Tacos are a favorite food for many folks, including my family! Some prefer hard shells, some soft tortillas, but a personal favorite of mine is a plate of crushed taco shells topped with some of the meat, followed by yummy toppings for a delicious “taco salad.” But however you like yours, I hope you give this recipe a try, and enjoy it, maybe even for Cinco de Mayo!

Tasty Tacos
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon raw sugar, optional
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
Taco shells (hard shells or soft flour tortillas)
Taco Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, sliced black olives, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Add ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the meat is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, raw sugar, salt, and pepper, stir well.

Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato sauce and water, stir to combine. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until some of the liquid evaporates, but meat mixture still has a little sauce left. Remove from heat. Warm the taco shells according to package directions, if desired. Fill the taco shells with a few tablespoons of meat, top with desired toppings.

Shortcut Note: You can omit all seasonings, and just add a packaged of Taco seasoning mix to the ground beef and cook meat until cooked through.

As always, Bon Appetit!

Lisa Ann Panzino DiNunzio is author of Seasoned With Love, Treasured Recipes, Lisa Ann’s Seasoned With Love II, and children’s books Snicker Learns An Important Lesson and Readers’ Favorite 5-Star rated Little Twinkle Learns Her Purpose.