The Daily Dish: 15-Minute Tacos

By Tiffany Williams –

Some nights, dinner needs to be fast.

Not “I’ll start cooking now and we’ll eat an hour from now” fast.

We’re talking about hungry people, a busy evening, and food on the table in about 15 minutes.

That’s where tacos come in.

A hot skillet of seasoned ground beef, warm tortillas, melted cheese, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and your favorite toppings can turn a handful of basic ingredients into a dinner that tastes like you put far more effort into it than you actually did.

And that’s exactly the kind of weeknight meal we love.

What You’ll Need

For the taco meat:

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ cup water

For serving:

8 small flour or corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican-blend cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 tomato, diced
½ small onion, finely diced
Sour cream
Salsa
Sliced jalapeños, optional
Fresh cilantro, optional
Lime wedges, optional

Start With a Hot Skillet

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and begin breaking it apart with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks.

You want small pieces rather than large chunks because that seasoned beef should fill every corner of the taco.

Cook the beef until it’s browned and no pink remains. Depending on the fat content of your ground beef, drain off any excessive grease.

Now add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper.

Pour in about ¼ cup of water and stir everything together.

Let the beef simmer for another two or three minutes.

That little splash of water helps distribute the seasonings throughout the meat instead of leaving you with dry spices sitting on top. As the liquid reduces, it creates a flavorful coating around every bite of beef.

Taste it.

Want more heat? Add a little cayenne or crushed red pepper.

Want more smokiness? Add another pinch of smoked paprika.

This is your taco night.

Make it taste the way you want it.

Warm Those Tortillas

While the beef finishes cooking, warm your tortillas.

You can heat them individually in a dry skillet for about 20 to 30 seconds per side or wrap several tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and warm them briefly in the microwave.

Don’t skip this step.

A warm tortilla is softer, more flexible, and simply tastes better than one pulled directly from the package.

If you’re using hard taco shells, warm them according to the package directions.

Build Your Taco

Now comes the fun part.

Start with a warm tortilla.

Add a generous spoonful of seasoned beef.

Sprinkle cheese directly over the hot meat so it begins melting.

Then pile on the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, cilantro, or whatever toppings you love.

Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime if you have one.

And that’s it.

Dinner is ready.

Make Taco Night Your Own

One of the reasons tacos work so well for quick dinners is that almost everything can be changed.

Don’t want ground beef? Use ground turkey or ground chicken.

Have leftover shredded chicken in the refrigerator? Warm it in the skillet with the same seasonings and turn it into tacos.

You can also use seasoned black beans or pinto beans for a meatless version.

And don’t feel obligated to stick with traditional toppings.

Try avocado or guacamole, corn, black beans, pickled onions, shredded cabbage, queso, hot sauce, pico de gallo, or crushed tortilla chips.

You can even turn taco night into a clean-out-the-refrigerator dinner.

That half an onion? Chop it.

A little cheese left in the bag? Use it.

One tomato that needs to be eaten? Dice it.

Tacos are wonderfully forgiving.

Cooking With Tiffany Tip

Don’t dump an entire packet of seasoning into your beef and hope for the best.

Season as you cook and taste before serving.

Spices should enhance the meat, not completely overpower it. Starting with a balanced combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and paprika gives you control over the final flavor.

And here’s another little trick: put the cheese directly onto the hot meat before adding your cold toppings.

That way, the cheese gets slightly melty instead of sitting cold on top of the taco.

It’s a small detail.

But small details make good food better.

Turn It Into a Taco Bar

If you’re feeding a family, don’t bother assembling everyone’s tacos yourself.

Put the seasoned meat in one bowl and arrange the toppings separately.

Set out tortillas, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, onions, and whatever else you’re serving.

Then let everyone build their own.

One person wants extra cheese.

Someone else doesn’t want tomatoes.

Another person wants enough hot sauce to reconsider every decision they’ve made that day.

Everybody wins.

And you spend less time trying to remember everyone’s order.

Don’t Forget the Sides

These tacos can easily stand alone for a quick dinner, but if you want to stretch the meal, serve them with Mexican-style rice, black beans, refried beans, corn, tortilla chips and salsa, or a simple side salad.

Leftover taco meat is also worth saving.

Use it tomorrow for nachos, quesadillas, taco salad, burritos, loaded baked potatoes, or even scrambled eggs.

That’s two meals from one quick skillet.