Delicious Shredded Beef Tacos

I haven't been posting any of our new favorite recipes because I have been lazy about taking pictures, but then when I want to make them again I am frustrated that I have to search and find them...so I'm just borrowing other people's pictures and getting some posted!

(picture from Jennifer Cooks)

First up is this delicious new recipe I found for shredded beef. I adjusted things a bit from one I found on allrecipes.com and I really loved! Flavorful and juicy and absolutely heavenly when served in freshly fried corn tortilla shells!

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

1 (2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomato salsa

1/2 cup beef broth

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Layer half the onion rings into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place chuck roast on top of onions.

Pour diced tomatoes, beef broth, and coffee into the cooker over the roast; stir in diced green chiles, jalapeno peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. 

Spread remaining onion rings over the mixture.

Cover the cooker and cook on Low until beef is very tender, 6 to 10 hours.

Transfer chuck roast to a bowl and shred meat. Return meat to sauce. 

Remove onions and serve with meat.

The Best Steak Fajitas!

We have made these steak fajitas from Mel's Kitchen Cafe a few times already since discovering them only a couple weeks ago! My grocery store sells "stir-fry steak" that is already cut into thin strips so it makes this the easiest and most flavorful meal! I get the meat marinading the day before and then we grill them up right before meal time and the flavor is out of this world. I haven't even ever made the chipotle sour cream that she included in the original recipe. I sautee some onion and peppers that have been cut into strips and we also top them with guacamole and cilantro (and a little cheese for some of the family). We have charro beans on the side with some chips and salsa and it has become my kids' favorite meal of the week!
(I provide corn and flour tortillas)

Ingredients:
Fajitas:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4-6 limes) – zest the limes before juicing; you’ll need the zest later
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce (more or less to adjust spiciness)
2 to 3 teaspoons adobo sauce (spooned from the can of chipotle chiles)
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
For Serving:
Tortillas and other toppings of choice, like tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, sautéed or grilled peppers, pickled onions

Directions:
For the fajitas, whisk together the oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, paprika, and coriander. Place the steak in a dish (like a 9X13-inch pan) and pour the marinade over the top, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill to medium-high (I set my pellet grill to 375 degrees). Grill the steak until desired doneness; 4-6 minutes for medium rare (add time if needed for a more well-cooked piece of meat). Remove the steak from the grill and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the chipotle sour cream, stir all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate (can be made 2-3 days in advance).
Serve the steak slices on tortillas with the chipotle sour cream and any other favorite toppings or sautéed or grilled peppers and onions.

Vegetable Tacos

I was a little nervous about whether or not I would really like these tacos, but I actually LOVED them! The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and will be especially delicious this summer when the produce is all fresh. I can't wait to make them again!

Ingredients:
* 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips (I left out)
* 1 cup bottled green salsa
* 4 ounces fingerling potatoes
* 2 ears sweet corn, uncooked
* 12 8-inches whole wheat tortillas, heated (I used corn)
* 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (I used cilantro)
* 2 red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
* 2 small zucchini, cut in thin wedges

Directions:
1. In microwave-safe bowl combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa. Microcook, covered, on 100 percent power (high) 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until no pink remains. Remove with slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm. (I skipped this step)
2. In medium microwave-safe bowl combine potatoes and 1 tablespoon water. Cover with plastic wrap and microcook on 100 per cent power (high) 3 to 4 minutes or until tender, tossing once. Carefully open corner of plastic to let steam escape. Cool briefly. Cut in chunks; lightly sprinkle with salt. Cut uncooked corn from cobs.
3. On each tortilla place chicken, corn, tomatoes, parsley, sweet pepper, potatoes, zucchini, and remaining salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 12 tacos.
(I was a little confused about whether the zucchini was supposed to be served without cooking, which it seemed from the recipe. I roasted mine in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper)

(I thought this seemed high per taco considering there is mostly veggies in each one?)
Serving: 1 taco *Calories 311 * Protein 24g * Carbohydrate 24g * Fat total 14g * Cholesterol 67mg * Saturated fat 4g * Dietary Fiber 12g * Sodium 925mg

Thai Chicken Tacos

Thai flavors...love them! Tacos...love them! Slow cooker meals...love them! So, yeah, I was pretty sure I would love these when I tried them. And I did! I also ate the leftovers for lunch the next 2 days and still loved them just as much. This recipe was in the latest issue of Clean Eating and they are definitely worth a try!

