Crispy Beef Tacos with Hidden Veggies
These Crispy Beef Tacos are full of bold chipotle flavor, melty cheese, and hidden veggies. They are oven-baked, not fried, for a healthier option that still offers that amazing crunchy texture! Paired with a simple avocado cilantro lime dipping sauce, this is the perfect dinner recipe to add to your Taco Tuesday rotation.
Equipment
- large pan
- spatula
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Crispy Beef Tacos:
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef (I used grass-fed 85% lean)
- 8 oz frozen cauliflower rice
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo finely diced*
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce *
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- ½ cup water
- 12 corn tortillas
- 8 oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- cooking spray or more oil
For the Avocado Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce:
- ½ large avocado
- ¼ cup plain, full-fat greek yogurt
- ½ packed cup cilantro
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- juice from ½ lime
- 3 tbsp water
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 425F and line both baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add avocado oil. Then, add cauliflower rice and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes. Next, add in ground beef and break apart with your spatula. Continue to let it cook until browned (about 4 more minutes).1 tsp avocado oil, 8 oz frozen cauliflower rice, ½ large yellow onion, 1 lb ground beef
- Then, add in garlic, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, seasonings and water. Stir to incorporate, and allow it to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, and set aside.3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 tbsp adobo sauce, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, kosher salt & black pepper, ½ cup water
- Add corn tortillas to your baking sheets (6 on each). Lightly spray each side of the tortilla with cooking spray or brush with oil. Then, transfer to the pre-heated oven for 3 minutes. This will help the tortillas become pliable so you can fold them without any breakage - don't skip this step!12 corn tortillas, cooking spray
- Add a thin layer of cheese to one half of each tortilla. Then, layer on the ground beef mixture - you may have a little bit extra, depending how heavily you fill them. Finally, add another thin layer of cheese on top. Fold the tortillas in half and use your hands to firmly press down on the tortilla so that it stays closed.8 oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- Transfer baking sheets back to the oven for 12 minutes, then gently flip the tacos and cook for another 12 minutes, or until crispy.
- While the tacos are baking, add all of the avocado cilantro lime dipping sauce ingredients to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Feel free to adjust the amount of water to get it to your desired consistency.½ large avocado, ¼ cup plain, full-fat greek yogurt, ½ packed cup cilantro, juice from ½ lime, 3 tbsp water, kosher salt, 1 garlic clove
- Serve the crispy beef tacos with some avocado cilantro lime dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
*NOTE: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce come in a small can, and can be found in the international section of the grocery store. For this recipe, you'll need two of the peppers (finely diced) and 1 tbsp of the sauce that comes in the can. NUTRITION INFO: The nutrition info listed below is only an estimate and will vary based on what brand of corn tortillas you use (I used Mi Tierra brand), as well as if you have any leftover ground beef filling that doesn't get used.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg