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Whip up a family favorite: old-school Tex-Mex beef tacos with crispy shells, juicy seasoned beef, and everyone’s favorite toppings!
Remember those classic Tex-Mex beef tacos from your childhood? The ones with crispy shells, brimming with juicy, seasoned beef, and a variety of toppings that made dinnertime fun, long before Taco Tuesday became a thing? These are those very tacos, only better, and they’ll bring back all those flavorful memories. Building on the classic recipe, I “chef it up” by quickly mixing the ground beef with baking soda before cooking. This little trick ensures the beef turns out extra tender. When serving, set out optional toppings like shredded lettuce, Mexican-blend cheese, diced tomatoes, and sour cream so everyone can make their own perfect taco. And if your family loves taco night as much as mine, consider making a double batch of the beef filling and stashing half in the freezer. When you’re ready for round two, just thaw and reheat the beef, prep the toppings, and dinner’s on the table!
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Tacos
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, mash the beef with the baking soda and salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. This process raises the pH level of the beef, making it more alkaline and resulting in a more tender texture. I use this technique in many recipes, including beef enchiladas and beef chili, to ensure the meat stays juicy and flavorful. (Time-Saving Tip: Use the time that the beef is sitting with the baking soda to chop the onions and garlic and measure out the spices.)Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Add the beef and spices.
Cook, stirring constantly and breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, sugar, and lime juice.
Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat so that no chunks remain, until the liquid has reduced and thickened (the mixture should not be completely dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Using a wide, shallow spoon, divide the filling evenly among taco shells; place two or three tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing the toppings separately.
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Beef Tacos
Whip up a family favorite: old-school Tex-Mex beef tacos with crispy shells, juicy seasoned beef, and everyone’s favorite toppings!
Ingredients
For the Beef Filling
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
Shells and Toppings
- 16 Taco Shells (warmed according to package instructions)
- Optional: shredded Mexican blend cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, diced avocados, diced onions, chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mash the beef with the baking soda and salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring constantly and breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, sugar, and lime juice; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat, until the liquid has reduced and thickened (the mixture should not be completely dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Using a wide, shallow spoon, divide the filling evenly among the taco shells; place two or three tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing the toppings separately.
- Note: Nutritional info does not include optional toppings.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 26g
- Sodium: 535mg
- Cholesterol: 74mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.