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    Home > Blog > Game Day > Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos

    Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos

    by Teri Lyn Fisher · Published: Nov 4, 2014 · Modified: Oct 11, 2020

    Jump to Recipe
    A plate of crunchy beef tacos with a cheese sauce on top.
    Ingredients to assemble crunchy ground beef and cheesy tacos.

    Hi Guys! Today we have these crazy-good crunchy ground beef and cheesy tacos. We made these somewhat “trashy” tacos in honor of Jess of How Sweet Eats and a little virtual baby shower a bunch of us are throwing for her today! Yay! We don’t actually know Jess, but when we got an email from Bev of Bev Cooks we just couldn’t say no, because we love Bev and her quirky and creative personality. We also love it when people within communities come together to celebrate something exciting and fun, like a new baby on the way!

    We’re celebrating today with some of our favorite kinds of tacos. Some old school, crunchy ground beef tacos that we made even more tasty with home-fried taco shells and an extra cheesy double cheddar sauce! Think taco bell meets hole in the wall taqueria, but not gross, instead just insanely delicious and easy to make. You can simplify this recipe even more by buying hard shell taco shells instead of making your own. These are perfect for taco tuesday (or anytime, really).

    More taco recipes we like: 

    Beer battered shrimp tacos with lime wedges and a side of cilantro lime crema.
    Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos
    A close up of a plate of grilled zucchini tacos.
    Grilled Zucchini Tacos
    Easy carnitas recipe in a bowl next to a plate of tacos.
    Easy Carnitas

    We have a couple of options for homemade tortillas and taco shells. For this recipe we love our hard and puffy taco shells. They are so easy to make, and are just so delicious. We also have a recipe for homemade corn tortillas!

    DIY hard and puffy corn tortillas, flat and folded on a cutting board.
    DIY Puffy and Hard Taco Shells
    DIY hard and puffy corn tortillas, flat and folded on a cutting board.
    Homemade Corn Tortillas
    A plate of crunchy ground beef and cheesy tacos with napkins and extra plates.

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    A plate of crunchy beef tacos with a cheese sauce on top.

    Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos

    5 from 1 vote
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Servings: 6

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon chile powder
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    cheese sauce

    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
    • 1 ¼ cups whole milk
    • 4 ounces grated sharp cheddar
    • 2 ounces grated white cheddar
    • ½ teaspoon ground mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

    assembly

    • 6 (5 inch) crunchy taco shells
    • 1 ½ cups loosely packed shredded lettuce
    • 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Pour oil into a skillet and place over medium-high heat.
    • Add beef and sauté, while breaking up into small pieces. Cook beef for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Stir tomato paste, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, chile powder, cumin, and black pepper into the ground beef and stir until fully incorporated and beef has cooked though. Low heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
    • Cheese sauce: Melt butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk milk into the mixture and continue to whisk until no lumps remain and mixture begins to thicken. Whisk cheeses into the mixture, one at a time, allowing cheese to melt completely before adding more. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
    • Assemble: Fill taco shells with ground beef, followed by cheese sauce, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve immediately.
    Serving: 1taco Calories: 406kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 27g Fat: 26g Saturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 92mg Sodium: 693mg Potassium: 509mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 1117IU Vitamin C: 4mg Calcium: 286mg Iron: 3mg

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    November 4, 2014 / 30 Comments

    About Teri Lyn Fisher

    Teri Lyn Fisher is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food and cosmetics photographer. She is a big fan of hot dogs. #sfbTERI

    Previous Post: < Previous Post Pumpkin Cake with a Pistachio Glaze
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    Reader Interactions

    November 4, 2014 / 30 Comments

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    1. DG

      July 17, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      Your recipe looks perfect but I wish you would have included your favorite toppings/condiments like onion or cilantro or your favorite salsa.
      I’m making this tonight with pepper jack cheese because that’s all I have at the moment.👍

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        July 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm

        Thank you for this suggestion! We will definitely make a list and add, what a great idea. We do love shredded lettuce and diced tomato. A chunky salsa is always yummy too, and sour cream. I also love finely diced red onion. Hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    2. Sabrina

      February 02, 2017 at 8:03 pm

      saw these on the front page and had to comment that I love these straightforward ground beef tacos, and the wonderful cheese sauce, too many taco, thank you!

