Tangy Beef Tacos

≡ Here’s your classic and delicious beef taco. It’s a lot easier to make then it looks and packs quite a flavour. This recipe is written by Bobby Parish from Flavcity.com and i’ll be modifying his recipe so it’s healthier and so you can eat it too.

Just a little warning… the instructions and ingredient list is just way too long. I would recommend watching the video and skip to my modified recipe.

Ingredients

For the tacos:

1.5 pounds ground beef, 80/20 beef to fat ratio
1 medium size yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup low sodium beef stock
Diced tomatoes for garnish
Pickled jalapenos for garnish
Corn tortillas

For the taco seasoning mix:

1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
1.5 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the slaw:

½ head red cabbage, finely sliced
½ head napa cabbage, finely sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and grated
½ bunch green onions, finely sliced
¼ cup pepitas, toasted if desired
½ cup mayonnaise
Zest of half a lime
Juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

To make the dressing, add the mayo and next 4 ingredients to a bowl along with a small pinch of salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Whisk well, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to make the dressing pourable. Check for seasoning, you want the flavor to be a little acidic, so you may need more lime juice. Add the red cabbage and next 4 ingredients to a large bowl and keep in the fridge along with the dressing until ready to serve.
Mix all the taco seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. For the tacos, pre-heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onions, poblano peppers, along with ½ teaspoon salt and a couple cracks of pepper, cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes or until the peppers have softened a little bit. Add the ground beef and season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Use a spoon to break up the ground beef the best you can. Let cook until most of the pink color has gone away, about 4-5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the taco seasoning mix and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes so the spices can bloom in the onion. Check for seasoning, you may need a little more salt. Add the beef stock, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5-8 minutes or a good amount of liquid has evaporated but the meat still looks saucy.
Toast some tortillas directly over the burner flame for 10 seconds each side or until they get a little charred. Season the slaw mixture with ¼ teaspoon salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Mix the slaw with just enough dressing to coat everything thoroughly. To assemble tacos, put a layer of slaw in the tortilla (will prevent soggy tortilla), add some beef, and top that off with the tomatoes and jalapenos, or any toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Add This To Your Plan

450 calories

For the tacos

72g of cooked OR 86g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
1 Old el paso tortilla OR
1 old el paso mini tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s tortilla OR
1 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
1 light old el paso wrap OR
No Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

500 calories

For the tacos

88g of cooked OR 106g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
1 Old el paso tortilla OR
2 old el paso mini tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s tortilla OR
1 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
1 light old el paso wrap OR
1 Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

550 calories

For the tacos

105g of cooked OR 126g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
1 Old el paso tortilla OR
2 old el paso mini tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s tortilla OR
1 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
1 light old el paso wrap OR
1 Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

600 calories

For the tacos

121g of cooked OR 145g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
1 Old el paso tortilla OR
2 old el paso mini tortilla OR
3 Farrah’s tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
1 light old el paso wrap OR
1 Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

650 calories

For the tacos

138g of cooked OR 166g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
2 Old el paso tortilla OR
3 old el paso mini tortilla OR
3 Farrah’s tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
2 light old el paso wrap OR
1 Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

700 calories

For the tacos

170g of cooked OR 204g of raw lean beef mince
Onion, pepper, garlic, beef stock, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to taste.
For the wrap chose from:
2 Old el paso tortilla OR
3 old el paso mini tortilla OR
4 Farrah’s tortilla OR
2 Farrah’s burrito tortilla OR
2 light old el paso wrap OR
1 Farrah’s Wrap

For the slaw

As much cabbage, carrots and green onions as you like
Lime juice & zest, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of sesame oil MAX
2 FLAT Tb of light mayonnaise
As much siracha, hot sauce or chipotle as you like

For the taco seasoning: use the same ratios but add as much as you like

Use cooking spray

My Thoughts

The main ingredients you need to watch out for are the wraps, tortillas, oil, and beef mince. Make sure you use oil spray to coat the pan.

I’ve provided a selection of different wraps or tortillas based off preference. These can all be found at your local supermarket.

The taco seasoning can be made in higher quantities and used as a dry rub for other meats and fish.

I recommend you have lean beef mince 1-2 times per week.