Description
These Crispy Beef Tacos are baked instead of fried, making them a deliciously crunchy and flavorful alternative. Featuring seasoned ground beef, melty colby jack cheese, and a smoky chipotle crema, they’re perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or casual gathering.
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 (packet or homemade)
- 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
For the 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 and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly oil or spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray to prevent sticking and set them aside.
- Cook Ground Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat carefully.
- Season Beef Mixture: Return the skillet to the burner and stir in the taco seasoning, water, minced garlic, lime juice, diced green chiles, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- Add Cheese to Beef: Stir in 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese until well combined. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Warm Tortillas: Wrap the tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 45-60 seconds, flipping halfway through to make them pliable and prevent breaking. If needed, microwave for an additional 10 seconds.
- Assemble Tacos: Working on one half of each tortilla, spread about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture down the center. Top with a little shredded cheese, then fold the tortilla over to seal. Lightly brush the tops of each taco with oil.
- Bake Tacos: Arrange 6 tacos on each prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tacos are hot and crispy. No flipping is necessary.
- Make Chipotle Crema: While tacos bake, combine Mexican crema or sour cream, chipotle peppers, honey, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Serve the crispy baked beef tacos hot with chipotle crema and your favorite toppings like sour cream, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions.
Notes
- Store leftover tacos in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven for about 10 minutes to retain crispiness or microwave for about 1 minute for convenience.
- Microwaving the tortillas before assembling helps prevent them from cracking or breaking during folding and baking.
- Be careful not to overfill the tacos to avoid filling spilling out and making a mess.
- You can substitute Mexican crema with sour cream if unavailable.
- For a spicier crema, add an extra chipotle pepper or a dash of adobo sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
