Ground Beef Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Aioli
Ground Beef Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Aioli is a triple threat of beefy goodness, crunchy cabbage with a creamy avocado cilantro sauce.
Equipment
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- food processor, blender or immersion blender (optional)
- frying pan
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- lime squeezer or fork
- zesting tool
Ingredients
Avocado Cilantro Aioli
- 1 cup cilantro leaves (when fine chopped this reduces to 1/4 cup)
- 1 large garlic glove, mashed
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes, depends on how juicy they are)
- 1 cup avocado (1/2 large avocado)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Season Mix for Beef
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Chipotle Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Coriander
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper
Taco Meat & Veggies
- 1 cup orange pepper (4 oz, ~1/2 large pepper)
- 1 cup red onion (4 oz, ~1/2 large onion)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground chuck beef
Instructions
Avocado Cilantro Aioli
- Cilantro. Wash and remove cilantro leaves from the tough stems. Place 1 cup of cilantro in a food processor. (If doing this by hand, finely chop the leaves on a cutting board and add to a bowl.)1 cup cilantro leaves (when fine chopped this reduces to 1/4 cup)
- Garlic. Peel and place 1 clove of garlic into the food processor. (If you are doing this by hand thin slice the garlic clove, then use the flat side of the knife to mash and drag the garlic on the cutting board repeatedly to pulverize it.)1 large garlic glove, mashed
- Lime Zest. Zest the lime using a zesting tool. You'll want to get the peel, but not the white bitter part. Add the zest to the bowl with cilantro and garlic. (If you're in a pinch, some cheese graters have a super fine blade option that may work just as well as a zesting tool)1 teaspoon lime zest
- Lime Juice. Cut the lime in half (around the middle, not stem to stem). Juice 1-2 limes using a squeezer or hold the lime in your hand and rotate a fork in the flesh to release the juice. Add the juice to the cilantro mix.2 Tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes, depends on how juicy they are)
- Chop, Chop. Pulse the food processor until the cilantro and garlic are finely chopped.
- Avocado. Cut 1 large avocado in half. Remove the flesh from the peel. To do this, palm the avocado, peel side in your hand. Run a spoon between the flesh and the peel, running it along the entire peel to loosen the flesh. Scoop out the green goodness and add it to the cilantro.1 cup avocado (1/2 large avocado)
- Mayo. Lastly, measure and add the mayonnaise and salt.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Mix It Up. Blend to mix well. (If doing this by hand, be sure the avocado is mashed until smooth).
Ground Beef Mix
- Spices. Measure and combine all spices in a bowl.2 teaspoons Paprika, 2 teaspoons Onion Powder, 2 teaspoons Cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Chipotle Chili Powder, 2 teaspoons Coriander, 2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper
- Onion. Peel and cut onion in half. Slice the onion into 1/2" slices. Then, cut slices into 1/2" squares. Set aside.1 cup red onion (4 oz, ~1/2 large onion)
- Pepper. Wash and remove stem and seeds from the pepper. Cut the pepper into 1/2" wide ribbons, then cut the ribbons into 1/2" wide pieces. Set aside.1 cup orange pepper (4 oz, ~1/2 large pepper)
- Pan. In a frying pan, add olive oil and cook over medium heat.1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Saute. Carefully add the peppers and onions. Stir frequently over medium heat for 5 minutes. The veggies should begin to soften.
- Ground Beef. Add the ground beef to the onions and peppers. Using a large spoon, break the meat up and stir. Continue to cook over medium heat. This should only take about 5 minutes to cook out all of the pink. Break up the meat until it is a crumbly texture.1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground chuck beef
- Grease. Remove the meat-veggie mix from the heat. Carefully spoon out all but about 1/3 cup of the grease (if you want to spoon out all the grease, you can. I like to leave a little to keep the meat moist and leave a little added flavor). The leaner the meat, the less fat that will be rendered.
- Spice it up. Add the seasoning to the meat-veggie mix. Stir until the seasonings are well distributed and evenly combined. Cook for another minute.
Assembly!
- Cabbage. Thin slice green cabbage.
- Tortillas. Toast the tortillas over a pan or directly over a flame. I heat it over the gas burner for 10-15 seconds. (If you use this method, use a pair of thongs to keep moving the tortilla over the flame. this will create a more even toast, and I think it helps to keep the tortilla from sticking to your grates)
- Meat Mix. Add 1/3 cup of meat-veggie mix to each tortilla
- Toppers. Top with shredded cabbage and aioli mix.
- Enjoy! Serve with sliced limes and cilantro.