      Reply
    3. Katie

      May 14, 2016 at 5:00 am

      I want to make these but would love to see the taco shell recipe.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        May 14, 2016 at 9:13 am

        Here you go! :) https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/diy-hard-and-puffy-corn-tortilla-shells/

        Reply
    4. Coco

      January 13, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Taco shell recipe? Did I miss that?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        January 13, 2015 at 1:08 pm

        nope, I’m just terrible at keeping my promises…..recipe coming SOON!!

        Reply
    5. SOPAIGESAYS

      December 23, 2014 at 11:09 am

      I am dying for the puffy taco shell recipe, any idea when it will be up?
      Thank you! Happy Holidays.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 27, 2014 at 11:47 am

        Yikes, thank you for the reminder! It will be up by the end of the weekend!

        Reply
    6. Christi

      November 09, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Did I miss the taco shells recipe? These look amazing!

      Reply
    7. Sommer @ASpicyPerspective

      November 07, 2014 at 1:26 pm

      I just want to crunch into this delicious taco recipe!

      Reply
    8. Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking

      November 06, 2014 at 1:15 pm

      I am sooooo craving tacos now! I wish I Had the ingredients on hand. Maybe these will make the menu for dinner next week.

      Reply
    9. Phillip || SouthernFATTY.com

      November 06, 2014 at 9:25 am

      You had me at tacoooos! Looks delicious.

      Reply
    10. Jenny (VintageSugarcube)

      November 06, 2014 at 9:20 am

      I could eat at least 4 of those in a snap. YUM!

      Reply
    11. Paige

      November 06, 2014 at 8:46 am

      Puffy taco shell recipe please!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        November 06, 2014 at 10:58 am

        Yes, will be added shortly!

        Reply
        • Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking

          November 06, 2014 at 1:14 pm

          Yesssss! I was just about to ask!

          Reply
    12. Aimee @ Simple Bites

      November 04, 2014 at 6:07 pm

      These really look too good to be true – like some sort of magazine ad. Stunning!! Can’t wait to try them and make my kids week. :)

      Reply
    13. Tiffany

      November 04, 2014 at 4:32 pm

      Would love to make these! Do you have directions for frying the taco shells? I’ve never been able to get them quite right.

      Reply
    14. Erin M

      November 04, 2014 at 3:46 pm

      Those taco shells look amazing!! Recipe please?!

      Reply
    15. Daisy At Home

      November 04, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      These look so delicious! I love the addition of the cheese sauce. It’s always a treat when we make our own homemade crunchy taco shells, and these ones look perfect.

      Reply
    16. bev @ bevcooks

      November 04, 2014 at 11:29 am

      Oh my gooooooosh I could nap in that. Thank you guys SO MUCH for being a part of this! xo!

      Reply
    17. Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      November 04, 2014 at 10:57 am

      I’m going to add this to our taco rotation! If only you knew how much I loved tacos ;)

      Reply
    18. Cookin Canuck

      November 04, 2014 at 8:48 am

      Those are some fantastic looking tacos. I know they would be a huge hit at our house!

      Reply
    19. Julia @ Sprinkled With Jules

      November 04, 2014 at 8:38 am

      It’s only 8:30 am and now I’m craving some home made tacos. Those shells look so good!

      Reply
    20. Ashley

      November 04, 2014 at 8:23 am

      The crunchy shells!!! Your taco styling is fantastic as well. So happy you two joined in for the shower! xo

      Reply
    21. brandi

      November 04, 2014 at 6:28 am

      those taco shells look absolutely perfect!

      Reply
    22. Linda

      November 04, 2014 at 6:22 am

      There’s no going wrong with a good taco.

      Reply
    23. Jessica

      November 04, 2014 at 5:53 am

      YOU GUYS.
      thank you! these are truly insane. I’m in love.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        November 04, 2014 at 7:37 am

        Happy Virtual Baby Shower Day To You!! xx

        Reply

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