Mexican Beef Tacos with Pico de Gallo
Tacos are tortillas filled with minced beef seasoned with a spice blend — cumin, paprika, oregano, onion and garlic powder and chilli — and topped with pico de gallo (tomato, onion, coriander and lime), guacamole and cheese. The beef is cooked with a quarter cup of water so the sauce clings to it.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Calories
- 390
Tacos are the fastest thing you can put in front of friends, and all the work is in the cold parts: the pico de gallo and the guacamole are what lift the plate.
Method
-
1
The beef filling
Fry the onion, then the mince until it takes colour. Add all the spices, the tomato paste and a quarter cup of water, and cook for ten minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
⏱ 18 min -
2
Pico de gallo
Mix the tomatoes, red onion, coriander, lime juice and salt. Leave for ten minutes so the flavours settle.
⏱ 12 min -
3
Guacamole
Mash the avocado with a fork — not a blender — with lime juice and salt, leaving some texture in it.
⏱ 6 min -
4
Warming the tortillas
Heat each tortilla in a dry pan for twenty seconds a side until soft and pliable.
⏱ 6 min -
5
Assembly
In each tortilla: lettuce, beef, pico, guacamole and grated cheese. Fold in half and serve immediately.
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Tips that actually matter
- Smoked paprika is what makes it taste Mexican — ordinary paprika won't do it.
- Leaving the avocado stone in the guacamole slows the browning until serving.
- Warm the tortillas at the last moment; cold ones crack when you fold them.
People also ask
Can I use chicken?
Yes — shredded poached chicken or sliced grilled chicken with exactly the same spices.
Can I make a batch of the taco spice?
Yes: 4 cumin + 4 paprika + 2 oregano + 2 garlic powder + 1 chilli (in tablespoons). It keeps in a jar for six months.
My tortillas keep breaking.
They're cold or dry. Warm them with a splash of water in the pan, or wrap them in a damp towel and microwave for twenty seconds.
Cook mode
Mexican Beef Tacos with Pico de Gallo
-
1
The beef filling
Fry the onion, then the mince until it takes colour. Add all the spices, the tomato paste and a quarter cup of water, and cook for ten minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
-
2
Pico de gallo
Mix the tomatoes, red onion, coriander, lime juice and salt. Leave for ten minutes so the flavours settle.
-
3
Guacamole
Mash the avocado with a fork — not a blender — with lime juice and salt, leaving some texture in it.
-
4
Warming the tortillas
Heat each tortilla in a dry pan for twenty seconds a side until soft and pliable.
-
5
Assembly
In each tortilla: lettuce, beef, pico, guacamole and grated cheese. Fold in half and serve immediately.
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