Beef Baked Tacos

The corner of a baking dish with baked tacos in it.

I secretly wish it was Taco Tuesday every night, and once you taste these beef baked tacos, you'll understand why. They're ready in just 30 minutes, with crispy shells, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese in every bite.

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings tacos

Calories 299kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray
¾ cup finely diced onions
¾ cup finely diced bell peppers
1 pound ground beef 90/10
1 taco seasoning packet + the water that the packet requires
10 stand-up hard taco shells
8 ounces refried beans ½ can
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
thet oppings of your choice lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray and add the onions and peppers to the pan.
Saute stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes or until they've softened.
Add the ground beef to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break it up.
Sauté the beef until brown stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. Once browned drain the extra oil from the pan.
Return the pan to the heat, add the taco seasoning to the pan with the water and cook as per the packet directions.
While this cooks, spread two Tablespoons of refried beans across the bottom of each taco shell (or more if you'd prefer).
Place the shells into a 9" x 13" baking pan.
Divide the meat between the shells.
Top the tacos with the shredded cheese
Bake for 12-15 minutes and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

Use stand-up hard shells rather than the ones that need propping up, since they're much easier to fill and bake evenly.
Dice the onions and peppers finely if you want them to blend seamlessly into the filling.
Drain the excess oil from the beef before adding the seasoning, so the filling doesn't turn greasy.
Serve immediately after baking for the crispiest shells, since they soften the longer they sit.
Set out all your toppings so everyone can build their own tacos exactly how they like them.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Dice the onions and peppers up to a day in advance and store in the fridge.
Leftovers and storage- Store the taco filling separately from the toppings, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot.

Nutrition