Description
These Ground Beef Baked Tacos offer a deliciously easy way to enjoy flavorful tacos with a crispy baked shell filled with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this recipe combines bold spices and a cheesy topping baked in the oven for a fun twist on traditional tacos.
Ingredients
Meat and Seasonings
- 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
Other Ingredients
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 12 street taco size white corn tortillas (about 5.5" diameter)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F to prepare for baking the tacos.
- Prepare Spice Mix: In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper powder to create the taco seasoning mix.
- Mix Tomato Paste and Water: In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste and water together and set aside, this will add moisture and richness to the meat filling.
- Cook Ground Beef: Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the ground beef, and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it into crumbles as it browns evenly.
- Add Seasonings and Tomato Mixture: Reduce heat to medium-low, add the prepared spice mix and tomato paste mixture to the pan. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and well coated with seasonings.
- Prepare Baking Sheet and Tacos (First Batch): Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay 6 corn tortillas flat on the sheet, sprinkle shredded Mexican cheese evenly over each tortilla, then place about 2 tablespoons of the cooked beef mixture on one side of each taco.
- Bake Cheese and Meat: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook for 3 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the meat.
- Fold and Press Tacos: Remove the sheet from the oven, fold each tortilla in half to form a taco shape, and press down lightly to keep them folded.
- Continue Baking: Return the tacos to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp the shells and fully melt the cheese.
- Repeat for Remaining Tacos: Remove tacos from oven and repeat steps 6 through 9 with the remaining 6 tortillas and meat.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the baked tacos to cool slightly, then add your favorite toppings before serving and enjoying.
Notes
- Use parchment paper on the baking sheet to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- You can customize the seasoning blend to include more or less cayenne pepper depending on spice preference.
- Street taco size tortillas work best for folding and baking; larger tortillas may not crisp as well.
- Leftover cooked seasoned beef can be stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator for quick taco nights.
- Feel free to add fresh toppings like diced onions, cilantro, salsa, or avocado after baking for extra flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
