There are so many delicious Tacos Tuesdays that you can try if you want to take them to a whole new level. You can bake them.
These Grilled Beef and Black Bean Tacos are one of many people’s favorites and of course Apronese would recommend it to you. They are always loved for their crispy and delicious crust, melted cheese, and thick beef and black bean filling.
Why Should Tacos Be Baked?
In the production of tacos, there are several steps involved in the process: the grilling of the corn shells, the baking of the filling, the melting of the cheese, etc, etc. Toasting hard taco shells is often overlooked in the taco making process but has a positive impact on the taste of the taco shells.
As far as I am concerned, it was not until my early 20’s that I realized that you should bake hard taco shells for a few minutes to toast the corn before you fill and eat them that I realized the importance of toasting the corn. Although I guess I had never given it much thought before then, I’m glad I finally did, and I don’t feel bad if you haven’t read the package before.
Putting the whole taco in the oven adds a whole new level of flavor to beef and black bean tacos.
Is the Baked Beef and Black Bean Taco Crunchy?
When you make taco shells, they will stay crunchy! Unless there are any fats in the beef, if the beef is lean or if the fat is well drained, the taco shells will stay crunchy. Make sure that the beans are well drained before you use them too.
It is important to make sure that the oil does not saturate the shells in excess and causes them to soften if there is too much oil in it.
Taco Seasoning from the Store Can Be Used?
If you do not have a well stocked spice cabinet, you can pick up a packet of store bought taco seasoning if you do not have a homemade taco seasoning. However, if you do not have a well stocked spice cabinet, you can use a packet of store bought taco seasoning.
Can I Make These Baked Tacos Vegetarian?
I’m sure you could! You can try using an extra can of black beans in place of the ground beef, or you could use the filling from my lentil tacos or my quinoa and black bean tacos for the filling.
Baked Beef and Black Bean Tacos
These Baked Beef and Black Bean Tacos are a fast and easy way to take Taco Tuesday to the next level and is a great way to enjoy tacos any time of the day.
Author: Beth
Servings: 5 (2 tacos each)
Instructions
Taco Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
Tacos
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (93% lean or higher)* ($3.90)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.79)
- 1 box hard taco shells (10 shells) ($1.00)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (4oz.) ($1.20)
Optional Toppings
- 1 tomato ($0.49)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.06)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.13)
- 1/4 cup sour cream ($0.11)
Ingredients
- Using a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the taco seasoning, then set it aside (or use one envelope of taco seasoning purchased at the store). Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare the tacos in the oven.
- You will need to mince the onion and mince the garlic. Put the onion, garlic and cooking oil in a large skillet and sauté it over medium heat for about five minutes (a few minutes is enough). The ground beef will then be added to the mixture along with the taco seasoning, and continue to sauté until it is cooked through (about another five minutes).
- Assemble the taco shells in a casserole dish arranged so that they are all standing up in a line. If you do not have a casserole dish that is large enough to hold them up, you can use two balled up pieces of aluminum foil to act as “book ends” in order to hold the tacos upright.
- There is no need to rinse the black beans as long as they have been thoroughly drained. A little sauciness helps to keep the beef mixture moist so that it stays moist for as long as possible. Stir in the black beans after drained and allow them to heat through.
- Using the taco shells, fill them with the beef and bean mixture. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the taco shells and bake them in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the taco shells are golden brown on the edges.
- As the tacos are baking, dice the tomatoes, slice the jalapenos, and chop the cilantro. Sprinkle with the diced tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro before serving, and top with sour cream.
*There are several ways to make the taco seasoning with a high fat beef. The first way is to brown the beef first, then drain the excess fat. After draining, add the taco seasoning and allow it to sauté for about one more minute before moving onto the next step.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 430.3 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 36.84 g ・ Protein: 22.52 g ・ Fat: 21.42 g ・ Sodium: 854.74 mg ・ Fiber: 6.66 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Equipment
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How to Make Baked Tacos – Step by Step Photos
In order to make your own taco seasoning (or buy one), you’ll need to mix up 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, 1/4 tablespoon cayenne, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and freshly cracked pepper together.
Set the taco seasoning aside while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Suppose you take one onion, mince two cloves of garlic, and place them in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until they turn translucent and the onion becomes soft.
Adding the prepared taco seasoning to the pan along with 1/2 lb. lean ground beef to the skillet and continuing to sauté, it will take approximately five minutes for the beef to be cooked through.
If using a beef with a higher fat content, add the beef alone and cook until it is browned, then drain any excess fat. After draining, add the taco seasoning and cook for another minute before serving.
In the meantime, drain the 15oz. can of black beans and add them to the skillet. I did not rinse the beans because the little bit of starchy coating they had was essential for keeping the beef mixture moist, so I did not rinse them.
There were 10 taco shells in the box of taco shells I used, but I think there was enough filling to fill 12 shells. Line up the shells in a baking dish, so they are all standing up straight. In order to hold them upright, I used a smallish 8 by 12 glass baking dish that fit nicely into the dish.
The shells will stay up if the book ends are not strong enough. You can use aluminum foil balls to act as book ends if you don’t have a dish that works well with this.
The beef and bean mixture should be divided equally between the taco shells, and the top of the tacos should be topped with shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup (or 4oz.) per taco.
In a preheated oven, cook the tacos for 7-10 minutes, or until they have browned lightly on the edges and the cheese is melted. See the browned edges? That’s how the taste comes in.
The total cooking time will depend on the type of shell you have, the type of oven you use, and other factors, so just keep an eye on them as they cook. The important thing after baking is that they are all hot and toasty with melted cheese all over them.
It is now time to add a little sour cream, chopped cilantro, avocado slices, salsa, and topped your tacos with your favorite cold toppings.
I used one diced tomato, one sliced jalapeno, a little sour cream, and a little chopped cilantro. Avocados, taco sauce, pineapple, and pico de gallo would also be delicious!
This tacos is absolutely delicious and delicious for everyone, Apronese believes anyone can make it easily with the recipe above.
Remember to share this useful article with your friends so more people know about this Tacos.
