Baked Tacos are cooked in the oven to ensure the shells stay intact. Amazing!
My family eats some sort of Mexican dish once a week. Usually more often than that. We also enjoy picking up Chipotle on the weekends for a quick and tasty lunch (really, who can resist the Chipotle carnitas recipe?!).
With a teen boy in the house, he’s also coming home at least once a week with a bag of Taco Bell. It’s a bit out of control.
As much as my kids love crunchy tacos, dinner usually ends up turning into a whiny mess of taco salad. Why? Because those dang tacos fall apart after one bite. Annoying.
In my ever ongoing Pinterest search to find a solution for those crumbly tacos, I learned that if you BAKE the tacos with the filling, they soften up bit so the whole shell doesn’t break when you take one bite.
I was curious and got right to work.
After browning up my taco meat and seasoning it with some homemade taco seasoning (you can use a package if you prefer), I assembled my crunchy shells in a baking dish. I then filled the shells with meat and sprinkled them with a little lot of shredded cheese!
On some of my tacos I added corn and black beans for myself and my husband. Toss these into the oven and when they come out, use a spatula to remove them from the dish (this helps the melted cheese unhinge from the pan). You can add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, a copycat for Chipotle guacamole, you name it!
Take a bite. There you go…no tears. Your shell stays in ONE piece! This is my new favorite way to serve tacos to my family. It’s also a great way to serve tacos to company too. Set a baking dish (or two) of these baked tacos on the table with an assortment of toppings for a do-it-yourself taco bar.
ENJOY!
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Baked Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning 1 package or homemade
- 1/4 cup Water
- 12 Crunchy Taco Shells
- 1 1/4 cups Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
- Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Olives
- Guacamole
- Black Beans
- Frozen Corn
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain grease and return to stovetop. Add taco seasoning and water and simmer for several minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place taco shells in a 13×9 baking dish. Fill with meat. (add beans and corn if desired) Top with shredded cheese and place in oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove and top with lettuce and tomato. Provide additional toppings if desired. ENJOY!