Description
These Crispy Beef Tacos are baked to perfection instead of fried, offering a deliciously crunchy texture with juicy seasoned ground beef and melty cheese inside. Served with a smoky chipotle crema and your favorite fresh toppings, these tacos make a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tacos
- 1 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, or olive oil)
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean/15% fat or 90/10)
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (from a packet for convenience)
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil or spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Cook Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Add Seasoning: Return skillet to burner and add taco seasoning, water, minced garlic, lime juice, diced green chiles, salt, and pepper. Cook until most moisture evaporates, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Add Cheese: Stir in 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese until well combined. Turn off heat and remove skillet from burner.
- Prepare Tortillas: Wrap tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 60 seconds, flipping halfway through, to make tortillas pliable and prevent breaking. If needed, microwave an additional 10 seconds.
- Assemble Tacos: Spread about 1/4 cup of beef mixture on half of each tortilla. Top with a little shredded cheese and fold tortilla over to seal. Lightly brush the tops with a small amount of oil.
- Bake Tacos: Arrange tacos on baking sheets (about 6 at a time). Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and crispy. No need to flip.
- Make Chipotle Crema: While tacos bake, blend Mexican crema or sour cream, chipotle peppers, honey or sugar, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Adjust taste as desired.
- Serve: Serve baked crispy tacos with chipotle crema and your favorite toppings such as sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions.
Notes
- Store leftover tacos in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for 1 minute.
- Do not overfill the tortillas to prevent filling from spilling out and creating a mess.
- Microwaving the tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel makes them more pliable and easier to fold without cracking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
