September 23, 2020

Ground Beef Baked Tacos

Name: Ground Beef Baked Tacos
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp cumin; 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper powder; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp water; 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend; 12 street taco size white corn tortillas (about 5.5″ in diameter)

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This Ground Beef Baked Tacos recipe is the perfect taco recipe for any party or gathering! Prepare these baked tacos ahead of time and allow family or guests to add their own toppings.

Do you need to cook tacos for a crowd?

Do away with the taco buffet and try some ground beef baked tacos instead. For each pound of ground beef, you can make 12 of these mini baked tacos in less than 30 minutes.

These baked tacos are perfect for a crowd. No need to have each person stand and scoop out the seasoned taco meat. Just grab a baked taco, select your toppings and enjoy!

Baked tacos are like the perfect blend of taco and quesadilla

If you had asked me one month ago, “whats your favorite taco?”, I probably would NEVER say ground beef. They are sometimes dry and the toppings tend to fall out as you eat. These baked ground beef tacos completely change that for me.

First, cook the ground beef taco meat with simple seasonings and tomato paste. The result is a moist, but not too wet taco meat that is perfect for the baked tacos.

Then, bake the ground beef in a small street taco shell with lots of shredded cheese. Once they are finished you can open them up and add the toppings inside or just layer toppings on top and enjoy with a fork and knife.

What kitchen tools will I need to make these Ground Beef Baked Tacos?

Frying pan
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Sheet pan
Parchment paper

What ingredients will I need to make these simple beef tacos?

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make these baked tacos with just a few simple ingredients. Feel free to put your own spin on this recipe!

If you prefer to use ground turkey, that will work too. If you are a vegetarian, feel free to use some crumbled tofu or tempeh in place of the ground beef.

Ground beef
Salt
Pepper
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Smoked paprika
Cumin
Cayenne pepper powder
Tomato paste
Shredded Mexican cheese blend
Street taco size white corn tortillas

Let’s make some Ground Beef Baked Tacos!

Step 1: Prepare taco meat

First, preheat the oven to 425F. Then, combine salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper powder in a small bowl.

Next, mix tomato paste and water in a separate bowl and set to the side. Then, heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the ground beef to the pan.

Then, allow the ground beef to brown for 5 minutes and break it into crumbles as it browns. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the spice mixture and tomato paste and water to the pan.

Finally, mix in the tomato paste and seasonings and saute until completely cooked about 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Assemble the baked beef tacos

Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay 6 corn taco shells on the baking sheet and cover with shredded cheese. You will need to do this twice to make all 12 of the baked tacos.

Next, place 2 tbsp of taco meat on one side of each taco (see picture above).

Step 3: Bake the tacos

Then, place the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 minutes.

After 3 minutes, remove the tacos from the oven and fold each in half and press down lightly to ensure the tacos stay folded. Then, return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Finally, remove the baked tacos from the oven and repeat steps 8-12 to make the next 6 tacos. Allow the tacos to cool slightly, add toppings and enjoy!

What toppings should I add to these ground beef tacos?

You can get as creative as you want with these beef tacos. Some of my favorites are shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, fresh avocado, and cojita cheese. I also always serve my tacos with a batch of pickled red onions!

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!