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Say hello to your new favorite taco recipe — Crunchy Baked Beef Tacos!
If you’ve been following for a while, you have probably cooked my Crunchy Baked Turkey Tacos, a Defined Dish staple. If you haven’t, they are a delicious turkey taco filling stuffed into grain-free tortillas with dairy-free queso and baked until crispy on the edges and soft in the center — aka, the best way to have a taco.
Here, I’ve taken those same elements but swapped in ground beef and sharp cheddar cheese for a classic beef taco recipe. The beef filling is seasoned with all of the classics you have on hand plus diced green chiles, then added to tortillas with sharp cheddar. After they back to crispy perfection, they are stuffed with lettuce, tomato, and cilantro and then served alongside your favorite hot sauce and lime wedges. What’s not to love about these? I know you and your families will absolutely love these Crunchy Baked Beef Tacos. They are truly foolproof and I cannot wait for you all to try!
For More Taco Recipes:
Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos
Crunchy Blackened Salmon Tacos with Serrano Slaw
Crunchy Baked Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- avocado oil you’ll use about 3-4 tablespoons total
- 1/4 cup very finely diced white onion
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 [4-ounce] can diced green chiles I use hot, but you can opt for the mild ones if you prefer
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 tortillas I use Siete Foods grain-free tortillas and I prefer either the cassava blend or almond flour
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For Serving:
- 1/2 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce, about 1/4 head of lettuce
- 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced small
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- your favorite hot sauce
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Add the onions, ground beef, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a spoon, until it is cooked through and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. You want to really break up the meat so it’s super small and there are no large chunks. Drain off any excess fat, but reserve about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
- Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring until spices are fragrant and incorporated into the meat, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced green chiles (undrained) and the tomato paste into the meat and toss until well combined with the meat and there are no lumps.
- Remove from heat, cover, and keep the meat mixture warm while you prepare the tortillas.
- In a small, separate non-stick skillet, heat 1/2 tsp of avocado oil over medium-high heat and quickly fry 1 tortilla (about 30 seconds on each side) until flexible and easy to fold. Set the tortilla on the prepared baking sheet and scoop about 2 tablespoons of beef onto one side of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle about 2 tablespoon of cheese onto the beef then gently fold the tortilla in half, forming a taco. Continue frying, filling, and folding the tacos (adding more oil to the skillet as needed) until you’ve used all the filling.
- If for some reason the tops of your tortillas look dry, either brush or spray with avocado oil to ensure they will crisp up in the oven. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and cook until the tacos are crispy and golden browned on the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool just until you can handle the tacos. Using your hands, gently open the tacos to fill with the sliced lettuce, diced tomatoes, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve with lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Can you omit the green chiles? My toddler won’t go near anything green in his tacos.
Super easy to prepare and very flavorful. I opted to put my tacos in the oven (sprayed with some olive oil) and baked a few minutes at 400 to get crisp. Just personal preference not to fry. Will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks.
These are so great and EASY! They really taste best with the almond flour siete tortillas IMO, since those get nice and crispy quickly without being chewy.
I used goat cheddar since I’m cows milk intolerant and it was still delicious! Easy and delicious tacos for any night of the week!
Added some chorizo to the mix and subbed the green chilis and tomato past for some mild salsa. Also subbed the tortillas out for corn tortillas! Had to work with what I got 😆this recipe was a hit!!! Served with homemade guac and 👌 thanks Alex for another fab recipe!!!
Very well received for dinner tonight! I always have a premixed jar of taco seasoning on hand so that made it even easier! I used regular corn tortillas which are maybe a bit smaller than the siete ones, so I easily made 12 tacos! Can’t wait to eat again for lunch!