Sweet and Spicy Tacos {with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream}

Sweet and Spicy Tacos are the best ground beef taco recipe you’ll ever make! The flavors are ample and robust with a sweet taco seasoning and a spicy taco kick. Top it all with the lime sour cream sauce perfect for tacos! 

Best Ground Beef Tacos Recipe

It’s easy to throw a packet of taco seasoning mix on ground beef and call it taco night. However, if you want to enjoy some freakin’ extraordinary tacos on your next Taco Tuesday, spend a few extra minutes making this sweet and spicy taco seasoning sauce. 

Intense flavor from sweet and spicy beef recipe comes from ample spices and the added twist of baking it at the end. Use the 30 minute baking time to make the easy lime sour cream and get all the taco fixings ready.  

If you love uniquely flavored taco recipes, also try Buffalo Chicken Tacos!

Sweet and Spicy Taco Sauce

Sweet and Spicy Tacos recipe calls for ancho chile powder, which is made from ground dried ancho chile peppers with a sweet hot flavor. Ancho chile powder is spicier than the regular chili powder traditionally used in ground beef taco recipes. 

Look for it in the international section of your grocery store or at a mexican food market.

If you don’t love a spicy taco sauce, omit the ancho chile powder and use all regular chili powder instead. For more spice, add more ancho chile powder and less chili powder. 

The sweet taco sauce is a similar to the sweet taco seasoning of sloppy joe tacos. Heinz chili sauce and brown sugar adds a sweet taco flavoring to balance out the heat. 

What is the best ground beef to use for tacos?

The best, most flavorful ground beef tacos use ground chuck, which is 80 to 85 percent lean. This has enough fat to avoid dry, bland tasting tacos.

Generally the higher amount of fat means more flavor. Other types of ground beef may be substituted based on price and nutrition preference. 

Ground sirloin is 90 to 92 percent lean, but offers less flavor and costs more. Ground beef is the most affordable, but is made from a mixture of leftover meat trimmings and less popular cuts of meat.

How Much Ground Beef per person for tacos

Figure on about 1/4 cup (2 ounces) or less filling per taco shell. Therefore, every pound of taco meat yields about 8 – 10 tacos. 

Stretch your ground beef taco meat further by adding beans or fillings, such as rice, to the meat mixture. 

How to Make Lime Sour Cream Sauce for Tacos

The cilantro lime sour cream tames the heat and offers a great fresh flavor next to the robust sweet, spiciness of the tacos.

A flavored sour cream for tacos is as simple as mixing together sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. 

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Tacos 

1. In a skillet over medium heat brown the beef. Drain off grease and transfer to a bowl.
2. Add a splash of olive oil to the skillet and sauté the onion with garlic. Pour in stewed tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened.
3. Return the ground beef back to the skillet, along with chili sauce and taco seasonings. Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4. Transfer the meat mixture to a 9X13 baking pan.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes to intensify and meld flavors. Serve with Lime Cilantro Sour Cream (recipe included) and taco fixings.

Tips for Making the Best Sweet and Spicy Ground Beef Tacos

• The lime sour cream for the tacos can be made up to two days ahead of time. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
• This is the perfect make-ahead meal because it tastes even better after the seasoned beef sits and melds. Make it the day before or earlier in the day and bake right before serving.
• Baking the ground beef taco meat helps develop the flavors even more. I find this taco recipe even better when reheated the next day.
• Sweet and Spicy Tacos are perfect for entertaining. Make a day or two beforehand and save the baking step for right before guests arrive.
• Since this recipe uses 2 pounds of ground beef, we usually have leftovers. Freeze the rest for another dinner or use in quesadillas, taco salads, taco pasta casserole, or throw on these Quick and Easy Taco Dogs.
• To tone down the spice, use less or no ancho chile powder and make up the difference with regular chili powder.
• Make homemade ancho chile powder by removing seeds of dried ancho chiles and grinding into a powder.
• Make healthier ground beef tacos by substituting ground turkey or ground sirloin. 

More Mexican Favorite Recipes 

• Fresh Avocado Shrimp Salsa
• Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Tamale Pie
• Mexican Fish

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Sweet and Spicy Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

Sweet and Spicy Tacos are the best ground beef taco recipe you’ll ever make! The flavors are ample and robust with a sweet taco seasoning and a spicy taco kick. Top it all with the lime sour cream sauce perfect for tacos! 

4.8 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 10

Author: Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

Filling:

• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 14 ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 12 ounce bottle chili sauce, such as Heinz
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder*
• 2 tablespoons chili powder*
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• For serving: taco shells, cheddar cheese, lettuce, cilantro, and lime wedges

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream:

• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tablespoon finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sweet and Spicy Ground Beef Taco Meat:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large nonstick skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off grease and transfer cooked beef to a bowl.
  
• Reduce heat to medium and add oil to the pan, if necessary. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add stewed tomatoes, with juice, to the skillet. Break up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid mostly evaporates and sauce slightly thickens, about 8 minutes.
  
• Add cooked ground beef, chili sauce, Worcestershire, ancho chile powder, chili powder, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin to the pan. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 5-10 minutes.
  
• Spread taco meat into a grease 9X13" pan. Bake until an almost black crust forms around edges, about 30-40 minutes. (I know this sounds unconventional, but it develops the flavor more. This step can be skipped if you are in a time crunch.) 
  

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream:

• For the sour cream, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Serve with taco meat and fixings. 

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Recipe Notes

*To tone down the spice, use less or no ancho chile powder and make up the difference with regular chili powder.

 

More Tips for Making Sweet and Spicy Ground Beef Tacos

• The lime sour cream for the tacos can be made up to two days ahead of time. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
• This is the perfect make-ahead meal because it tastes even better after the seasoned beef sits and melds. Make it the day before or earlier in the day and bake right before serving.
• Baking the ground beef taco meat helps develop the flavors even more. I find this taco recipe even better when reheated the next day.
• Sweet and Spicy Tacos are perfect for entertaining. Make a day or two beforehand and save the baking step for right before guests arrive.
• Since this recipe uses 2 pounds of ground beef, we usually have leftovers. Freeze the rest for another dinner or use in quesadillas, taco salads, taco pasta casserole, or throw on these Quick and Easy Taco Dogs.
• Make homemade ancho chile powder by removing seeds of dried ancho chiles and grinding into a powder.
• Make healthier ground beef tacos by substituting ground turkey or ground sirloin. 

 

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 672mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1140IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4.3mg

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