This amazing spiced beef picadillo filling gets rolled into tortillas, topped with shredded lettuce and salsa, and served up family-style.
Texas Picadillo Tacos
This amazing spiced beef picadillo filling gets rolled into tortillas, topped with shredded lettuce and salsa, and served up family-style.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tsp whole cumin seeds (toasted)
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns (toasted)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 16 oz ground beef
- 10 oz whole milk
- ½ large white onion (or 1 small white onion, medium dice)
- ½ fresh jalapeno (seeds and stems removed, minced)
- Salt & freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ head of iceberg lettuce (shredded finely)
- 1 plum tomato (seeds and insides removed, medium dice)
- Salsa or pico de gallo (for garnish)
- Sour cream (for garnish)
Instructions
- Using an immersion blender, blend the garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, toasted cumin seeds, and toasted black peppercorns with ¼ cup of water to make a paste.
- Scrape down the sides of the container and continue blending until smooth. Add more water if necessary.
- Season the ground beef with kosher salt.
- Brown ground beef in vegetable oil and set ground beef aside for use later.
- Cook onions on medium-low heat and add the jalapenos.
- Add the whole milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the blended garlic and spice mixture you made earlier and bring to a simmer.
- Cook on low heat until the liquid has almost completely evaporated but the beef is still very moist.
- Season the mixture a final time with salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
- Quickly fry both sides of the corn tortillas in hot oil for roughly 30 seconds per side.
- The tortillas should still be flexible after they are removed from the oil and drained on paper towels.
- Place some of the picadillo beef mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll up the tortilla as you would when making enchiladas.
- Place the rolled tortillas seam-side-down on a serving platter.
- Top with finely shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, and sour cream.
- Serve hot, with rice & beans on the side and your choice of additional toppings.
Notes
The picadillo mixture tastes amazing when stuffed into peppers with rice and cheddar cheese.