Crispy Beef Tacos

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These Crispy Beef Tacos are SO good! They're filled with saucy taco-seasoned beef, plenty of melty Cheddar, and served with a creamy cilantro-lime dipping sauce.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crispy Beef Tacos

Servings: tacos

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $14.92

Ingredients

Taco Beef

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
1 batch taco seasoning see note 1
1/2 cup mild picante sauce or salsa
1 (16-ounce) can chili beans undrained, see note 2
8 small flour tortillas fajita-sized
2-1/2 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided
2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil for shallow frying
Toppings as desired see note 3

Cilantro-Lime Sauce

2 to 3 large limes (1/4 cup juice, 1 tsp zest)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper (1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper)

US - Metric

Instructions

Beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sear for 30 seconds before breaking it apart. Cook, crumbling the beef as it browns, and sprinkle in the taco seasoning. Once the beef is deeply browned and cooked through, reduce the heat to low. Stir in the picante sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the undrained chili beans and simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Sauce: Add lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, mayo, salt, and pepper to a blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and blend again until creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble: Lay the tortillas flat. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of cheese over one half of each tortilla. Spoon the beef filling on top, then finish with another 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the tortilla over and gently press to hold everything together. (Avoid overfilling the tacos or they'll be difficult to fry.) Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Fry: Add enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet (about 2 to 4 tablespoons) and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, fry 2 to 3 tacos at a time, leaving plenty of space between them. Cook for about 1 minute per side, or until deeply golden and crisp. Carefully flip each taco using a metal spatula underneath and a fork on top to help keep it together. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Add more oil between batches as needed.
Serve immediately with the cilantro-lime sauce for dipping.

Notes

Note 1: You can use a packet, but nothing beats this homemade blend! 1 tablespoon ground chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Note 2: Chili beans are simply pinto or red beans in a mildly seasoned chili sauce. They add extra flavor and make the filling heartier without any additional prep.

Note 3: Serve these tacos with all your favorite toppings. I love avocado or guacamole, pico de gallo or diced tomatoes, and plenty of sour cream.

Storage: These tacos are best eaten right after frying. Store the beef filling and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days, then assemble and fry fresh.

Nutrition