Hit me with your favorite taco meat recipe

[saraha]

We have been an Ortega taco family my whole life. Yesterday we had a life changing experience in a taco restaurant while visiting dd20 at college and I really want to branch out now!

So hit me with your favorite taco meat filling. Chicken, ground beef, shredded beef roast, shredded pork roast any and all recipes!

I looked online for copycat recipes from this restaurant but didn’t find what I was looking for.

Thanks

[Annie G]

https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/americas-test-kitchen-beef-tacos-314504
 

This has been our favorite for a while. Very tasty, and it actually tastes good instead of just salty like using the packets tasted. 
 

[marbel]

We love this birria recipe.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/beef-birria-recipe-5270810

[Corbster98]

I love halibut and these tacos are yummy if you want to step away from the traditional meats for tacos.

We also make a lot of our tacos with moose meat too which is super good!

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-fish-tacos/

[Corbster98]

49 minutes ago, marbel said:

We love this birria recipe.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/beef-birria-recipe-5270810

Thanks for the recipe! Birria tacos are so good. 

[alisoncooks]

We made these baked chicken tacos recently. (I think someone here recommended them.)

 https://damndelicious.net/2023/04/28/crispy-baked-chicken-tacos/

The actual tortilla/shell part didn’t turn out like I’d hoped, but the meat was *very* good. I’ll definitely be making it again. 

[MrsMommy]

I like to throw a pork shoulder in the slower cooker with a bunch of garlic powder and a jar of green salsa. Shred it when it's done...so easy and delicious!

[saraha]

Ok, so I’ve got several meats to try, do you put anything besides iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream?

[cjzimmer1]

4 minutes ago, saraha said:

Ok, so I’ve got several meats to try, do you put anything besides iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream?

My normal basic tacos have sliced peppers (prefer colored but in the dead of winter green are the cheapest), onions, black olives, shredded cheddar/cojack cheese (or queso), plus the ones you listed and avocado slices if I have any ripe.  If I don't have lettuce we use shredded cabbage. 

Other options are sauteed onions/peppers.  Pickled onions, radishes, black, pinto or white beans, rice, cilantro, pico de gallo, corn, cojita cheese, sweet potatoes (great served with black beans with taco type seasonings).

 

[wisdomandtreasures]

Beef, onion, mushrooms (yes! Trying to follow Dr. Joel Furhman while also appeasing my meat-loving sons! Also, I just love mushrooms), garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt & pepper, and a little tomato sauce (just a couple tablespoons).

Other taco fillings: guacamole, lettuce, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by wisdomandtreasures
Forgot the salt n' pepper!

[Clarita]

The favorite at my house is birria with chuck roast.

Easier meat is chicken with Tajin seasoning. Coat chicken in Tajin and stick it in the oven.

I've used lettuce, arugula, (El Salvadorian style) pickled cabbage, for the leafy green inside the taco. I also like to add guacamole, caramelized onions, cheese (queso, cheddar, nacho sauce), tomatoes (fresh from the garden), fire roasted/sauteed sweet peppers or any other type of peppers. I mean really I put a lot of things in tacos. We've even put crumbled Doritos in tacos before.

For the sour cream, I prefer European sour cream or creme fraiche.

 

[Clarita]

Tomatillo salsa is also really yummy. I've also cooked some green tomatoes before and put that in a taco, pretty yummy. I don't know that you could go wrong putting things in tacos.

[marbel]

Toppings...

The chipotle mayo from this recipe is delicious; I make it more often than I make the fish tacos, though they are pretty rad themselves:  https://damndelicious.net/2013/06/27/fish-tacos-with-chipotle-mayo/

Tomatillo salsa is awesome. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tomatillo_salsa_verde/

We also sometimes use: pickled jalapenos, pickled or raw red onion, cilantro, guacamole, radishes, red or green cabbage, shredded very finely, 

No mention of cheese? queso fresco, pepper jack, Montery jack, and super sharp cheddar are the usual choices here. 

