Growing up in New York (state, not city) and Connecticut, I can probably count on one hand the number of times we had tacos for lunch or dinner. They just weren't a thing where I lived (or in my family).
Fast forward to our move to Florida when I was 17, and suddenly, Mom discovered tacos, which we would have at least once a week. How else can you stretch a pound of hamburger for three hungry kids?
Of course, back then, tacos were pretty basic: Usually crunchy shells, heated up, with bowls of ground beef, lettuce, shredded cheese, and tomatoes, so that everyone could put whatever they wanted on their tacos (as long as it was in one of those bowls).
Mom, with a femily friend, and her Uncle George, behind our first Florida home (yes, it came with a pool).
Now, of course, there are as many ways of fixing tacos as there are taco-loving people and their imaginations. You can use crunchy taco shells, tortillo shells...whatever. To that end, here are six yummy taco recipes to try, including Shrimp and Mango Tacos (which Mom probably would have loved, had she thought of putting shrimp on tacos) and Barbecue Chicken Ranch Tacos, along with four other taco recipes. Enjoy!
EASY GROUND BEEF TACOS
This comes from Weight Watchers (WW), and begins, "These quick, kid-friendly tacos are perfect for weeknight family dinners. Change them up by serving them in flour tortillas or tostada shells."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 16 minutes; Total Time: 26 minutes; Serves 4; Difficulty: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 pound uncooked 93% lean ground beef (7% fat or less)
1 medium uncooked onion, diced
1 medium Jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp rround coriander
3/4 tsp table salt
1 14 1/2 oz can canned diced tomatoes
8 medium corn tortillas
2 cups lettuce, chopped, lightly packed thinly sliced romaine or iceberg lettuce
2 oz. reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
Set large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add beef and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost evaporated, 4–5 minutes.
Divide beef mixture evenly among tortillas; top evenly with lettuce, Cheddar, and salsa (if using).
Serving size: 2 tacos
SLOW COOKER BIRRIA BEEF TACOS
This recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, "Check out this tasty taco twist on a traditional Mexican dish. Birria is a meat stew often served at holidays and celebrations. For this easy take on birria, we’ve turned the traditional rustic stew into Slow Cooker Birria Beef Tacos using our Old El Paso™ Barbacoa Beef Street Taco Kit. Slow-cooking the beef makes it melt-in-your-mouth tender as it takes on the delicious flavors of the broth mixture made of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, garlic, taco kit seasoning and onions. Looking for new taco night inspiration? This Slow Cooker Birria Beef Tacos recipe will make coming home to dinner a delicious treat."
Prep Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 7 hours 45 minutes; Makes 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/slow-cooker-birria-beef-tacos.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups diced white onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 package Old El Paso™ Barbacoa Beef Street Taco Kit
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 to 2 1/4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 cup Old El Paso™ Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Blend (4 oz)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Directions
Spray 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix 2 cups of the onions, the chiles, garlic, seasoning mix (from taco kit) and salt. Stir in water.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook beef roast in oil 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until browned on both sides. Transfer to mixture in slow cooker; turn to coat. Cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours, until beef is tender.
Transfer beef to cutting board; cool slightly. Shred beef, discarding any pieces of fat. Toss beef with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Place remaining cooking liquid in small bowl, for dipping.
Fill tortillas (from taco kit) with beef, cheese, remaining 1/4 cup onions and the cilantro. Serve with salsa verde (from taco kit), reserved cooking liquid and lime wedges.
Expert Tips
The flavorful cooking liquid from the birria, or “consommé,” is often served as a dipping sauce.The shredded slow cooker birria beef is also delicious tucked into a cheesy quesadilla or served over rice with some cooking liquid.
If desired, strain cooking liquid before transferring to bowl for dipping.
MIGAS BREAKFAST TACOS
This comes from Genevieve Ko on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. She wrote, "Tortilla chips in tacos may seem like overkill, but they’re not. Set into scrambled eggs that are loaded with onions and poblanos, they soften and enrich the mix while keeping some crispiness. A slice of avocado on top — along with melted cheese — adds a nice creaminess to the mix. These tacos work well with red or green salsa, so use your favorite. While these would impress at a weekend brunch, they also come together quickly on weekday mornings, and can be wrapped in foil to be eaten out of hand."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019647-migas-breakfast-tacos.
