Cook it Fresh

Homemade taco filling on left, from a kit on the right

I have recently begun to dislike ground beef.  I used to eat it gladly in spaghetti sauce, casseroles, chili, etc, but there are now few dishes that I enjoy made with ground beef.  This is unfortunate because it’s such a cheap, easy base for many meals.  There is, however, still one meal made with ground beef that I love . . . tacos!  There’s something about the spicy, savory filling surrounded by the crispy crunch of a corn shell that is very appealing.  I also have good memories of childhood taco dinners when my mom would place all the toppings on a wooden lazy suzan in the middle of the table and we loved spinning it around as we filled our shells.

Taco toppings on my mom's lazy suzan

So, whether from nostalgia or pure deliciousness, tacos are one of the few meals I still make with ground beef.  I’ve always seasoned my taco meat with my own mixture of spices, but I always wondered if the taco kits with seasoning packet provided tasted good and if they would save any time or money.  Below is the method I use for making tacos and used for comparison with a taco kit:

Spicy Beef Tacos

I’m not putting an exact amount of chili powder in this recipe because the amount depends largely on what kind of chili powder you are using and how spicy you like your tacos.  I used chipotle chili powder and used about 1 Tablespoon, but this made the filling very, very spicy.  I would suggest using a couple of teaspoons to start with and then tasting the filling towards the end of cooking and adding more seasoning then if you want it spicier.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

1 pound ground beef (I use ground sirloin)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Chili powder (I used chipotle powder)

Taco shells warmed in a 350 degree oven to crisp them

desired toppings such as cheese, shredded lettuce, jalapenos, diced onion, salsa, etc.

1.  Heat the teaspoon of oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion to the heated oil and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a spoon.  Cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until it is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes.

3.  Stir in the salt and a couple teaspoons to 1 Tablepsoon chili powder (depending on how hot you like your tacos).  Continue to cook until the beef is completely cooked and no pink remains, about 3 more minutes.

4.  Once the beef is completely cooked, taste it one more time and add more chili powder or salt if needed.  Serve beef filling along the warmed taco shells and bowls of toppings.

For the taco kit, I used Old El Paso Taco Dinner kit.  This kit included 10 taco shells, seasoning packet to add to the meat, and a packet of red taco sauce.  The directions on the box said to cook a pound of beef until it was completely cooked, add the taco seasoning packet and 2/3 cup water to the pan and simmer the meat for 4 more minutes or until the water was absorbed.  This method made much more “saucy” meat than what I am used to and a couple of the testers agreed with me that it seemed to have a bit of a slimy texture.  The flavor was not bad, but it wasn’t very distinctive either.  The seasoning packet made the meat very salty but not very spicy, especially compared to the rich smokiness of chipotle chili powder that I used in my recipe.  One other complaint I had about the taco dinner kit was the quality of the taco shells included.  I bought the exact same brand and type of taco shells for my recipe as the ones included in the kit, but the shells from the kit seemed old and stale.  Maybe the kits sit longer on the shelf?  The taco sauce included was also not a good substitute for salsa, as it is intended.  It was watery and flavorless, mostly tasting sweet and tomatoey.  As far as time goes, the added step of adding water and letting it simmer with the taco meat made the taco kit and homemade tacos take the same amount of time.  The taco kit did cost a little less than making them from scratch, partly because I used high quality chili powder and add fresh onion to my filling.   The costs listed below include the beef, taco shells, and salsa but not any other toppings, since these will vary from person to person.

Bottom Line: Although it cost a little less, the taco dinner kit did not save time and resulted in salty, weakly flavored taco meat.  The shells in the kit were also of lesser quality than those bought separately.  Homemade taco meat is tastier, takes the same amount of time, and has the added benefit of flexibility; you can add as much or as little spice as you like making them worth a little extra money!

Homemade Tacos                                           Taco Kit

Cost: $7.19                                                             Cost: $5.95

Time: 12 minutes                                                 Time: 11 minutes