Here's another meat to try; I'd forgotten about this and am making it today. It is so delicious; don't be put off by the small amount of sweetened condensed milk (unless of course dairy doesn't work for you). We usually put the meat under the broiler at the end to get some crispy bits.  https://patijinich.com/carnitas/

[mmasc]

For toppings on a grilled steak or grilled chicken taco, go with lots of freshly chopped cilantro, chopped white onion, and fresh lime juice. Serve on charred corn tortillas if possible. 
 

This is my favorite recipe for the chicken. 

[KatieJ]

10 hours ago, saraha said:

Ok, so I’ve got several meats to try, do you put anything besides iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream?

nvm

already covered

Edited November 12, 2023 by KatieJ

[KungFuPanda]

When I make taco filling, I brown the ground beef with onions and garlic, then add some taco seasoning from the giant costco jar. I add jalapenos or habanero; whatever I have on hand.  I doctor it from there.  It usually needs a lot more cumin.  The trader Joe's taco mix has a nice flavor and has you add a can of tomatoes.  It tasted so good that I started adding petite diced tomatoes (or a little tomato paste) to my filling . . . then I sometimes throw in some lentils. Chipotles (powdered or canned) add a nice smoky flavor if you like that.  It's gotten out of hand.  I also like to make filling with ground pork or turkey.  For shredded meats, I like to do chicken or a pork shoulder with salsa verde.  Those are usually crockpot recipes.  

But for quick, week night tacos, it's usually just ground beef and pantry seasonings.  I do a lot of tasting.

[rebcoola]

Our family's everyday favorite is Hemplers chorizo with just added garlic and onion. 

When DH is in the mood he makes al pastor which is amazing he doesn't use recpices though

Edited November 12, 2023 by rebcoola

[saraha]

Can someone tell me about pickling things for a taco? I would never have thought something pickled went with tacos, but there were pickled jalapeños and pickled red onions for some of the choices. I also saw on a different menu about pickled red cabbage. Also, what balances the pickled element?

Thanks!

[cjzimmer1]

18 minutes ago, saraha said:

Can someone tell me about pickling things for a taco? I would never have thought something pickled went with tacos, but there were pickled jalapeños and pickled red onions for some of the choices. I also saw on a different menu about pickled red cabbage. Also, what balances the pickled element?

Thanks!

We use a method called quick pickling quite often for various dishes bought some of those meal kits in the past (like Hello Fresh) and were introduced to the concept of quick pickling.  Turns out there is tons of uses and it makes a great addition to lots of dishes while still keeping a nice fresh taste of the vegetable.  Basically it's slice your veggie nice and thin, mix with acid and salt and let it sit for 5+ minutes.  So for onions for tacos, I would slice them thin, squeeze fresh lime juice, add a little salt and then let them sit while I prepare the rest of the meal.  The lime juice is a natural match for Mexican foods.

 

This is the recipe I got the concept from

www.everyplate.com/recipes/sweet-ponzu-beef-bowls-5e46ac769b2eb6549c0156e

but now use the pickling technique for lots of different things.  

 

 

 

[saraha]

16 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

We use a method called quick pickling quite often for various dishes bought some of those meal kits in the past (like Hello Fresh) and were introduced to the concept of quick pickling.  Turns out there is tons of uses and it makes a great addition to lots of dishes while still keeping a nice fresh taste of the vegetable.  Basically it's slice your veggie nice and thin, mix with acid and salt and let it sit for 5+ minutes.  So for onions for tacos, I would slice them thin, squeeze fresh lime juice, add a little salt and then let them sit while I prepare the rest of the meal.  The lime juice is a natural match for Mexican foods.

 

This is the recipe I got the concept from

www.everyplate.com/recipes/sweet-ponzu-beef-bowls-5e46ac769b2eb6549c0156e

but now use the pickling technique for lots of different things.  

