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Crispy Baked Ground Beef Tacos

Crispy baked ground beef tacos with perfectly golden, crunchy taco shells. Seasoned, browned ground beef is baked and assembled with melty cheddar and fresh toppings for a weeknight-ready texture contrast.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Taco filling
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 0.25 salt and pepper
Crispy baked shells
  • 8 small corn tortillas
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Toppings
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 0.5 cup diced tomatoes
  • 0.25 cup diced onion
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 Salsa to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the seasoned ground beef
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Brown it for about 8 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks, until no pink remains.
  2. Drain excess fat from the skillet, then stir in taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture looks thick and well-coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and keep the filling warm over low heat.
Bake the crispy taco shells
  1. Brush both sides of the corn tortillas lightly with olive oil. Fold each tortilla in half so it holds a taco shape.
  2. Arrange the folded tortillas on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. Bake until they turn crispy and golden around the edges.
Assemble and serve
  1. Fill each baked taco shell with the seasoned ground beef. Add shredded cheddar cheese on top so it can melt from the hot filling.
  2. Top each taco with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and diced onion. Finish with sour cream and salsa to taste.
  3. Serve immediately while the shells are crisp. The contrast of golden crunch and warm, savory filling is best right away.

Notes

For extra crisp shells, bake the folded tortillas on a preheated sheet pan and don’t overcrowd—leave space for airflow. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat beef in a skillet until hot, and keep tortillas separate so they stay crunchy (freeze the beef only up to 2 months). For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat sour cream and reduced-fat cheddar.