Disclosure: This post is sponsored by McCormick, who sent me a wonderful spice kit to aid my taco night! The recipe and opinions are 100% my own.
I’ve been raised eating hard shell tacos. Crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and succulent on the inside. Greasy fingers and lots of napkins. My grandfather always drains his on a paper bag. I guess I’ve graduated into modern times and drain mine on a paper towel lined plate. Either way, the tacos are always delicious and they’re part of my family food soundtrack. I start to get a little antsy when they are freshly taken out of the frying oil and are scorching hot, and I’m trying to let them cool enough to get the toothpicks taken out. I just want to stuff my taco with all the fixings and crunch. It’s the anticipation that drives me insane. I can almost get in a bad mood for that instant until the taco hits my lips and all problems are solved. Temporarily at least.
Well tonight was like any other taco night I’ve shared with my family, except I had to have dinner on the table pronto…. we were all starving after a crazy day. I knew my fiance was craving meat, and I had some left over potatoes in the fridge. So I made the type of tacos I always make when I’m extremely pressed for time. We call them hamburger tacos. Here’s the thing… you put the meat in the tortilla raw and as it fries the meat cooks. You just have to make sure to spice it up right. I think the real secret lies in the McCormick chipotle chile pepper, not too much just the right amount. It seasons your taco and takes your ground beef from being a bland everyday ground to something special and you really didn’t do that much. Well you did, but you really didn’t…. McCormick did.
Ingredients for Hamburger Tacos:
- 1 – pound ground beef (70/30)
- 2 – teaspoons McCormick Garlic Powder
- 1/2 – tablespoon McCormick Chipotle Powder
- 1/2 – teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 – tablespoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 12 – corn tortillas
- toothpicks
- 3 – cups vegetable oil
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Lettuce
- tomato
- salsa or hot sauce
- avocado
- In a large bowl combine ground beef. garlic powder, chipotle powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Set to the side.
- Warm corn tortillas on an open flame. Heat on each side for 30 seconds then place tortillas in a cloth or tortilla warmer. Set to the side.
- Take a tortilla, and place a heaping tablespoon of raw meat on one side. Then fold the tortilla to encase the meat.
- Enclose the taco with toothpicks on either side. Repeat until all tacos are filled with meat.
- In a large frying pan over a medium flame add vegetable oil and allow to get hot.
- Add tacos to hot oil.
- Fry tacos on each side for 5 minutes for a total of 10 minutes.
- Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool for about 5 minutes. It should look like this.
- Remove toothpick closures and fill with a tablespoon of mashed potatoes.
- Then add in cheese, lettuce, sour cream and hot sauce.
- Enjoy!
Now for the give away….. First follow McCormick on Pinterest. Then follow the rules below: Pinterest Taco Night Challenge ends May 31st, 2013! Good Luck!
Looks like I got my dinner recipe! Thanks!
Oh my gosh! Those look so good! We love Taco Burgers, but never thought to try a burger Taco. What a genius idea! Will be trying these soon.
What a terrific recipe. I am so jonesing for those kind of tacos now. We also fry them with just the mashed potatoes inside. They are so yummy!