Taco Tuesday is one of our favorite nights of the week, but even our weekday favorite needs a creative twist now and then! Overflowing with a sweet and savory beef filling, rolled and baked until crispy, and drizzled with a cooling lime crema, gives these tacos a fun spin the whole family will enjoy.
1packettaco seasoning (I use Old El Paso or McCormick's brand, 1 oz packets)
8flour tortilla shells
½cupshredded cheddar cheese
1roma tomato, diced
4stalksscallions, diced
1jalapeno, diced
1small onion, sliced thinly
¼cupBBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1 lime, zested and cut in half
2TBSPolive oil
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and add ground beef. Cook 2-4 minutes until almost cooked, and drain, but leave meat in pan. Add onion, jalapeno, optional red pepper flakes, and taco seasoning packet, and cook 2-4 minutes more until onions are softened.
Add ½ cup water and BBQ sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
Brush tortilla shells with olive oil on both sides. Place a heaping spoonful of beef mixture on one side of each tortilla shell. Top with a large pinch of shredded cheese, (use about 2/3 of the cheese, you'll use the rest later.)
Roll tortilla and place on baking sheet, seam side down to ensure it doesn't unravel. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden and crispy.
While tortillas are baking, mix diced tomato and scallions in a bowl. Add lime zest, juice from half of lime, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
In a small dish, mix sour cream and juice from other half of lime. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water to give crema a "drizzly" consistency. Set aside until ready to serve.
When taquitos are done baking, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake 1-2 minutes more until melted. Remove from oven.
Garnish with tomato/scallion pico di gallo. Drizzle with lime crema.
Notes
Taquitos are a great vessel for hiding lots of unexpected veggies. I love dicing zucchini and adding it to my ground beef for an added burst of nutrients the kiddos won't suspect.