Baking tacos is a great way to elevate your Taco Tuesday experience! Baking them is a good idea. These Baked Beef Tacos and Black Bean Tacos make a quick and easy meal for weeknights. I love their crispy, toasty shells and melted cheese. …And more.

WHY USE TACOS?

Toasting the taco shells makes it easy to heat the filling and melt the cheese. Although this step is often forgotten, it makes a big difference to the flavour of your taco shell.

It was only in my 20s that I discovered that taco shells should be baked for a few minutes to toast corn before filling them with the corn. It’s possible that I didn’t read the entire package, but I am glad I did. Don’t be ashamed if this is your first time doing it!

Baking the entire taco takes these black bean and beef tacos to a new level.

ARE THE BLACK BEAN AND BAKED BEEF TACOS CRUNCHY?

The taco shells can stay crispy! This is true if you use lean ground beef or drain the fat well with high-fat beef. The oil from the beef-bean mixture will cause the beans to soften if it contains too much oil. Make sure you drain the beans thoroughly.

CAN I USE A STORE-BOUGHT TACO SEASONING?

Yes. Yes.

CAN I MAKE THESE BAKED TACOS VEGETARIAN?

Sure! You can substitute ground beef with a can of black beans or use my Quinoa or Black Bean Tacos to make the filling.

BAKED BEEF & BLACK BEAN TACOS

Baked Beef Tacos and Black Bean Tacos can be a quick and easy way to elevate Taco Tuesday and make it a weeknight favourite.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: (2 tacos each)

INGREDIENTS

TACO SEASONING

  • 1 Tbsp chilli powder ($0.30)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin (0.10)
  • 1/2 tsp dried Oregano ($0.05).
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
  • 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)

TACOS

  • 1 Tbsp of cooking oil ($0.04)
  • 1 yellow onion (0.37)
  • 2 cloves of garlic ($0.16)
  • 1/2 lb. 1/2 lb.
  • 1 15oz. 1 15oz.
  • 1 Box Hard Taco Shells (10 Shells) $1.00
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar (4oz.) ($1.20)

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

  • 1 tomato ($0.49)
  • 1 jalapeno ($0.06)
  • 1 handful of fresh cilantro ($0.13)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream ($0.11)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine the ingredients for taco seasoning in a small bowl. Then, set aside the seasoning (or one packet of store-bought taco spice). Pre-heat the oven to 400oF
  • Chop the onion and mince garlic. Heat the oil, onion, garlic, and cooking oils in a large skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent and softened. Continue to sauté the ground beef and taco seasoning until the beef is fully cooked (an additional 5 minutes).
  • Place the taco shells in an oven-proof casserole dish. To help keep the tacos straightened, you can use aluminium or balled-up aluminium foil as the book ends.
  • Do not rinse the black beans. Drain them well. Sauciness helps to keep the beef mixture moist. Stir the beans into the beef mixture and heat them through.
  • The bean and beef mixture should be poured into the tacos. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake the tacos for 7-10 minutes in the oven, or until cheese is melted and taco shells turn golden brown.
  • While the tacos bake, cut the tomato and the jalapeno into thin slices. Chop the cilantro leaves roughly. Just before serving, sprinkle the cilantro, jalapeno and tomato on the tacos.

NOTES

If you are using higher-fat beef, first brown the beef and drain any excess fat. Drain the beef and add the taco seasoning. Continue to saute for approximately one minute before moving on to the next step.

NUTRITION

Serving Size: 1 Serving Calories 430.3 kcal Carbohydrates 36.84 g Protein 22.52 g Fat 21.42 g Sodium 854.74 mg Fiber 6.66 g