Crispy Beef Tacos

Ingredients

(makes 12 tacos, serves 4-6)

Level: Super Easy

For the tacos

• 1 pound of ground beef (80% lean/20% fat)
• Your favorite taco seasoning (I love Trader Joe’s)
• Cayenne (if you like your tacos a little spicier)
•  Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
• 12 Corn tortillas
• Olive oil

For avocado jalapeno dip

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped and 2 tablespoons brine
• juice from 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

For serving

• sour cream
• lime wedges
• pickled jalapenos
• cilantro
• salsa
• Literally, any toppings you like with tacos!!

How To Make Em

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat.
3. When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add in 2 tablespoons of your taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne (if you don’t like it extra spicy, leave the cayenne out)
5. Add  1/2 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly about 5-8 minutes.
6. Grab two baking sheets. On one baking sheet place your corn tortillas flat and cover both sides with olive oil.
7. On half of the tortilla, add about 2-3 tablespoons of beef and generously cover with the cheese. Repeat on all the tortillas.
8. Now fold them over so they look like tacos! Add a little extra olive oil to the tortilla side facing up so it doesn’t stick to the top baking sheet. Place the second baking sheet on top to ensure they stay closed while baking.
9. Baking for 10 minutes, flip the shells/tacos over and bake an additional 5 minutes on the other side until the shells are crispy and the cheese is melty!
10. While the tacos are baking, combine the avocados, pickled jalapeños, chopped and 2 tablespoons brine, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
11. Once the tacos are done, arrange them on a board with all of your favorite fix-ins!