 

 

 

A squeeze of lime juice is enough? Or added to vinegar? Would bottles lime juice work?

haha can you tell I had a life changing taco experience??? I keep asking questions because we have no wiggle room in the budget for expensive Ingredients or for failures, and I really want to make something good but cheap

Edited November 14, 2023 by saraha

[cjzimmer1]

1 hour ago, saraha said:

A squeeze of lime juice is enough? Or added to vinegar? Would bottles lime juice work?

haha can you tell I had a life changing taco experience??? I keep asking questions because we have no wiggle room in the budget for expensive Ingredients or for failures, and I really want to make something good but cheap

It's hard to give an amount.  It's more about ratios.  You need enough juice so that it can coat all the thing you are pickling and and a bit more.  You don't have to cover the item but you need enough juice so that as you stir it, the item is getting enough juice splashed on it to coat the item.  I hope that makes sense.  I usually a couple of limes for a meal but I'm cooking for a crowd of big eaters and they will happily eat any extra pickled veggies we have at the end of the meal.  So for a smaller amount 1/2-1 lime is probably plenty.   Our grocery store regularly sells bags of limes that have been banged or bruised or have small spots for 99 cents (and probably weigh 3-4 pounds) so I never lack for fresh limes. I think bottled lime juice is sharper tasting than fresh but it worth giving it a try.  If it's too sharp just add a tiny smidge of sugar and I think it will brighten the flavor. 

[marbel]

Here is a specific recipe for quick pickling vegetables:  https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/quick-pickled-vegetables    You can use any vinegar, not just rice. 

We do quick pickling like this often. It really adds to a lot of dishes, like tacos. Pickled red onions on a cheeseburger, ohh la la! 

Quick pickled jalapenos are awesome in queso or on top of nachos.

ETA: I agree that lime juice is a natural with Mexican food. If you have an Aldi, sometimes limes can be had very inexpensively there. But not always. Vinegar is cheap and you may already have some in the house. But once you start doing this, you may love it and want to branch out. 

Here is another good one:  https://cookieandkate.com/quick-pickled-onions-recipe/

This is how I do pickled jalapenos, but I don't add garlic.   https://www.loveandlemons.com/pickled-jalapenos/

Edited November 14, 2023 by marbel

[Scarlett]

1 cup of lentils

1 cup of brown rice

2 packages of taco seasoning

3 1/2 to 4 cups of water

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours 

Serve as taco meat.

 

[Kassia]

50 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

1 cup of lentils

1 cup of brown rice

2 packages of taco seasoning

3 1/2 to 4 cups of water

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours 

Serve as taco meat.

 

this looks really good.  I have a stupid question - is the rice uncooked or already cooked.  I'm assuming uncooked but wanted to be sure.

[Scarlett]

4 minutes ago, Kassia said:

this looks really good.  I have a stupid question - is the rice uncooked or already cooked.  I'm assuming uncooked but wanted to be sure.

Yes uncooked. This makes A LOT and was very helpful when we had teen boys…..plus healthy and vegetarian 

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Yes uncooked. This makes A LOT and was very helpful when we had teen boys…..plus healthy and vegetarian 

Thanks so much for sharing this.  I am going to make this in addition to ground beef taco meat in the hopes that it will stretch out the ground beef and be less expensive to feed a crowd (my three adult sons who are big eaters plus the rest of my family) during the holidays.

Can you estimate how much this makes compared to beef?  Like, would it be equal to two pounds of ground beef?  It's hard for me to figure out how much it actually makes just by looking at the recipe.  My sons eat so much!  Everyone else here has normal appetites.  

ETA - I was thinking it would be somewhat equal to two pounds of ground beef since it calls for two packets of seasoning in the recipe.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Kassia

[Scarlett]

38 minutes ago, Kassia said:

Thanks so much for sharing this.  I am going to make this in addition to ground beef taco meat in the hopes that it will stretch out the ground beef and be less expensive to feed a crowd (my three adult sons who are big eaters plus the rest of my family) during the holidays.

Can you estimate how much this makes compared to beef?  Like, would it be equal to two pounds of ground beef?  It's hard for me to figure out how much it actually makes just by looking at the recipe.  My sons eat so much!  Everyone else here has normal appetites.  

ETA - I was thinking it would be somewhat equal to two pounds of ground beef since it calls for two packets of seasoning in the recipe.

