for roughly 1 minute until warmed through.
Microwaving the tortillas before filling makes them pliable and prevents cracking when folded.
Be careful not to overfill the tacos to avoid filling spilling out during baking.
You can substitute Mexican crema with sour cream if unavailable.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 taco
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 450 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 18 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg