Dino up your taco night with these yummy and simple dinosaur-themed tacos.
How to Make Dinosaur Tacos
- Cook the beef: Heat virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until browned. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Add the water and stir to combine. Cook for five to seven minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Make the sauce: Blend all the ingredients for the spicy sauce together until smooth. Set aside.
- Make the tacos: Place the taco shells on a baking sheet in an open position and heat for two to three minutes. Fill them with ground beef filling. Top with shredded cheddar, lettuce, avocado, and green onions. Drizzle with jalapeno sauce and serve.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: Tacos can be made up to three days ahead. Cook the beef, make the sauce, and refrigerate it separately. When you’re ready, heat the tacos, beef, and sauce and assemble. It’s quick and simple. Make sure to use airtight containers for storage.
To Freeze: The taco shells and beef can be frozen separately for up to three months. When you’re ready, just cook the sauce, heat the shells and meat, and assemble as usual.
Recipe Variations for Dinosaur Tacos
Use ground turkey: Replace ground beef with the same amount of ground turkey. Follow the same cooking instructions for turkey as you would for beef.
Vegetarian twist: Substitute the ground beef with cooked lentils or black beans seasoned with taco spices.
Make it spicy: Add a tablespoon of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the ground beef mixture for a smoky heat.
Cheesy variation: Mix a cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese into the ground beef filling before stuffing the tacos.
Go Mediterranean: Replace the taco seasoning with a blend of half a teaspoon of paprika, half a teaspoon of oregano, and one tablespoon of lemon zest. Serve with tzatziki sauce, diced cucumbers, and tomatoes to taste.
Low-carb option: Skip the taco shells and serve the seasoned ground beef mixture over a bed of lettuce for a taco salad.
Add a tropical twist: Top the tacos with diced pineapple chunks and a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with a handful of roasted coconut flakes.
Dairy-free alternative: For a cheesy flavor, omit the shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle nutritional yeast over the tacos instead.
Make it gluten-free: Use corn tortillas instead of crunchy wheat-based taco shells. Warm them up before filling them with the ground beef mixture.
Tex-Mex twist: Stir a can of diced green chilies into the ground beef mixture along with the taco seasoning for added flavor and spice.
Dinosaur Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- For the tacos:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 8 taco crunchy shells
- lettuce, chopped
- avocado cubes
- chopped green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
For the sauce:
- 4 whole jalapenos
- 1/4 onion
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the beef and cook until browned.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and tomato paste.
- Add the water and stir to combine.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from the heat.
- To make the sauce, add all the ingredients to a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Place the taco shells open end down on a baking sheet and heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Fill them with ground beef filling.
- Top with shredded cheddar, lettuce, avocado and green onions.
- Drizzle with jalapeno sauce and serve.
Notes
- Make it less greasy: Drain any excess fat produced by the cooked ground beef before adding the spices and tomato paste for a richer flavor without excess grease.
- Make a taco holder: When filling the taco shells, use a taco holder or upside-down muffin tin to keep them upright and prevent spilling while assembling.
- Extra crispy taco shells: Bake them in the oven for two to three minutes before filling with the ground beef mixture.
- For milder heat: If you prefer milder heat, remove the seeds, ribs, and membranes from the jalapenos before blending them for the sauce.
- Experiment: For added flavor and texture, feel free to customize the toppings with your favorite ingredients, such as salsa, sour cream, or diced tomatoes.
- Kid-friendly version: You can omit or reduce the jalapenos from the sauce or replace them with bell peppers to adjust the spiciness level according to your child’s preference.
- Low-sodium option: Use low-sodium tomato paste and reduce the amount of added salt in both the ground beef mixture and the sauce.