Ingredients
6 large eggs
Kosher salt
6 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup tortilla chips, broken if very large
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced, seeded poblano pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
Salsa, for serving
PreparationBeat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Put 3 tortillas in it and turn them until warm and pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. Stack on foil and wrap. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas, adding them to the same stack and wrapping to keep warm and soft.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the oil and swirl to coat, then add the chips. Cook, stirring, until sizzling and browned in spots, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, poblano and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the edges of the onion are just translucent but the vegetables are still crisp, about 2 minutes.
Drizzle the egg over the chips and vegetables. Let stand for 15 seconds until just starting to set, then stir rapidly to scramble until just set but still wet, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle the cilantro on top.
Remove from the heat and immediately divide among the warmed tortillas. Sprinkle with the cheese and top with the avocado and salsa. Serve immediately or wrap each taco in foil to eat out of hand.
Tip
The assembled tacos wrapped in foil will stay reasonably warm for up to 30 minutes.
SPINACH, SHRIMP AND RICOTTA TACOS
This is from Priscilla Gilbert, from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, on Taste of Home. She wrote, "I was looking for a new recipe for tacos, and this version was a perfect solution. With shrimp, green chiles, spinach and ricotta, it's made up of ingredients I love that aren't normally associated with traditional tacos."
Prep/Total Time: 30 minutes; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spinach-shrimp-and-ricotta-tacos/.
Ingredients
1 carton (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chiles
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 12 cups)
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
Salsa and lime wedges
Directions
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, cilantro, half the minced garlic, salt and pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add shrimp, green chiles and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute longer. Add spinach and remaining garlic; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink and spinach is wilted, 4-5 minutes.
Serve shrimp mixture in tortillas with ricotta mixture, salsa and lime wedges.
Test Kitchen tip
If you happen to have any leftover shrimp, serve it over hot cooked pasta, polenta or quinoa. A little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese won't hurt, either.
Nutrition Facts: 2 tacos: 317 calories, 11g fat (4g saturated fat), 114mg cholesterol, 468mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 5g fiber), 25g protein. Diabetic exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.
SHRIMP AND MANGO TACOS
This is from Martha Rose Shulman on The New York Times cooking site. Martha wrote, "This sweet and pungent combination of mango, shrimp, chilies and cumin is as quick to put together as a stir-fry. Indeed, if you don’t have corn tortillas on hand, serve the shrimp with rice."
Uield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes, less if using microwave to heat tortillas
This was featured in "The ‘King of Fruits’ Commands Respect", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013581-shrimp-and-mango-tacos.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound medium or small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
2 Serrano or bird chilies, or 1 large jalapeño, minced
1 large mango, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 to 5 tablespoons lime juice
8 corn or flour tortillas
Preparation
Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat, and add the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, salt to taste and the garlic. Sauté, stirring or shaking the pan, until the shrimp begins to color, about two minutes. Add the cumin, and continue to cook until the shrimp is pink and opaque, about three minutes. Add the chilies, mango and cilantro, and stir together for one minute. Stir in the lime juice, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, and place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover the pot, and steam for one minute. Turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 15 minutes without uncovering. Alternatively, wrap the tortillas in a towel, and heat in the microwave for one minute. Warm the shrimp briefly in the pan. Place 2 tortillas on each plate, top with the shrimp, fold over the tortillas and serve with rice.
Tip
Advance preparation: This is best served right after you cook the shrimp and mango.
BARBECUE CHICKEN RANCH TACOS
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These Barbecue Chicken Ranch Tacos come together in a flash—and will disappear from your table even faster. They have the perfect tang of BBQ that complements the zestiness of Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch Sauce. Best of all, the sky is the limit when it comes to fresh toppings. Your family will have a blast loading up their Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls with sweet barbecue chicken and all their favorite toppings."
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/barbecue-chicken-ranch-tacos.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/3 cup water
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 package (8 count) Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls, heated as directed on package
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch Sauce
Lime wedges, if desired
Preparation
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, justuntil no longer pink in center. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling.
Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Stir in barbecue sauce. Cook until heated.
Divide warmed chicken mixture among heated tortilla bowls. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Drizzle with ranch sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
Expert Tips
For best results, pat chicken slices dry before adding to hot skillet.
Swap out lettuce with shredded green cabbage for a delightful crunch.
Get creative with your BBQ Chicken Ranch Tacos. Other varieties of Old El Paso™ Taco Seasoning Mix, such as Hot &Spicy, can add a flavorful kick that's perfect for spice lovers.
Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 2 Very Lean Meat, 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat, 1 1/2 Fat
Carbohydrate Choices: 1.5
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