Homemade Tacos

Written by on Wednesday, 11 December 2019.
Tagged: dinner, easy, healthy cooking, healthy eating, nutrition

  • Ready In: 35 minutes
  • Serves: 4
Homemade Tacos

 

Despite how messy they are to eat, tacos are always a crowd favourite. They’re great for a quick dinner or can be easily made in bulk for larger gatherings. What’s more, they tend to be both adult- and child-friendly! This mince mixture has less meat, with added beans for extra fibre and plant-based protein (and it’s another way to sneak vegetables in). Tacos are best served “family style”, with all the ingredients in the middle of the table so everyone can pick and choose what they want in their tacos.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE MINCE
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 250 g lean beef mince
  • 400 g can black beans or any other similar beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
  • FOR THE TACO ASSEMBLY
  • 8 taco shells
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 head baby cos lettuce (or lettuce of choice)
  • 1 avocado
  • 400 g can corn, drained
  • ½ bunch coriander
  • 1 lemon or lime
  • 200 g low-fat Greek yoghurt
  • Other options: shredded cheese, jalapeno chillis, chopped red onion

Nutrition per serve

Per 2 tacos:

1967 kJ (469 Calories), 27 g protein, 23 g fat (including 5 g saturated fat), 31 g carbohydrate (including 10 g sugars), 12 g fibre and 430  mg sodium. Read our nutrition rating system.

Directions

The most time-efficient way to make these tacos is to:

  1. Make the mince (can be done the day before) and reheat on the day.
  2. Heat the taco shells in the oven
  3. Prepare the vegetables and toppings.

Make the mince:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes, or until translucent.
  2. Add the beef mince, and mash/cook for another 5 minutes, or until the mince browns.
  3. Then add the black beans and stir to combine.
  4. Add the garlic powder, cumin and paprika and mix to combine with the beef and bean mixture.
  5. Then mix the tomato paste through the mince mixture. If too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Once most of the water has evaporated, turn off the heat.

Tacos Portrait 2

Heat the taco shells + prepare the vegetables and toppings:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/375°F and line a baking tray with paper. Spread the taco shells out on the tray (these will be baked in the next step but the oven will need to be pre-heated from the start).
  2. Bake the taco shells in the oven for approx 5-6 minutes, or until golden.
  3. Whilst the taco shells are in the oven, dice the tomatoes, thinly slice the cos lettuce, slice the avocado, drain the corn, slice the lemon into wedges and finely chop the coriander.
  4. Once all three components are done, assemble the tacos. Start with a thin layer of mince, and then fill with toppings that you desire (veggies, cheese etc) and finish with a drizzle of yoghurt.

Variations

  • Use tortillas for soft tacos. Or use a larger wholemeal wrap to make burritos, or even corn chips for nachos!
  • Make guacamole with your avocado – mash your avo with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 small chopped red onion, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper!
  • Add a pinch of chilli flakes to your mince for something a bit spicier.
  • Use a pre-made taco seasoning mix if you prefer – just look for one that has the least added sugar and salt.
  • Swap the Greek yoghurt for low-fat sour cream.
  • Make extra mince for lunch the next day – serve over rice for a “burrito bowl”.

Recipe and photo by dietitian Sophie Feng. You can follow her on Instagram at @sophies_foodfeast

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