Crispy Ground Beef Tacos

5 from 2 votes

These crispy ground beef tacos are the perfect dinner in under 20 minutes! Plus you can double the meat recipe and use it for other weeknight meals such as enchiladas, taco bowls or nachos!

Prep Time5

Cook Time12

Total Time17

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 cup sweet potato finely diced
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 lime juiced

For Serving

small corn tortillas
shredded cheese Cheddar or Monterey Jack
Pico de Gallo
Chipotle Salsa
Guacamole

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add the ground meat, onion and potato sauté for 5-10 minutes and break it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Add all the taco seasoning and stir to combine. Continue to cook the ground meat and break it down with the back of a wooden spoon until it's fully cooked and no pink remains and sweet potatoes are fork tender. Once cooked, season with salt as needed and add lime juice to taste
Warm the tortillas slightly so they’re pliable. Spoon 2 tablespoon of the beef mixture and a little shredded cheese into each tortilla, then fold it in half.
Heat about ½ inch of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, carefully add the stuffed tortillas, pressing down gently with a spatula. Fry until golden and crispy on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Top each taco with guacamole, and serve with pico de gallo and chipotle salsa on the side

Notes

If you want to skip frying the entire taco - here's how to make your own hard shell tacos:

10 (5-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup avocado oil (or enough for ½ inch depth in pan)
Dalkin&Co. Taco Seasoning, to taste
Flaky salt, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions:

Heat the Oil: In a large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (or until a small piece of tortilla sizzles immediately when dropped in).
Fry & Shape the Shells: Using metal tongs, carefully place a tortilla in the hot oil. Let it fry for about 10-15 seconds, then use the tongs to gently fold it in half, holding it open just enough to create a taco shell shape. Fry for another 30-45 seconds per side, flipping as needed, until golden brown and crispy.
Drain & Season: Remove the shell from the oil and let excess oil drip off before placing it on a paper towel-lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt and Dalkin&Co. Taco Seasoning. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Repeat: Continue frying the remaining tortillas, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

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