Ingredients
Tortillas, Beef & Seasonings
- 8 mini tortillas either 8 mini tortillas (6-inch diameter), which is what you normally get in supermarkets, or 12 street-size mini tortillas (4-5-inch).
- 1 lb ground beef If you make it with 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef, you don’t need oil. If making it with lean beef (90/10 or 95/5), use 1 tbsp of neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil when sauteing the beef.
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt for the ground beef plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup water
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded cheese like sharp white cheddar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo see note 1 below to make it
- 3/4 cup guacamole or substitute with mashed avocado with a pinch of salt and lime, see note 2 below on how to make the guacamole
- fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef. To a frying pan, over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and sauté, breaking it down with a spatula. Once the beef is no longer pink, and the water it released has evaporated (about 7 minutes), add salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Turn the heat down to medium and add two-thirds of a cup of water. Cook until the liquid has mostly disappeared (about 7 more minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Warm up the tortillas. Option 1 (Easiest/Microwave): Stack them on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 1 minute on full power until the tortillas are soft. Other Options: If you want to maximize flavor, you can 1) warm them up in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, one at a time, for about 30 seconds per side, 2) heat them directly over an open flame for a few seconds per side, 3) warm them up in the oven by wrapping them in aluminum foil and warming them up for about 10 minutes at 360°F (180°C).
- Assemble the tacos or bring everything to the table and let the family assemble the tacos themselves. To each tortilla, add a bit of shredded cheese, cooked ground beef, and more cheese on top. Top with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and fresh cilantro (optional).
Notes
Note 1. Pico de Gallo. To make pico de gallo, finely dice tomatoes (preferably roma or plum tomatoes) to get about 1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes, white or red onion (about 2 tbsp finely diced), and cilantro (about 2 tbsp finely chopped or minced). Add a pinch of salt and half a tbsp of lime juice (or to taste). You can also add finely diced jalapeño to taste, if you want a bit of heat.
Note 2. Guacamole. You can use this recipe to make a bigger batch. Or, to make the amount needed for this recipe, can use 2 medium avocados, mash them, and then add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of lime juice, fresh cilantro (1 tbsp finely chopped/minced), onion (1 tbsp finely diced), and optionally, tomato (about half a tomato finely diced) and jalapeño (finely diced, to taste).