Ingredients
Taco Meat
- 1 ¼ lbs extra-lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or tallow
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup water
Taco Seasoning
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp oregano, Mexican if possible
Avocado Aji Verde
- 1 small avocado, about 140 g/5 oz
- 1 small jalapeño, roughly chopped
- 4-5 sprigs fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp sour cream1
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste
- ⅛ tsp cumin
Taco Salad Toppings (pick and choose)
- taco meat, above
- avocado crema, above
- 10 cups lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar1, shredded
- black beans, or refried beans
- tortilla chips
- white onion, finely chopped
- pickled red onion
- fresh cilantro
- tomatoes, chopped
- salsa, or pico de gallo
- hot sauce
Equipment
Method
Prep the Ingredients
- Prep your taco seasoning, avocado crema, and any homemade sauces/salsas you'd like before starting the beef.
Taco Seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine all of the taco seasoning ingredients and stir well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
- If you want to use store bought or make taco seasoning in bulk; 1 package is about 3 tbsp and will substitute 1-1 for this recipe.
Avocado Crema
- In a narrow base blender pitcher, add the avocado, sour cream, jalapeño, cilantro (including the stems), lime juice, garlic, cumin, and salt.
- Blend on low for 30 seconds to mascerate all of the ingredients. Scrape down the sides if necessary and then blend again, working your way up to high for another 30 seconds until it's a cohesive sauce. Taste for salt and adjust. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
Cooking the Taco Meat
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tallow/oil and then the ground beef. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the meat. Cook undisturbed for a minute or two until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip it and break it up into smaller pieces.
- Turn down the heat to medium and continue breaking up the beef, stirring and cooking until no pink remains. Add in the taco seasoning and water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for another minute or two until the meat is fully cooked and the water has thickened/evapourated.
Serve
- Have everyone assemble their own bowls - calories are for 2 cups lettuce, ¼ of the meat, ¼ cup cheddar, ¼ of the avocado crema, and ~12 tortilla chips. Adjust and add additional ingredients as desired.