Tex Mex Tacos: Super crunchy and delicious!
These delicious Tex Mex Tacos are prepared with a scrumptious meat sauce made with beef, vegetables and the perfect condiments to enhance the flavours!
Those tacos are prepared with crunchy corn tortillas that you can even make at home or just buy it and make the recipe real quick!
Being Mexican you wouldn’t think of me posting a no-authentic Mexican recipe here in my blog, but the truth is, for me, Tex-Mex cuisine is just a part of the Mexican gastronomy, either you like it or not.
Besides, those tacos are like…REALLY GOOD!, they were my first option here in Italy for eating tacos, back when it wasn’t that easy to find Mexican ingredients to make my favourite Tacos al Pastor.
Also, my husband loves them and all of my friends too because they’re made with fresh ingredients and seasonings, unlike those weird store-bought sauces and seasonings that you can’t even pronounce the name of the ingredients!
What are Tex Mex Tacos?
Tex Mex Tacos are a version of the traditional Mexican fried tacos that became popular in the United States and that we even believe were part of the pioneering dishes that started the Tex Mex cuisine.
These tacos are typically made with a delicious ground beef mixture that includes vegetables, corn (elote), and black beans.
In the United States this type of tacos became famous thanks to a very popular Tex Mex food chain in the country. Although it is said that actually tex mex tacos were already known previously, thanks to the large Mexican community established in the southern United States.
How to prepare taco meat
Without a doubt, the star of this recipe is the scrumptious minced meat stew used to prepare the tacos. Taco meat is usually prepared with ground beef, tomato sauce and seasonings. From there you can adjust the recipe to your liking, adding some other ingredients like bell peppers, black onions, corn, etc.
In my opinion, you need to pay special attention to the meat seasoning to avoid ending up with a stew that is too spicy or even sweet. Many tex mex taco recipes abuse the use of cumin, which results in a dish that is difficult to like.
As for the sweet taste that I personally dislike when I have had Tex Mex tacos in some restaurantes, I really believe is because they use those store-bought sauces and seasonings. That’s why I decided to go with my own tomato sauce and condiments, so I can have control of the taste and adjust it to my liking.
🌵Ingredients
You can find the full ingredient list below, in the recipe card.
TORTILLAS: I like to use my own homemade corn tortillas and then fry them (as shown in the recipe), but if I am in a hurry, I also use store-bought taco shells.
MEAT: You’ll need ground beef or pork meat but those tex mex tacos that be made also with minced chicken or even shredded turkey! (Thanksgiving’s leftovers tacos, anyone?)
VEGETABLES: I used green bell peppers, onions and corn. Sometimes I also add black beans or peas.
TOMATO SAUCE: I made my own tomato sauce, something real quick and easy to make (I’ll leave you the recipe below). If you don’t have time to make your own sauce you can also use a can of simple tomato sauce, with no seasonings on it!
SESONINGS: Fresh garlic, ground cumin, green chilli pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper. Feel free to adjust and omit any of those you don’t like to maybe add something more like paprika, oregano, etc. Just be sure to go easy on the seasonings, the meat and vegetables should flavour enough your dish!
EXTRAS: Oil for frying and beef stock.
to serve:
LETTUCE: I like to use iceberg lettuce, but feel free to any any type you’d like or even shredded cabbage!
RADISH: I love radishes, so that’s why I always use them on my tacos. Skip them if you don’t like them or replace them with chopped onions.
CHEESE: I used Feta cheese, but actually I use any cheese I have on hand, sometimes cheddar, or mozzarella, gouda, etc.
CREAM: If you can’t find mexican sour cream, try to make your own “recipe” using any whole cream you find where you like and adding plain yogurt, mix and there you go: Wannabe mexican sour cream that tastes delicious!
HOT SAUCE: I’ll leave you below a selection of mexican sauces that can go wonderful with those tex mex tacos.
Quick & Easy Simple Tomato Sauce
Place tomatos in a pot and cover with water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 5 minutes, turn off the heat and take off the tomatoes placing them on a plate so they can cool down.
Peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and discard the seeds and core. Place them in a blender and add half a cup of the cooking water. Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside and use it when the recipe calls for the tomato sauce.
The Recipe
Dice the green peppers and chop the onions. Chop the green hot chilli pepper, you can add more if you like your food spicy.
In a frying pan heat two or three tablespoons of oil and sauté the peppers, onions and chilli for about 5 minutes. Add the meat, mix and let it cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add the corn and mix perfectly.
Add the tomato sauce and cilantro, garlic, cumin and pepper. Pour the beef stock and mix perfectly all ingredients.
Bring to a boil then low the heat. Cover and let it cook from 15 to 20 minutes mixing from time to time and making sure the mixture won dry completely.
Adjust with salt then turn off the heat. Set aside.
Chop the lettuce into stripes and slice the radishes.
Fry the tortillas
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and leave it on medium heat. Fry the tortillas on both sides long enough (3-4 seconds) to soften them.
With the help of a turning spatula, curve the tortillas as if you want to fold them but without closing them completely. Let them fry for 10 seconds, in this way they will get the classic half-moon shape, leaving an empty space in the center.
Continue to fry them for another 30s each side. Arrange the fried tortillas on a paper plate to drain the excess oil.
Assemble
Carefully lightly open a tortilla and place some lettuce on the bottom. Add 2 or 3 tablespoon of the taco meat and then complete with the radish, cheese and cream on top. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice.
Notes
- If you want to use flour tortillas, they will not be crispy after frying, so I recommend heating them only in a skillet before preparing the tacos.
- If you can’t make your own corn tortillas, just use taco-shell!
- You can skip making your own tomato sauce and add canned tomato sauce, just be sure it doesn’t have any seasonings.
Watch the video
Tex Mex Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- 250 gr (½ lb) ground beef meat (or pork, chicken, etc.)
- 250 gr ( 1 â…“ cup) bell peppers
- 100 gr (1 cup) white onions
- 450 gr (2 cup) tomato sauce
- 150 gr (â…” cup) corn
- 100 ml (½ cup) beef stock
- 1 green hot chilli pepper (or more, if desire)
- 2 sprigs of cilantro (chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
To serve
- Lettuce (iceberg or the kind you prefer)
- radishes
- cheese (any kind you like (shredded))
For the tomato sauce (optional)
- 450 gr (1 lb) fresh tomatoes
Instructions
Make the sauce (optional)
- Place tomatos in a pot and cover with water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 5 minutes, turn off the heat and take off the tomatoes placing them on a plate so they can cool down.
- Peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and discard the seeds and core. Place them in a blender and add half a cup of the cooking water. Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside.
Make the taco meat
- Dice the green peppers and chop the onions. Chop the green hot chilli pepper, you can add more if you like your food spicy.
- In a frying pan heat two or three tablespoons of oil and sauté the peppers, onions and chilli for about 5 minutes. Add the meat, mix and let it cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add the corn and mix perfectly.
- Add the tomato sauce and cilantro, garlic, cumin and pepper. Pour the beef stock and mix perfectly all ingredients.
- Bring to a boil then low the heat. Cover and let it cook from 15 to 20 minutes mixing from time to time and making sure the mixture won dry completely.
- Adjust with salt then turn off the heat. Set aside.
- Chop the lettuce into stripes and slice the radishes. Set aside.
Fry the tortillas
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan and leave it on medium heat. Fry the tortillas on both sides long enough (3-4 seconds) to soften them.
- With the help of a turning spatula, curve the tortillas as if you want to fold them but without closing them completely. Let them fry for 10 seconds, in this way they will get the classic half-moon shape, leaving an empty space in the center.
- Continue to fry them for another 30s each side. Arrange the fried tortillas on a paper plate to drain the excess oil.
Assemble
- Carefully lightly open a tortilla and place some lettuce on the bottom. Add 2 or 3 tablespoon of the taco meat and then complete with the radish, cheese and cream on top. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice.
Notes
- If you want to use flour tortillas, they will not be crispy after frying, so I recommend heating them only in a skillet before preparing the tacos.
- If you can’t make your own corn tortillas, just use taco-shell!
wonderful recipe