The original recipe I got off this board called for one package but I thought it was a bit bland.   I Would say it makes at least 4 cups because lentils and rice both double in cooking.  
 

Google says 1 pound of ground beef equals 2 1/2 cups browned hamburger meat. 

[Scarlett]

Another way I stretch taco meat is by adding corn or black beans to the meat.  Sometimes I do one can of each for 2 lbs of meat. 

[KungFuPanda]

I make this a lot:

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chile-verde-pork-roast/

It’s crockpot or pressure cooker friendly and you can easily make it the day ahead. It freezes well for future meals too if you want to make it further ahead. 

[Condessa]

We love Carlsbad Cravings' tacos--I've probably made eight or ten different recipes of hers and have never had a single family member dislike one.  And I have some very picky kids.  

https://carlsbadcravings.com/category/30-minute-meals/#search/q=tacos

[Danae]

I’m a little embarrassed by this one, but I was in a hurry the first time and now it’s a favorite of my younger son.

One Costco rotisserie chicken.  Pull meat off the bones and shred. Add about a third of a bottle of Italian dressing. Dump a jar of fresh salsa into a strainer and add the liquid that strains out to the chicken. Toss, cover pan with foil, and stick in the oven until hot.

[saraha]

There are a lot of ingredients in some of these recipes I can’t get in our county, so road trip today! We are headed to Jungle Jims to see what international ingredients we can find. What should I prioritize? We tried a bottled cilantro lime aioli from helmans, it was gross. I followed one of the recipes linked so far as I could not having access to some ingredients and it was good! I followed the pickling directions and pickled some cabbage as it was all I had and we discovered pickled and fresh green cabbage are both good on tacos.

So going to an international market today, what should I prioritize? The prices here aren’t like what people say when they say, go to the Asian markets, they are cheaper, but I don’t know where any of those markets are and don’t want to venture downtown. we are on a very limited budget so want to put my money where it will make the most impact. Some of the chilis from the beef recipe? Something for a sweet salsa? Is there any packaged sauces, salsas, aiolis that are good? What kind of cheese? 
 

[alisoncooks]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:34 AM, Scarlett said:

1 cup of lentils

1 cup of brown rice

2 packages of taco seasoning

3 1/2 to 4 cups of water

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours 

Serve as taco meat.

 

Cook on low? High? 
We cook for a large group of college students occasionally and this sounds promising!

[mmasc]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:28 PM, Condessa said:

We love Carlsbad Cravings' tacos--I've probably made eight or ten different recipes of hers and have never had a single family member dislike one.  And I have some very picky kids.  

https://carlsbadcravings.com/category/30-minute-meals/#search/q=tacos

Have you tried her beef enchiladas? They are amazing! I haven’t tried her tacos, but I need to.

[Scarlett]

2 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Cook on low? High? 
We cook for a large group of college students occasionally and this sounds promising!

4 hours on high, 6 hours on low.  Watch it though because some crock pots are hotter than others and you want it to thicken but not dry out. 

[KungFuPanda]

18 minutes ago, saraha said:

There are a lot of ingredients in some of these recipes I can’t get in our county, so road trip today! We are headed to Jungle Jims to see what international ingredients we can find. What should I prioritize? We tried a bottled cilantro lime aioli from helmans, it was gross. I followed one of the recipes linked so far as I could not having access to some ingredients and it was good! I followed the pickling directions and pickled some cabbage as it was all I had and we discovered pickled and fresh green cabbage are both good on tacos.

So going to an international market today, what should I prioritize? The prices here aren’t like what people say when they say, go to the Asian markets, they are cheaper, but I don’t know where any of those markets are and don’t want to venture downtown. we are on a very limited budget so want to put my money where it will make the most impact. Some of the chilis from the beef recipe? Something for a sweet salsa? Is there any packaged sauces, salsas, aiolis that are good? What kind of cheese? 
 

If you don’t have cumin, prioritize that (and onions and garlic) After cumin I’d look for any combination of chili or chipotle or cayenne powder you can get. The nice thing is thatcher chili powdered acne be replaced with fresh peppers if those are easier to find. They freeze well. We like habaneros and jalapeños. They’re easy to grow and freeze well.
 

