Crispy Beef Tacos

These oven baked Crispy Beef Tacos stuffed with a seasoned ground beef and cheese mixture is one of our all-time favorite Mexican inspired dinners. It’s crunchy, it’s flavorful, and it’s a favorite for adults and kids alike!

Using just 6 basic ingredients, these hard shell tacos are baked on a sheet pan in the oven, and are ready under 30 minutes! They make a fun and delicious meal for taco nights, game days and more!

Crispy ground beef tacos piled on a sheet pan

If you love Mexican inspired dinners, don’t forget to also check out my Fish Tacos, Chipotle Chicken Tostadas, Crispy Baked Chicken Taquitos and Enchilada Chicken Casserole… other well-loved recipes on the blog!

Table of Contents

Oven Baked Ground Beef Tacos

Hard shell tacos is an all-American way to enjoy tacos, and this oven baked crispy beef tacos features ground beef seasoned with Rotel and taco seasoning, then stuffed into corn tortillas along with cheddar cheese.

The concept is similar to our Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos and Chipotle Chicken Tacos. Instead of using deep fried crispy hard shell tortillas, we are going to bake regular soft tortillas in the oven, which is an easier and less greasy way to prepare crispy beef tacos!

But not to worry…our baked beef tacos will still come out crunchy and crispy. It’s just like the deep fried version, just way more healthy!

When baked, the cheese will also melt, and act as the glue that holds the baked taco together so that the ground beef don’t fall out.

Crispy beef tacos are easy to make, satisfying, and so so delicious. I love serving it with some pico de gallo or salsa, avocados or guacamole, and sour cream.

Above everything, I am so happy to bring this under 30-minute dinner to you. It’s truly great for family dinners or even game days, and makes for such a fun and yummy meal.

Try it and you’ll understand – there’s something so satisfying about biting into a super crispy taco loaded with flavorful beef and gooey cheese. YUM!

Baked ground beef tacos on a plate, drizzled with sour cream.

Ingredients

Here are the short and simple list of ingredients you will need to prepare our oven baked crispy beef tacos:

corn tortillas – use white or yellow corn tortillas. I find that they crisp easier than flour tortillas. They will be baked until crunchy and act as hard taco shells. Flour tortillas can be used as well, they will need some extra time in the oven (and potentially a flip) for them to become as crispy as corn tortillas.
ground beef – use a lean ground beef (less than 10% fat) and drain any excess grease. The leaner the better because we want to avoid transfering the grease when stuffing tortillas with ground beef.
cheddar cheese – or other mild cheese of your choice that melts easily (Colby jack, monterey jack, mozzarella are great choices). This will be shredded and then incorporated into the beef filling and also to be combined with ground beef mixture.
taco seasoning – you can make your own if you prefer, but using your favorite store-bought taco seasoning is easy and convenient. Alternatively, you can use a combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper instead.
onion – diced white, yellow or sweet onion will work the best! If you don’t like onions, feel free to omit or substitute with onion powder.
Rotel – rotel is canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, and you can find it near the other tomato products in the store. It’s a simple way to incorporate lots of flavor when cooked with ground meat, and is SUPER convenient as well.
cooking oil – when baked in the oven, tortillas are brushed with cooking oil to create the crispy taco shell texture. Feel free to use any neutral oil – canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil etc.

Let’s Make it!

Let’s make these baked crispy beef tacos in the oven! There are two parts to this and we will walk through step by step instructions so you can make baked tacos like a pro!

Prepare Ground Beef Mixture

To make the filling for our hard shell beef tacos, first sear onions and ground beef in a large skillet.

Saute until beef is no longer pink and fully cooked, then drain any excess grease or liquid from the beef. We want to make sure it is as dry as possible.

If the mixture is wet, it’ll make your tacos soggy and it wouldn’t be very crispy.

Next, sprinkle ground beef with taco seasoning, then add Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chili). Once everything is combined, add shredded cheddar cheese.

We are adding shredded cheese to make the ground beef mixture creamier and more flavorful, and also to hold the beef together and make it less crumbly (this will make them stay in place in the taco shells).

Once cheese is incorporated, remove ground beef mixture from heat. Avoid overcooking.

Sauteing ground beef with Rotel and taco seasoning, then adding cheese.

