Some of you may wonder why I call these American Style tacos. Probably because all your life you thought you were eating authentic Mexican style tacos when you eat the hard-shelled, yellow corn tortilla, ground beef filled type tacos, covered in cheese, salsa, sour cream and lettuce. Well my friends, I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve been misled. Please read this insightful and entertaining article by Andre Solo for details on the key differences between an authentic taco versus an American style one. I’m currently working on vegetarian versions of authentic Mexican style tacos, but we’ll discuss those in a future post.
Authenticity aside, I love American style tacos. I’m not knocking them in the slightest or claiming superiority one way or the other. I think they’re delicious. They’re fun to eat with a big group of friends, they’re easy to make and unbeknownst to most people they’re (almost) as American as apple pie. Plus they’re super simple to make a vegetarian version of that is so good, your friends won’t even notice they’re not eating meat. This recipe is 100% vegan except for the optional cheese on the tacos; of course you can always use vegan cheese to keep it vegan or omit cheese altogether if you’re so inclined.
The flavors are really bold and delicious and taste fantastic. Pair this with my Spanish rice recipe and/or refried beans and you’ve got a whole meal, add a nice cold beer and you’ve got a fiesta.
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
Beefless taco filling:
1 TB Olive oil
1/3 medium sweet onion diced
1/2 Red bell pepper diced
1/2 Green bell pepper diced
3 or 4 Garlic cloves minced
1 lb (~1 and 1/3 bags) of Gardein Beefless Ground
1/2 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 15 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 6 oz can of tomato paste
1/2 TB chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 – 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions:
Make the sofrito by heating the oil on medium in a skillet and then adding the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Next add the cumin, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Then add the beefless ground and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until ground is completely defrosted and heated through. Then add the tomatoes and the cilantro. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Warm up the taco shells in the oven as per the instructions on the box. Scoop beefless taco filling into hard taco shells; optional to add cheese, lettuce and extra cilantro for garnish. You can also switch it up by heating up some tortilla chips in the oven for 4-5 minutes with some shredded cheese and pouring the filing over them once they come out; instant nachos. Whichever way you serve it, it’s delicious. Buen provecho!
Nutrition facts per serving for beefless taco filling only (8 servings)
Calories: 150
Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Potassium: 21 mg
Carbs: 14 g
Fiber: 5.1 g
Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 15.4 g
Vitamin A: 16.3%
Vitamin C: 40%
Calcium: 9.7%
Iron: 17%
[metacook type=”name” display=”none”]American Style Beefless Tacos[/metacook][metacook type=”description” display=”none”]The flavors are really bold and delicious and taste fantastic. Pair this with my Spanish rice recipe and/or refried beans and you’ve got a whole meal.[/metacook][metacook type=”prepTime” display=”none”]15 min[/metacook][metacook type=”cookTime” display=”none”]25 min[/metacook][metacook type=”totalTime” display=”none”]45 min[/metacook][metacook type=”yield” display=”none”]8-10 servings[/metacook]