You might consider sourcing some seeds and planting peppers, oregano, and tomatoes for your taco garden. These can all grow in pots on a balcony. we love cilantro but I can’t seem to grow it. It’s a dollar for three bunches at our LA Mart, so I get it there. A bottle of lime juice or fresh limes is nice too. The bottle will last a while. 
 

ETA: fir those of you with a Trader Joe’s, their powdered taco seasoning is pretty good. It’s spicy, so taste as you go and don’t just toss in the whole packet if your people can’t take the heat. 

Edited November 18, 2023 by KungFuPanda

[marbel]

21 minutes ago, saraha said:

There are a lot of ingredients in some of these recipes I can’t get in our county, so road trip today! We are headed to Jungle Jims to see what international ingredients we can find. What should I prioritize? We tried a bottled cilantro lime aioli from helmans, it was gross. I followed one of the recipes linked so far as I could not having access to some ingredients and it was good! I followed the pickling directions and pickled some cabbage as it was all I had and we discovered pickled and fresh green cabbage are both good on tacos.

So going to an international market today, what should I prioritize? The prices here aren’t like what people say when they say, go to the Asian markets, they are cheaper, but I don’t know where any of those markets are and don’t want to venture downtown. we are on a very limited budget so want to put my money where it will make the most impact. Some of the chilis from the beef recipe? Something for a sweet salsa? Is there any packaged sauces, salsas, aiolis that are good? What kind of cheese? 
 

Whole dried chiles are useful and they last a long time. But you should consider if you want the effort of toasting and soaking them. Good-quality chile powders are also useful and save time. I am not talking about chili powder, which is mix of stuff. But powders of single chiles - I like ancho and chipotle. I do keep some dried chiles on hand - arbol, guajillo, and ancho - for making birria.  

So a lot depends on how much of a project you want. I sometimes like project cooking!

Making tomatillo salsa is easy but a jar of it would probably be useful. 

My family like queso fresco and cotija cheeses. Queso fresco is OK, pretty mild, but I find it goes bad quickly. I dislike cotija and use feta when it's called for. If you have an opportunity to taste cheeses before you buy, take it! Honestly I use Monterey or Pepper jack most of the time. Unless I want a Taco Bell style taco, then it's orange cheddar! 

Canned chipotles in adobo sauce are a staple here. Cumin is essential.

Edited November 18, 2023 by marbel

[saraha]

It’s good to know that the Individual powdered chilis work, I can get some of those there.

is queso fresco like sour cream? I’ve seen the cotija cheese in recipes. I’ve never tried Monterey but we have had pepper jack, I have bought pepper jack not sure if our store carries Monterey.  

I have easy access to tomatoes, green and jalapeño peppers, and white and red onions. and cumin.
Is mango salsa good? It and pineapple salsa keep popping up in my searches. 
I figured out that what stood out to us during our life changing Taco experience was the sweet/tangy additions. We’ve had homemade tacos and tacos from the Mexican restaurant where no one speaks much English, but these ones at Condado‘a were very different. So trying to figure out the magic combination. Dd21 came home from college last night and I was talking about our day trip today. She looked at me funny and dh said tacos is your mom’s new hobby 😆
 

Edited November 18, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

Any suggestions for sweet elements? We are definitely not trying to stay strictly traditional, just want something delicious in a tortilla

[marbel]

Re: queso fresco - I'm trying to find a comparison. My son says it's kind of like a mixture of goat and feta. It's definitely not like sour cream. (Mexican crema is like sour cream.) Queso fresco is soft but not too soft, firmer than cream cheese. It's not very crumbly. Very mild flavor. 

Sweet elements - that's not a thing for my family, not sure why! 

I just thought of a side dish to suggest: esquites. It's corn and seasonings and is just delicious. It calls for fresh corn but I make it most often with frozen, defrosted and patted dry so it chars. I can't link the recipe I use right now, but I like Serious Eats version, you should be able to find it. 

