Making a ground beef taco filling ain’t rocket science. You just cook ground meat with Tex-Mex seasonings. This recipe is a little spicy, but feel free to skip the serranos and substitute a packaged taco seasoning mixture for the spices, especially if you’re cooking for kids. Many taco seasoning mixes, such as Old El Paso and Ortega, come in your choice of spicy or mild.

　　Read more: Our Best Taco Recipes

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　

For the filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

　　1/2 onion, chopped

　　1/2 pound ground beef

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 serrano chile, stemmed and chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon chili powder

　　1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

　　

For the tacos:

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

　　1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

　　1 1/2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

　　6 taco shells

　　1 cup Salsa Picante or favorite salsa, optional

　　

For the filling:

Step 1

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion until it begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the meat and sear, chopping with a spatula into small pieces until the pink color is gone. Add the garlic and chile and cook for 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Add the salt, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, and a tablespoon of water, mix well, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until well blended.

　　

Assembly:

Step 2

To assemble the tacos, put 1/4 cup meat mixture, then 1/4 cup each cheese, chopped tomato, and lettuce on each taco shell. Drizzle with salsa if desired.

　　From The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos © 2004 by Robb Walsh. Reprinted with permission from Ten Speed Press.Buy the full book from Amazon.