Paleo Tacos

This is one of my family’s favorite meals.  We ate tacos as salad or lettuce wraps long before we transitioned to Paleo (because we just like it that way!), so this is a pretty familiar presentation.  I even started making my own seasoning a few years ago because the pre-packaged seasoning that I liked had MSG as an ingredient. Now, we pair them with my Paleo tortillas! Bib, boston or romaine lettuce varieties also work well as wraps.

My family serves tacos with a little toppings bar. We usually include chopped tomatoes, homemade guacamole, and sliced black olives. My husband and oldest daughter tolerate dairy well, so they will occasionally top theirs with grass-fed raw cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Other great toppings would be salsa, chopped bell peppers, chopped cucumber, or plain coconut milk yogurt or kefir. This recipe reheats well and can be easily be doubled to make two meals.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (I use grass-fed)
• ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp cooking fat (I use tallow but Refined Coconut Oil would work too, omit if you are using fairly fatty ground meat)
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1½ tsp Ground Cumin Seed
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper(optional)
• ¼ tsp Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Salt(to taste)
• ½ tsp ground Pepper

1.    Heat cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron works well here).  Add ground meat, garlic and onion.  Cook, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes.
2.    Add spices to beef.  If you meat is really dry, you might want to add 1-2 Tbsp of water.  Stir to fully incorporate.
3.    Turn temperature down to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it smells so delicious you just can’t wait another second!
4.    Serve on Paleo Flour Tortillas or lettuce leaves with your favorite Paleo-friendly taco toppings.  Enjoy!