The Best Ground Beef Tacos Ever

These ground beef tacos are the absolute best and so easy to make they will surely become a go-to weeknight meal in your household that everyone will enjoy! The ground beef is deliciously seasoned with a homemade taco spice mixture and served in soft corn tortillas. Top them with pickled onions and Pico de Gallo and you have yourself an incredibly tasty and healthy lunch or dinner!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings (tacos)

INGREDIENTS

GROUND BEEF TACOS

454 g lean ground beef

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground Mexican chilies powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

½ cup tomato passata or ground canned tomatoes

8 soft corn or flour tortillas, warmed

QUICK PICO DE GALLO

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or 1 regular sized tomatoes diced

½ small sweet or Vidalia onion, diced (if you only have regular yellow onions, soak the diced onions in iced water then drain and use; this helps make them milder)

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

pinch of salt

PICKLED ONIONS

1 red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

¾ cup warm water

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons beet sauerkraut juice (optional, adds a briny touch and extra purple tint to the onions)

TACO FILLING IDEAS

· avocado, sliced or guacamole

· Pico de Gallo

· freshly squeezed lime

· fresh cilantro

· plain yogurt dollops

· pickled onions

HOW TO MAKE THESE GROUND BEEF TACOS

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. With ground beef, I rarely add any oil to the skillet because it tends to be fattier. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.

2. Cook the ground beef, stirring and breaking apart the beef often, until it begins to brown. Add in the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and salt, mix well and let cook until the beef is browned. Add the tomatoes and let it cook an additional 2-3 minutes. N.B. This step can be done ahead of time. Just reheat the seasoned ground beef mixture by adding 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth until meat is heated through.

3. Serve the ground beef in warm soft corn tortillas (I simply placed mine in a steamer for a few minutes to warm them up, but you can also simply warm them in the oven or in a pan). You can also use flour tortillas or hard-shelled tacos; I just prefer the taste of the corn and a soft taco.

4. Top with Pico de Gallo, pickled onions, fresh cilantro, a dollop of yogurt, a fresh squeeze of lime, and devour! You can also top these with sliced avocado and queso fresco or Cotija for an authentic Mexican experience, if not an aged white cheddar cheese or feta cheese also work well.

HOW TO MAKE THE PICO DE GALLO

1. Prepare and combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well and let sit for at least 30 minutes before digging into it in order to help the flavors fully develop.

HOW TO MAKE THE PICKLED ONIONS

1. Slice the onion crosswise very thinly and add it to a Weck or Mason glass jar.

2. Pour the water into a medium bowl and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add in the sugar and salt and mix until dissolved, then whisk in the vinegar and the beet juice.

3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions, making sure the onion slices are well covered by the liquid and let sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before using or refrigerating.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I'd love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below or share a photo of it on Instagram. Tag @thefoodfullife on Instagram and hashtag it #foodfullife #foodfuleats #foodful

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