Classic Ground Beef Tacos🍖 Main

Ingredients

For the Pico de Gallo

• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 10 sprigs cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Guacamole

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Taco Meat

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef (I usually use 85% lean)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 beer (I usually use pale ale or mexican lager)
• 2 1/2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 pinch cinnamon or clove

For Assembly

• 16 oz cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• 2 cups sour cream
• 4 cups shredded lettuce
• 18 store bought crunchy taco shells
• 18 store bought taco sized soft flour tortillas

Instructions

Pico de Gallo

1. Mix all the pico ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust lime, salt, or garlic to your preference.

Guacamole

1. Mix all the guac ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Lightly mash with a fork. Taste and adjust salt, garlic, or lime juice as needed.

Taco Meat

1. Cook the beef in a very hot pan to brown. Season with some of the salt. Make sure you really get some searing and browning on the beef. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan, leaving at least 2 tablespoons of the beef fat in the pan. You could strain excess fat depending on how fatty the meat is.
2. Add the onion and jalapeno to the pan with the fat still on high heat. Season with more of the salt. Cook about 8 minutes to brown the edges of the veggies.
3. Add in the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add in the cumin and chili powder and cook 1 minute. Add in the vinegar and stir to combine. Add in the beer and the rest of the salt.
4. Stir in the remaining taco meat ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce has evaporated and thickened and is clinging to the meat. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Tacos

1. Shred the lettuce as thin as you can.
2. Cook the taco shells in a hot oven - about 5-8 minutes at 425°F.
3. Serve everything together and enjoy!

To Make a Double Cheese Layer Taco

1. Add about 1/4 cup of cheese to a soft tortilla and microwave it for 25 seconds.
2. Add a hard shell to the melted cheese, breaking it in the center so it can lay flat.
3. Add some meat to the bottom, then pico, guac, sour cream, and lettuce. Fold and enjoy.