The temperature fell about 20 degrees in texas this week and let’s face it- I’m a cold weather wimp. I was wanting to make a meal to warm us and provide some ultimate comfort food satisfaction. I love crunchy tacos but many restaurants or fast food ingredients aren’t gluten-free or they contain unhealthy oils. My cleaned up version of these cheesy crunchy beef & bean tacos are filled with my scratch-made Beef Taco Filling, convenient canned refried beans, raw grated mild cheddar and grain-free almond flour tortillas. They are nostalgic, family-friendly and you could definitely fool a crunchy taco connoisseur.
You don’t even need to serve a side dish with these delectable tacos- just add some fun garnishes and dinner is done!
taco ingredients:
ingredients are simple and you can utilize leftover chili or taco filling.
- taco filling or leftover chili: you can also use my simple taco filling recipe listed below.
- canned refried beans: these are such a wonderful and nutritious convenience item- full of protein for little ones. These are my favorite made with clean ingredients.
- tortillas: I use grain-free almond flour tortillas because they crisp up beautifully yielding a nice-wafer-like texture. You could also use flour tortillas or half corn/half flour. Corn tortillas alone would likely break apart. Handle your almond flour tortillas delicately- I’ve found a fresh, unopened pack yield the most pliable. Warm them up slightly, but not too much, right before you add your filling.
- fun garnishes: I used sliced avocado, thinly sliced radish and fresh lime wedges with aleppo Chile flakes for serving my cheesy crunchy beef & bean tacos finished with sriracha & southwestern dressing.
how to make:
these cheesy crunchy beef & bean tacos require a bit of assembly, but the refried beans act a sense as, “glue,” and help them stay together. slightly warmed tortillas are added in an assembly line followed with a schmear of refried beans, taco filling or leftover chili and a sprinkling of mild cheddar cheese, (fresh-grated, of course!). Fold and pat down tacos in half then finish with a drizzle olive oil on both sides. a brief bake in the oven and voila! your cheesy crunchy beef & bean tacos are ready to enjoy.
how to serve:
these cheesy crunchy beef & bean tacos are so delish on their own but they are a powerhouse with fun garnishes for your family or guests to mix and match. try using some or all of these ideas:
- avocado: fresh sliced avocado is perfect but my delicious orange peel guacamole would really take this dish to the next level.
- radish: I love the spicy & fresh bite from thinly-sliced radish with the rich, savory tacos.
- fresh cilantro: provides a nice freshness alongside the radish.
- lime wedges: a perfect final squeeze of lime juice with each bite adds a nice acidic hit. Dress up your lime wedges with a sprinkling of Aleppo chili powder.
- sauce to drizzle: I used a combination of my favorite sriracha and this delicious southwest dressing, (sponsored), made with clean ingredients. a delightful spicy combination!
Cheesy Crunchy Beef & Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 cups taco filling or leftover chili
- 1 cup canned refried pinto beans
- 8 grain-free almond flour tortillas, or flour tortillas
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese freshly grated (about 4 oz)
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Sliced avocado, sliced radish, sriracha or salsa, for serving
Beef Taco Filling:
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup red onion diced small
- ½ cup poblano seeded and diced small
- ½ cup red bell pepper seeded and diced small
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15 or 80/20
- 2 cloves garlic grated on microplane
- ½ teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- 20 turns fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Begin by making Beef Taco Filling if you don’t have leftover filling or chili available. In a large saute pan, warm pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion, poblano and red pepper.
- Let saute for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally, then move veggies to the exterior circle of the pan. add ground beef to the middle, pressing down slightly to help brown.
- Add salt, pepper, seasoning atop beef and let sit undisturbed for 1-2 minutes then break up and saute to cook beef through. Set filling aside to partially cool down.
- Meanwhile, prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, warm your canned refried beans and slightly warm your tortillas.
- Drizzle your sheet pan with olive oil. Working in batches, build your tacos.
- Add a shmear of refried beans to half of your tortilla, followed with ¼ cup taco filling or chili atop and a sprinkling of cheese.
- Fold tortilla over in half, pressing down to seal. Drizzle tops of tacos with more olive oil.
- Bake on top rack for 8 minutes then carefully flip tacos with a spatula and rotate pan 180 degrees. Bake another 5-8 minutes until both sides are crispy.
- Serve with sliced avocado, sliced radish and a drizzling of sriracha or salsa.
Oh, these were easy to make and a hit with the kids (5,9,11). We served them with a sour cream and lime crema that added a nice tang.I didn’t have the peppers for the meat filling, but plain meat and seasoning worked in a pinch All the kids said to add these crispy tacos to the dinner rotation, so that is the mark of a good meal! What an easy recipe to take a simple stand-by like tacos and take it up a notch. You are great at that Callie. Look forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Hi Betsy! Thank you so much for sharing. So happy the entire family loved!
These were a hit with my family! So tasty and easy/not much cleanup. Thank you!
Hi Sarah! So happy to hear that. Thank you so much for sharing.
A new family favorite. This and egg roll in a bowl are on permanent rotation in our home! Thank you for these healthy easy recipes.
Ann- I seriously wish I could eat tacos every night for dinner. Something about the beans mixed with the beef really make it a stick to your ribs dish. I appreciate you!