Taco Bar
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Full-spread taco bar: chipotle-spiced ground beef simmered in tomato broth, chunky homemade guacamole with lime and garlic, and fresh serrano pico. Twelve tacos’ worth of filling with every fixing on the table.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
35 minREADY
70 minA whole meal built around one hot pan and three bowls of fresh condiments. The ground beef filling skips the packet of seasoning in favor of real components: sautéed onion and garlic, ground chipotle, toasted cumin, and a twenty-minute simmer in beef stock and tomato paste. That simmer is what takes the meat from crumbly to rich and saucy, clinging to tortillas instead of spilling out of them.
Homemade guacamole gets roughly mashed with raw white onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Leave some chunks. The salsa fresca needs thirty minutes to sit so the seeded tomatoes, serrano chiles, white onion, and cilantro marry up before serving.
Set it up as a true bar: grated cheddar, shredded iceberg, diced tomatoes, minced jalapeño, sour cream, and chopped red onion in small bowls alongside warm shells. Twelve tacos’ worth, everyone happy, and the leftovers reheat for a rice bowl the next day.
Pro Tips
- Do not drain the beef aggressively. A little fat is what carries the chipotle flavor through the simmer.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to keep it green. Exposed avocado browns within the hour.
- Seed the salsa tomatoes and let the salsa drain briefly in a sieve if it looks too wet. Watery salsa turns shells soggy.
- Warm hard taco shells in the oven for five minutes before serving. Room-temp shells shatter on the first bite.
Variations
- Swap the beef for ground turkey or dark-meat chicken and add a tablespoon of oil to make up for lower fat.
- Stir a drained can of black beans into the simmering meat for a family-sized stretch.
- Serve the filling over rice as a burrito bowl, with the same garnishes, when you are low on tortillas.
Ingredients
Directions
Set a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Once hot, place the onions in the pan and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin to the pan and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the beef to the pan and cook, breaking the pieces up as they cook, until the meat is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Season with the chipotle pepper and the salt.
Add the beef broth and tomato paste to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Cook the meat, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and serve with the garnishes for guests to assemble their tacos to their liking.
For the Guacamole:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the avocado with the onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth.
Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap (pressed directly onto the surface of the guacamole) and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
For the Salsa:
Combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Let salsa sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Serve as an accompaniment to fish tacos, or other dishes, as desired.
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