20 Minute Taco Skillet
We all need dinner recipes in our back pocket that can come together in a pinch, that everyone in the family will love, and that will bring some semblance of nutrition onto the dinner table. And you can’t go wrong with this Beef Taco Skillet. This is a super simple, one pan meal that is bursting with fresh, Mexican flavours that you will absolutely love!
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I am obsessed with ensuring that you all have a stocked pantry. Having the basics on hand creates so much more ease - not only when it comes time to cook, but also in meal planning and grocery shopping. Here’s why:
1) When you have a well stocked pantry, grocery shopping doesn’t take for ever because you are simply picking up the fresh items you need to have on hand that week. This means you spend 90% of your time at the store in the outside aisle. Not only does this save you time, but it is a healthier way to shop, and saves you money.
2) Choosing what you want to make in the week feels more attainable because you have most of what you need already on hand.
One of the things that I really appreciate in a recipe is when you can customize it easily to your individual tastes and to what you might have on hand. This recipe is perfect those things! There is lots of wiggle room on this one!
Let’s explore some substitutions in this Beef Taco Skillet:
Ground beef: sub ground chicken, pork or turkey!
Vegetarian?: sub an extra can of black beans or a different kind of bean.
Onion and garlic: you can leave this out but if you have them, I would take the time to add them in.
No green pepper: that’s ok. use any colour pepper. Or even chopped green beans, a diced zucchini, or fresh cherry tomatoes.
Some topping ideas:
Avocado, picked red onion, sour cream, jalapeños, pico de Gallo, cilantro, finely shredded lettuce (and make it a salad!)
20 Minute Taco Skillet
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced (any colour)
2 tbsp your favourite taco seasoning
1 small can diced tomatoes (284 ml)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (10oz)
3 cups tortilla chips or broken hard taco shells
2 cups shredded cheese
2 green onions, sliced (for garnish) optional
Cilantro leaves (for garnish) optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F
On the stovetop, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and using a wooden spoon, break the meat apart as it begins to brown. After 2-3 minutes, add in the onion, green pepper and garlic. Stir to combine. Season with the taco seasoning and allow the flavours to cook together for another 3 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and the drained black beans. Stir to combine and let the flavours mingle for another 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and top the meat mixture with the tortilla chips and then the cheese. Place the skillet into the oven for 5-7 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Watch closely so that the cheese doesn’t burn.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with the green onions and the cilantro (if using). Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, your favourite hot sauce, fresh tomato salsa or just as is!
PS: Want to make this dish even easier to make? You’ve got to grab my FREE Kitchen Staples Checklist that you can download. I promise that if you have these staples on hand, simple, quick and delicious meals will practically make themselves! Ummm….sign me up for that!
What did you think? Did you make this simple, one pan Beef Taco Skillet? Don’t forget to tag me @christies.lovestory. I love seeing your kitchen creations!