Healthy Beef Tacos

 Healthy Beef tacos are flavored with homemade taco seasoning along with fresh ingredients to make a healthier version of tacos. 

Yes! Tacos can be healthy as long as you make them yourself. Restaurant tacos can be loaded with unnecessary ingredients and calories, but when you make them yourself, you can control what you put into them. This taco recipe is made with a homemade spice blend and lean ground beef, and fresh vegetables for the best taco meat you have ever tasted.

The Hidden Vegetables

For years I struggled with my kids to eat their vegetables.  A very disheartening situation for a true veggie lover! I tried every way I could think of to get my kids to eat their vegetables, and no luck.

I didn’t  want to trick them into eating something they didn’t like, but that seemed like the ONLY way I could get my kids to eat vegetables. I hoped that if they would at least get a taste of vegetables, they would become accustomed to the texture and flavor and maybe, just maybe they would eat them voluntarily.

I think it just might have worked!

One night while preparing tacos for dinner,I decided to grate up a carrot and toss  it into the ground beef. Nobody noticed!  The next time, I added two carrots and some shredded zucchini, and they still didn’t know!  They thought the little bits of veggies in the meat were my secret spices.

Even though veggies are not a struggle anymore, I still make my tacos this way. We all love the way the vegetables add a unique and fresh flavor to the meat, and it’s a great way to cut back on the amount of meat.

Here is what you will need

Lean ground beef such as ground round, chuck or sirloin, check out Butcherbox for the best quality ground beef.

Shredded carrots & zucchini – a box grater like this one works well for shredding the vegetables and cheese.

Seasoning blend made with chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and cayenne pepper which is optional.

Hard or soft taco corn taco shells – We like Garden of Eatin’ Hard Shells and LaTortilla Factory corn tortillas  for soft shells.

Your favorite taco fixings such as chopped onions, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, grated cheese, avocados, taco sauce or salsa.

Here’s How to Make Them

Please note that this a list of steps to give you an idea how to make this recipe. Full details are in the recipe card below. 

Shred the carrots, zucchini and cheese: set them aside

Mix the seasoning blend together and set it aside

Brown the meat in a skillet, and add the vegetables and seasoning mix.

Once the meat is cooked add water and cook for 10 minutes longer

Stuff the taco shells with the taco meat and top them with your favorite taco fixings.

Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 30 to 40 Minutes

Leftover Storage Tips

Leftover taco meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months and thawed overnight in the refrigerator.

Re-heat the taco meat on top of the stove or in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions

Taco salad – fill up a bowl with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, shredded cheese, taco meat, avocados and top it with a crumbled taco shell, salsa and Greek yogurt.

Nachos – add tortilla chips to a baking tray and cover them with taco meat, sprinkle on cheese and sliced jalapenos. Place the mixture into the oven at 350 until the cheese melts. Top the melted cheese with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and salsa.

Healthy Beef Tacos Recipe Variations

Change up the meat – You can subsititue the ground beef with any type of ground meat such as chicken, turkey or pork.

Use less meat – Reduce the meat to 1/2 pound and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cooked black beans to the meat when the vegetables are added.

Change up the hidden vegetables – Replace the zucchini and carrots with shredded or small diced butternut squash, cauliflower or broccoli rice.

You Might also Like These Recipes

• Breakfast Tacos
• Vegetarian Taco Lettuce Wraps
• Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
• Sheet Pan Nacho Salad

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Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox,  an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only.  Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates.

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