Description
A simple and crowd-pleasing twist on classic tacos, featuring seasoned beef, melted cheese, and crunchy shells.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup tomato sauce or salsa
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 8 hard taco shells
- 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend)
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
- Sour cream (optional)
- Guacamole (optional)
- Jalapeño slices (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and stand taco shells upright in a baking dish.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add ground beef and diced onion, and cook until the beef is browned.
- Drain excess fat from the skillet, add minced garlic and taco seasoning, and stir for 1 minute.
- Pour in the tomato sauce or salsa, stir, and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the seasoned beef evenly into the taco shells and top with a generous amount of shredded cheese.
- Bake the tacos for 10–15 minutes until the cheese melts and the shells are crisp and lightly golden.
- Remove tacos from the oven and add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole, jalapeños, or hot sauce.
Notes
For extra crisp, broil for 1 minute at the end—watch closely. Warm the shells slightly before filling to reduce cracking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 tacos
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg