Is it acceptable to continue to post recipes for Mexican food on May 6th? I sure hope so because in our house we eat Mexican multiple times a week, not just on Cinco de Mayo! I have seen many similar recipes floating around for tacos baked in the oven, but I wanted more than just your regular tacos that you stick in the oven to bake. This recipe proved to be just what I was looking for. This is not just a different method for making tacos, for me, this is a different way all together to make the taco meat.
My family inhaled the pan of tacos. I love it when a recipe is so well received that my 5 year old can’t stop saying, “Mom, this is so good” and when my 2 year old eats more than just the sour cream on her plate. I love it when my whole family is so happy while they are eating dinner that no one fusses or argues (not that fussing and arguing would ever go on around our kitchen table) or when my both of my kids are begging for their pictures to be taken (because it is such a natural thing to have a camera at the table) because they are just so overjoyed with tacos that are sitting in front of them.
You may think I am exaggerating, but I assure you, I am not. Everything written above actually happened. It was a dinner miracle. All thanks to the Oven Baked Tacos. Now you may be wondering, alright, what makes these tacos so special, miraculous even? First, the meat mixture is different. It’s not just ground beef with taco seasoning. It is ground beef with black beans, green salsa, cheese, diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. The flavor combination is amazing! The green salsa adds just enough spice to make it enjoyable, but not too much for the kids to handle. The black beans and diced tomatoes add bulk and texture to plain old ground beef. And the cheese ties it all together with its gooey goodness. Second, the flavor of the corn tortilla shells really comes out when you bake them in the oven. The flavor of the shell along with the meat mixture is truly a combination that is out of this world for this Mexican food loving girl! So grab a plate and a fork (because you will need one) and join me for some amazing tacos!
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cup cheese, divided
- 1 packet taco seasoning, or your own taco seasoning blend
- ¼ cup salsa verde
- 1 box crunchy taco shells – around 12
- desired topping such as lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives, sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brown the meat and drain if needed. Add in the drained tomatoes, black beans, 1 cup cheese, taco seasoning and salsa verde. Stir well to combine.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, arrange taco shells to stand up. Fill each shell with the meat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top of the tacos.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat is hot.
- Top with desired toppings.
Recipe Source: adapted from Heather Likes Food
Linked to: Chef-in-Training, Back for Seconds Social, Mom on Timeout, Tidy Mom, Cheerios and Lattes, Weekend Potluck and Buns in my Oven
Love the picture. I’m going to have to try these oven tacos!
Such a fun way to do tacos! I will definitely try this! My kids LOVE Taco night
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Great! Enjoy!
Oh Kathy, these sound delicious!!!
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Thanks Aimee!
I think this is the first time I’ve gotten to really read the instructions. I’m totally digging this and can’t wait to try these soon! I bet also if you happen to have potentially slightly stale leftover shells (like I currently do), you won’t be able to taste a bit of difference because of baking it all in the oven!