[saraha]

 

1 recipe calls for chipotle paste and one for chipotle in adobo, can they be interchangeable?

Edited November 18, 2023 by saraha

[marbel]

1 minute ago, saraha said:

@marbel

one recipe calls for chipotle paste and one for chipotle in adobo, can they be interchangeable?

Well... I think I have used a couple of recipes that called for chipotle paste, and I don't know what that is, have never seen it, so I've subbed chipotles in adobo, and it has worked well.

The cans that I buy have the whole peppers in the sauce. Sometimes I have pureed the whole can and stored it in a glass jar. Sometimes, I just pull out a pepper (or whatever number I need), and some sauce, and mince/smoosh it all together. Then store the rest in a glass jar.  I also find it's too hot for me if I don't remove most of the seeds, which is a laborious process for me but worth it in the end. 

 

 

[marbel]

I don't know anything about Jungle Jim's but every time I have gone to any sort of ethnic/international food market, the workers are super helpful. 

I remember being very new to cooking and going into a little produce market in my neighborhood, which was largely Hispanic. I wandered around and asked one of the employees "do you have jalapenos?" And he said "Me! I'm from Jalapa!" And he led me to the peppers and talked about all of them, how they differ. Such a sweet memory. Now of course we can look stuff up (this was before internet) but his personal help was so valuable. 

[saraha]

Yeah, so jungle Jim’s is this huge store that imports all kinds of fresh produce from all over the world and has rows and  rows of imported shelf stable foods and sells every kind of crash fish and exotic meats and cuts. Only place I know you can buy a whole hogs head off the refrigerator shelf. It’s not what you would think of as an ethnic store but a huge clearing house

[Condessa]

8 hours ago, mmasc said:

Have you tried her beef enchiladas? They are amazing! I haven’t tried her tacos, but I need to.

I haven’t tried the enchiladas.  Her smothered burritos are another of our favorites, though.

[saraha]

Ok! So for my first Taco attempt I made Chipotle Honey chicken tacos with cilantro lime crema, raw and pickled cabbage, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese (it was all I had). It was a hit! It was so very very good! We decided with the crema, it didn’t really need the cheese.
I bought several different powdered chilis and chipotle in adobo. I’ve got a line up of recipes to try and i am so happy! Thanks for giving me the confidence to branch out and try something new! While munching the tacos dd16 rolled her eyes up in her head and said “I love moms new hobby!” 😆

Edited November 19, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

PS Please keep the ideas and recipes coming! Your favorite meat, sauces, pickles, anything! Asian fusion, any fusion, whatever. We are here for it! 
😆😋

[mmasc]

Ok, here’s one that I got off this board and have been eating them ever since.

Easy Fish Tacos. Cook frozen fish sticks. Put them on tortillas. Top with shredded cabbage. And here’s the magic—the sauce! Mix sriracha with Mayo and a bit of fresh lime juice. (You adjust the ratio to the heat you like). Drizzle over the cabbage and squeeze some lime juice on top. SO easy and very tasty!

Edited November 19, 2023 by mmasc

[Scarlett]

6 hours ago, mmasc said:

Ok, here’s one that I got off this board and have been eating them ever since.

Easy Fish Tacos. Cook frozen fish sticks. Put them on tortillas. Top with shredded cabbage. And here’s the magic—the sauce! Mix sriracha with Mayo and a bit of fresh lime juice. (You adjust the ratio to the heat you like). Drizzle over the cabbage and squeeze some lime juice on top. SO easy and very tasty!

I got that from here too and we still eat it all the time! Sooooo easy and so good!

[saraha]

On 11/14/2023 at 2:53 PM, KungFuPanda said:

I make this a lot:

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chile-verde-pork-roast/

It’s crockpot or pressure cooker friendly and you can easily make it the day ahead. It freezes well for future meals too if you want to make it further ahead. 

Tonight we had totchos using this recipe without the tomatillos, with corn, mozzarella cheese, tajin crema. So good! You guys gave me some great links!

Edited November 28, 2023 by saraha