Crispy Oven Baked Tacos (with Taco Bell Copycat Beef)
These delicious, Taco Bell-inspired Baked Tacos are an easy way to make taco night any night of the week! Corn tortillas are filled with savory ground beef and shredded cheese, and then baked to crispy, golden brown perfection.
Servings: 8 tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 8 corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- Toppings of your choice such as shredded lettuce, diced onion, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, jalapeño slices, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime, etc
Meat Seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup bone broth or beef broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add ground beef. Cook until browned, breaking up the beef as much as you can, about 5 minutes. I used a potato masher to break it up as much as I can.1 lb ground beef
- Add in all ingredients for the meat seasoning, and stir cooking for 3-4 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste to adjust seasoning, and remove from heat.2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup bone broth, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and lay them out on the baking pan. They can overlap a bit.8 corn tortillas, Cooking spray
- Add about 1/4 cup of beef to one side of the each tortilla (I used a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop), then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of cheese on top.1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake for 5 minutes, then fold the empty side of the tortilla over. Press firmly so it sticks to cheese on top.
- Bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and dippings. You can gently open the tortillas and add toppings inside, if you like.Toppings of your choice
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- A great way to easily cook lots of tacos at once for a big group, kid-friendly too.
- Ground beef can be subbed with ground turkey or ground chicken if preferred.
- For that true Taco Bell-like meat, I used a potato masher to break up the meat into very small pieces. I recommend you do the same.
- Baking the tacos open first allows the cheese to melt and the tortillas to become soft enough so they can fold over and stick to the cheese without tearing.
- I made my own homemade taco seasoning for this recipe with simple spices, tomato paste, bone broth, and cornstarch. If you don’t have these spices on hand, feel free to use your favorite taco seasoning packet in place of the pantry spices.
Serving and Storage Tips
Serve these crispy oven-baked tacos with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, diced onion, diced tomatoes, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa, jalapeño slices, bell pepper, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime juice, etc. Add a side of refried beans or black beans and Mexican rice or a side salad if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, place in a baking dish or sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can place in the air fryer at 350F and cook for 5-10 minutes until warmed through and crisped back up.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco - makes 8 | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 2mg