Tacos Recipe

Prep

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Measure out spices and have the tomato paste and broth ready.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Add the ground beef (or turkey) to the skillet. Break it up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes.

Drain excess fat if needed, leaving a tablespoon in the pan for flavor.

Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook spices with meat for 1 minute to bloom flavors.

Mix in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds, then pour in the broth and scrape up browned bits from the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the meat mixture until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning (add more salt, chili powder, or a squeeze of lime if desired). Keep warm on low while you prepare tortillas and toppings.

Warm tortillas: heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, warm each tortilla 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and slightly charred in spots. Stack them and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.

Optional crispy edge: in a separate nonstick skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil or butter over medium heat. Fry each tortilla 20–30 seconds per side until crisp edges appear, then drain on paper towel. This step is optional if you prefer soft tacos.

Prepare toppings: shred the lettuce, dice the tomato and red onion, chop cilantro, slice jalapeño if using, and warm the salsa and sour cream slightly if you prefer them less cold.

Assemble tacos: place a warm tortilla on a plate. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into the center of each tortilla (adjust to preference).

Top each filled tortilla with shredded cheese (it will melt slightly on the warm meat), shredded lettuce, diced tomato, a sprinkle of red onion and cilantro, and jalapeño or pickled jalapeños if using.

Finish with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, a spoonful of salsa, and a squeeze of lime juice from the lime wedges.

Serve immediately while tortillas are warm. Leftover cooked meat keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated for additional tacos.