Stuff Corn Tortillas

To stuff the tortillas, I like to first soften the corn tortillas so that it is easier to fold it in half. To do that, cover corn tortillas with damp paper towel and heat in microwave for 30 seconds.

Next, brush one side of the corn tortilla with cooking oil. Once baked, this will be the outer side of the crispy corn tortillas and this is what gives these crispy beef tacos the crunchy texture just like the fried tacos.

Flip the tortilla so the greased side is facing down, and add ground beef mixture and top with shredded cheese.

Fold tortillas in half to form a taco.

Filling corn tortilla with ground beef and cheese mixture, then closing it up

Repeat and make as many tacos until your baking dish or sheet is filled. I got about 20 tacos out of it, and it’s likely you’ll need two half sheet pans to accommodate everything.

Corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef on a sheet pan

Bake the tacos for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy and slightly brown.

These corn tortillas beef tacos should be super crispy and flavorful, just like fried tacos!

Even though they aren’t actually fried submerged in hot oil, we are adding oil to the outside of each tortilla and that oily touch will help crunch it up!

Serve your baked crispy beef tacos with sour cream, pico de gallo or salsa, avocados or guacamole, cilantro, a touch of lime juice, and your favorite taco and Mexican sides…such as these Mexican Rice or Mexican Street Corn Pasta.

a platter of crispy beef tacos with guacamole and salsa

These oven baked crispy beef tacos make the best and easiest Mexican themed dinner, game day food, party food, and more. Perfect for taco Tuesday, the weekend, or any day in between!

Make sure to try it out and let me know what you think!

Substitution and Variation

There are so many ways you can make these baked beef tacos your own! Here are some ideas:

Spices for the ground beef: Adding other spices and seasonings when sauteing the ground beef can bring some really delicious flavors to the taco filling. Instead of taco seasoning, add chili powder, cumin and paprika. Other spices such as garlic powder (or fresh garlic), oregano, tomato paste, Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, black pepper, salt are good adds as well.
Toppings: I don’t know about you but I can’t have my crunchy beef tacos without all the toppings! Include some or all of these: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, queso, cilantro lime crema, lime wedges, your favorite hot sauce, etc.

Picking up a beef taco in drizzled with sour cream

Tips and Tricks

Choose the Right Meat: Use lean ground beef to avoid excess grease. You can also substitute with ground chicken or turkey for a healthier option.
Drain Grease: After cooking ground beef (and before adding seasonings), drain excess moisture and grease from meat so that your baked beef tacos will not be soggy.
Avoid Overcooking; Remove ground beef mixture from heat once its done cooking. Overcooking ground beef will result in a tough, rubbery texture in the meat.
Warm Tortillas First: Briefly warm tortillas in the microwave or oven before filling them. This makes them more pliable and easier to close after stuffing them with ground beef filling, and will also reduce the chances of tearing.
Making it Crispy: To ensure crispiness for your beef tacos, grease the outsides of the tortillas before stuffing them and baking them in the oven. For extra crispiness you can lay them on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet.
Onion Substitute: substitute fresh onions with onion powder if you don’t like the texture of the onions but still want the flavor it brings. You can just omit them if you prefer, but onions do bring an additional dimension of flavor that really takes the beef tacos to the next level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of tortillas should I use?

You can use either corn or flour tortillas. I use corn tortillas for this recipe because I like its pairing with the ground beef filling. You can use flour tortillas too – it will require additional bake time because it’ll take longer for flour tortillas to crisp up. You may also want to experiment with flipping the flour tortillas so both sides are crispy.

Can I prepare the beef filling ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the beef filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before assembling the tacos.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

Yes, ground turkey is a leaner option and can be seasoned in the same way to make delicious crispy tacos.

Why does tortillas keep opening up after being stuffed and folded them into half?

To avoid that, place a wet paper towel on tortillas and heat tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds before stuffing them with meat and cheese. You can also place a light utensil on it to keep it close until it’s ready to bake.

How do I keep the tortilla shells from breaking when folding them?

Briefly warming tortillas (microwave is fine) to make them more pliable before filling and folding them.

What toppings go well with crispy beef tacos?

Popular toppings include shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

How should I store and reheat leftover crispy tacos?

Store leftover tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the oven or toaster oven to maintain the crispiness; avoid microwaving as it can make them soggy.

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