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
2 T lime juice, divided
2 T creamy peanut butter
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
-1/2 t ground ginger
1 T red curry paste
3 packets stevia, divided
1 1/2 T coconut flour (I used cornstarch)
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/4 c chopped fresh mint
1 T natural rice wine vinegar
2 c shredded red cabbage
8 6-in corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Place chicken in slow cooker. In a blender, combine broth, garlic, 1 T lime juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, curry paste, and 2 packets stevia; blend until smooth. Pour over top of chicken and stir gently to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until chicken is tender.
2. Stir and increase heat to high. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and transfer to a cutting board; set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove 1/2 c broth mixture from the slow cooker and transfer to a small bowl. Add coconut flour to bowl and stir to form a smooth paste. Return broth=flour mixture to slow cooker and whisk until smooth; cover.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange tortillas in 2 equal stacks and wrap each stack in foil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through. (I just warmed my in hot skillet)
4. Using 2 forks, shred chicken and return to slow cooker; stir to coat. Cook for 10 minutes, until heated through.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, onion and mint. Add vinegar, remaining 1 T lime juice and 1 packet stevia; mix thoroughly. To assemble, spoon cabbage, chicken and tomato-cucumber mixture into center of each tortilla, diving evenly.

Serving size: 2 tortillas, 1/2 c cabbage, 2/3 c chicken mixture, 6 T tomato-cucumber mix, Calories: 397, Fat: 8g, Sat Fat: 2g, Carbs: 39g, Fiber: 7g, Sugars: 5g, Protein: 42g, Sodium: 375 mg, Cholesterol: 82mg

Chicken Carne Asada Tacos with Pickled Onions (and Spicy Black Beans)

I've been looking back through old recipes I have saved from magazine and have been finding some great ones! This one was in a 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine and they were SO good! The pickled onions were easy to make and added such a nice dimension to the flavor. The combination of it all was just perfect! We ate these last week and typing this up now is really making me want some more!

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
* 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 medium red onion, thinly vertically sliced
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thin strips (I used chicken breasts)
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1 avocado)
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Cotija cheese (I couldn't find and used queso fresco instead)
* Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place onion in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; drain and plunge onion in ice water. Drain onion; add to juice mixture. Chill until ready to serve.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned and done, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas. Drain onion; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons avocado and 1 tablespoon cheese; fold over. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Serving Size: 2 tacos * Calories: 413 * Fat: 17.1g * Saturated fat: 5.2g * Monounsaturated fat: 7.1g * Polyunsaturated fat: 2.7g * Protein: 33.4g * Carbohydrate: 33.6g * Fiber: 4.9g * Cholesterol: 123mg * Iron: 3.2mg * Sodium: 825mg * Calcium: 237mg

For Spicy Black Beans:
1. Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from 1 can chiptole chiles in adobo sauce; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use.
2. Combine 1 teaspoon adobo sauce; 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth and 1 (15 oz) can drained black beans in saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Mash bean mixture. Sprinkle with 1 T chopped fresh cilantro.

Beef and Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Salad

 

I never get tired of Mexican inspired food, especially tacos and enchiladas, and I was excited to try a new variation. Although my kids definitely would have preferred these without the mushrooms, Mike and I really enjoyed them. I loved the cool avocado salad with the warm mushroom and beef mixture and added a little shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on top...YUM! (recipe from Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:
* 3 T olive oil
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 2 jalapeño chiles—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
* Salt and pepper
* 2 avocados, cut into cubes
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1 1/2 limes)
* 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
* 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 8 small flour tortillas (I used corn)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, half of the onion and the jalapeños; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; reserve the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining onion, the avocados and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
3. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, 7 to 9 minutes; stir into the beef mixture and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, lightly toast on both sides for about 1 minute. Stuff the tortillas with the beef mixture and avocado salad.

Fish Tacos

Mike has made some really great versions of these in the past but it was long before I started my recipe blog and we never wrote them down unfortunately (and now he of course has no recollection of what he used for his sauce, etc.). I went to Allrecipes.com and this one had the best ratings so I went with it. The original recipe calls for fried fish, but I grilled ours instead and just heated the tortillas instead of frying them. I'm sure it's even better the fried way, but these were still super yummy and better for us! They hit the spot for sure! (also, the sauce makes a lot, so you could probably half the recipe)

Ingredients:
* lime juice
* chili powder
* salt and pepper

* 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used FF Greek)
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1 lime, juiced
* 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
* 1 teaspoon minced capers(I didn't have, so left out)
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
* 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

* 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions (I used tilapia)
* 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
* 1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded (I used a cole slaw mix)

Directions:
* To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
* Dust fish pieces lightly with chili powder, salt and pepper, and sprinkle with lime juice. Grill until the fish is done. Heat tortillas so they are soft. To serve, place fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

Sweet Potato Foil Pack Taco

I saw this recipe from Perrys' Plate on the menu over at Cassie Craves this week and thought it sounded delicious and nutritious! You could make them meatless too and they would be just as tasty. I love savory sweet potatoes and was surprised at how good the combination of their flavor with the taco meat and beans was. These are the healthiest "tacos" around :-)!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
2-3 T taco seasoning
1/2 cup tomato sauce (4 ounces)
1 can black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained (I used black)
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
2 T butter
salt
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish
6 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.
To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1 tsp) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.
Makes 6 servings.

Shredded Lime Chicken Tacos

I was looking for a good shredded chicken recipe to make so we had another taco option for Ella's birthday. I found this marinade on All Recipes, changed a couple ingredients and threw it in the crock pot instead of of dicing and cooking the chicken. I was a little nervous serving a brand new recipe for a party, but luckily this chicken was great! I froze some of the leftovers and plan to use it in enchiladas or tortilla soup in the future...can't wait!!!

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
* 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1/2 white onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Mix together vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro. Put in crock pot with chicken and cook on low 6 hours. Shred chicken apart with forks and serve in tacos with toppings of choice!

Chicken Taco Rice (Freezer Meal)

Melissa made this for our freezer swap (and posted a better picture of it here). It was really good and there was TONS - I'll be using it for my lunches for the next few days. Mike ate his more like a taco salad and I put mine in heated corn tortillas. I thought it had a good flavor though!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 cups Chicken broth
8 oz. Tomato sauce
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1-1/2 Brown rice, uncooked
1/2 cup Red or Green Pepper
1 can of corn
On Hand:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Ingredients:
Tortilla chips, flour tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, etc.

Assembly Directions:
Mix everything in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is done (about 40-50 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Freezing Directions:
Allow rice mixture to cool. Place in appropriate sized containers. Seal, label and freeze.
Serving Directions:
Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in microwave until warm. You can also reheat it in a saucepan if you add a little bit of water before heating. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve with tortilla chips.

Papa's Shredded Beef Tacos

Mike's dad made us these the night we brought Preston home so I wasn't thinking about taking pictures of the food, but these are SOOOO good! Shredded beef is one thing we have a hard time finding among all the Tex-Mex food in Houston so we have to make our own.

Ingredients:
-1 beef roast
-2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jar Pace salsa

Directions:
-Salt roast and brown it.
-Place in crock pot with garlic and salsa on low and let cook until it shreds easily.

Serving suggestions:
-Fry corn tortillas in oil and fold in half to create taco shells and then serve with your favorite toppings. We use Parmesan cheese instead of cheddar on these and it is delish!

Chicken Lime Tacos

I saw this recipe on the blog Favorite Family Recipes. They were easy and a great new taco flavor. Ella loved them so much she ate two whole tacos! I also think it would be good to marinade the chicken in the sauce and then grill it before cutting up and putting in the tacos.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cubed
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4-5 green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or to taste)
tortillas and toppings

Directions:
Sauté chicken in a medium skillet in a little oil for a few minutes until chicken becomes white all around.
Combine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and cilantro and add to chicken. (I mixed these together before starting chicken so it could mix together more)
Simmer for an extra 10-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Add chicken to tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, cilantro, salsa, etc.

Chili-Beef Soft Tacos

This is another mystery recipe...I ripped it out of a magazine long ago, but all identifying information was cut off. You can't go wrong with shredded beef tacos in my opinion and these definitely didn't disappoint! And they are so easy; just throw it in the crock pot in the morning and by evening you're ready to dig in.

Ingredients:
-2 16-oz. jars mild or med tomato-based salsa (4 c.)
-2 T. cider vinegar
-5 t. chili powder
-1 1/2 lb. beef chuck pot roast
-12 corn tortillas
-sour cream, shredded lettuce, avocado (and cheese if you're like me)

Directions:
-Spoon 1 c. salsa into small bowl; reserve. In slow cooker, combine remaining sals with vinegar and chili powder. Add beef, cover and turn heat to low. Cook until beef shreds easily with a fork, 10-12 hours. Shred meat, meat using 2 forks and spoon into serving bowl.
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, lettuce, avocado and remaining salsa.

Hansen Tacos

These definitely offer a different take on what you might consider your traditional taco...you'll have to read their history at the end. I have never actually made these myself...just enjoyed them countless times at my grandparents...and yes, I ate ALL those tacos on the plate :-)! They are delicious! (and it is typically a friendly competition between the men to see who can eat the most tacos)How To Make Them:
MEAT: Your typical ground beef cooked with chopped onion
TORTILLAS: Heat oil in a large saucepan until boiling. Dip corn tortillas in until they begin to bubble, then remove and fold in half so they dry in "taco form" (when cool fill with beef)
*LETTUCE: This is the secret! Shredded iceburg lettuce, chopped radishes and chopped cherry tomatoes...tossed with oil and vinegar (2/3 oil to 1/3 vinegar) and lots of paprika (put in enough to lightly coat lettuce)
CHEESE: shredded cheddar
FIXINGS: see pic below...you absolutely must sprinkle with garlic salt and Louisiana hot sauce
In case you are wondering how these tacos came to be (Grandma, correct me if I get this wrong)...When my grandma's family moved from their farm in Idaho to southern California when she was young they had never had or heard of tacos before. Her family instantly fell in love with them and this was their attempt to recreate them. Although my grandparents also make delicious "real" Mexican food now, our family still enjoys Hansen tacos...so much so that I requested them for my birthday dinner!