Oven Baked Tacos
My good friend Natalie fed me and my family Oven Baked Tacos during a spring break trip and I loved them and decided to take my own spin on them. Baking the tacos softens the shell just a little bit and helps solidify the filling, so I put it to the test and it passed with flying colors! The filling stayed in place, the shells didn’t break into a million pieces, and we were able to eat dinner without one single tear . . . which makes these Oven Baked Tacos a perfect 10 in my book!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning (or 2-3 tablespoons of Homemade Taco Seasoning)
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- 12 hard taco shells
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet, heat oil and add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until soft. Add beef and taco seasoning, cooking until meat is browned. Add beans and salsa. Mix well and let cook for a couple of minutes so that the flavors can meld and the mixture can thicken.
- In a large 9×13″ baking pan, line up all the taco shells. Fill each one with a couple of scoops of the beef mixture and pack down into the shell. Repeat until all the shells are filled. Top each taco with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (or until all the cheese is melted).
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings (tomatoes, lettuce, olives, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo , hot sauce, or whatever you like!).