Ground Beef Tacos with Quick-Pickled Red Onion

5 from 1 vote

Ground Beef Tacos with Quick-Pickled Red Onion

Easy homemade beef tacos made with seasoned ground beef, black beans, fresh toppings, cheese, and tangy quick-pickled onions. Perfect for busy weeknights and family taco night.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Halal

Skill Level: Intermediate

Servings:

Author: Rena Awada

Ingredients

Taco filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion finely diced
1 pound lean ground beef
14.5 ounces black beans one can, drained & rinsed
3-4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup beef broth
1 1/2 taco seasoning

Quick-pickled red onion:

1 small red onion thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vinegar apple cider or white
3 tablespoons warm water
1 pinch kosher salt

To serve:

8 small Flour tortillas corn tortilla works
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded cheese
Lime wedges
Jalapeno thinly sliced

Instructions

Start with the quick-pickle red onion. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons warm water, 1 pinch kosher salt, and sliced 1 small red onion. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Add the diced 1 small white onion and cook until soft and slightly golden, around 5 minutes.
Add the 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 1/2 taco seasoning and 3-4 garlic cloves (minced). Stir to cook by breaking the meat with the spoon.
Once it starts to brown, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and ½ cup beef broth.
Scrape up all the browned bits, then simmer for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Fold in the 14.5 ounces black beans and cook 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Prepare all the ingredients for the tacos so you can starting assembling it.
Assemble the tacos by adding beef and bean filling to your 8 small Flour tortillas. Top with 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce, pickled onion and 1 cup shredded cheese equally on each taco. You may also garnish with Lime wedges and sliced Jalapeno.

Notes

You may use ground turkey instead of ground beef if you prefer.
If you rather use plain red onions and not pickles that's totally fine.
I recommend warming the tortilla beforehand. You can use either Flour or corn tortillas.
Storaging: The taco meat keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a skillet with a small splash of broth or water. The pickled onion keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge and gets better with time.
Freezing: The beef and bean filling freezes well for up to 3 months. You just need to thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop.

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