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Crispy Baked Ground Beef Tacos

Crispy baked ground beef tacos with golden, crunchy folded corn tortillas and savory seasoned beef. Baked at 400°F until crisp, then filled with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, and salsa.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
water
  • 0.25 cup water
corn tortillas
  • 8 corn tortillas small
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup diced tomatoes
diced onion
  • 0.25 cup diced onion
sour cream
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
salsa
  • 1 salsa to taste
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the seasoned ground beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks for 8 minutes until no longer pink. Drain excess fat, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  2. Stir in the taco seasoning and water, then simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and looks glossy.
Bake crispy folded taco shells
  1. Brush both sides of the corn tortillas lightly with olive oil. Fold each tortilla in half and arrange on a sheet pan in a single layer with the fold facing up.
  2. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until the shells are crispy and golden at the edges. Let them stand 1 minute so they set before filling.
Assemble and serve
  1. Fill each taco shell with the seasoned ground beef. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and diced onion.
  2. Drizzle with sour cream and salsa to taste, then serve immediately while the shells stay crisp.

Notes

For the crispiest shells, use small corn tortillas and bake in a single layer so steam can escape; let them sit 1 minute before adding fillings. Refrigerate leftover beef and toppings separately up to 3 days; rewarm beef in a skillet and re-crisp shells only if needed (bake 3-4 minutes at 400°F). Freezing: freeze seasoned beef up to 2 months; thaw and reheat. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheddar and sour cream.