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!
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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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.