Description
Cheesy Baked Tacos are a delicious and crowd-pleasing meal featuring seasoned ground beef cooked with tomatoes and spices, layered with black beans and shredded TexMex cheese in crunchy taco shells, then baked to melty perfection. Topped with fresh veggies, sour cream, and your favorite sauces, these tacos are perfect for gatherings or family dinners.
Ingredients
For the Beef Tacos
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 shallot or small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 500 g / 1 lb lean ground beef (can substitute ground chicken or ground turkey)
- 1 can Rotel canned chopped tomatoes and green chiles, approx 10 oz / 284 ml (or can of finely chopped tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (preferably chipotle chili powder)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Assembling
- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 14-18 taco shells
- 2-3 cups shredded TexMex cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
Toppings (Optional)
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Red onion, chopped
- Sour cream
- Taco sauce
- Salsa
- Coriander/cilantro
- Jalapenos
- Hot sauce or chili sauce
- Pickled chillies
- Guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the tacos later.
- Cook Beef Mixture: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, finely chopped onion or shallot, and minced garlic. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until browned, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to blend the spices well.
- Simmer with Tomatoes: Add the canned tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel) and let the mixture simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the juice has reduced and thickened.
- Prepare Taco Shells: Line the taco shells along the sides of a 9 x 13 inch casserole or baking dish. Bake the shells empty in the preheated oven for 5 minutes if using a light-colored dish, or 3 minutes if using a dark dish to crisp them slightly. Carefully remove from oven.
- Assemble Tacos: Sprinkle shredded cheese inside the bottom of each taco shell, then add a spoonful of black beans followed by the seasoned ground beef mixture. Top each with additional shredded cheese.
- Bake Tacos: Return the assembled taco shells to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Remove the tacos from the oven and add your choice of optional toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, or guacamole. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Best served immediately for crunchy tacos. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and stored in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes to restore crispiness.
- Make Ahead: Taco meat filling can be made 2-3 days in advance and refrigerated. Assemble tacos just before baking for best texture.
- Freezing: Taco meat filling freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before assembling and baking tacos.
- For softer taco shells, you can assemble tacos ahead and refrigerate for a few hours but avoid longer storage to prevent sogginess.
