Name: Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 6 pcs Potatoes; 1 pound Ground Beef; 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic; 1 tbsp Chili Powder; ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder; ¼ teaspoon Onion Poawder; ½ teaspoon Paprika; 1½ teaspoons Cumin; ½ teaspoon Salt; ½ cup Water; 1 cup salsa; Salt and Pepper; Taco Toppings (such as sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green onions, and guacamole)

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Most people consider that things like tacos and quesadillas to always be in the category of Mexican food, but did you know that this categorization may actually be incorrect, depending on what is in the food? Mexican food has been around in Central America for thousands of years. This genre of food features lots of beans, moles, (which are kinds of sauces made from chili peppers) tamales, corn, and slow-roasted pork. Authentic Mexican food varies according to the region of Mexico where it originated.

When Europeans came to Northern Mexico and the area that is now known as Texas, they began to gain a real appreciation for the food that the locals prepared and enjoyed. However, like many creative cooks, these people took features of the authentic Mexican cuisine that the locals made and altered the recipes to create new, inventive foods. The blend of the old and the new was named Tex Mex cuisine.

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Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes Recipe

April Freeman

Shake up Taco Tuesday this week by creating a new version of the taco. Our recipe for Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes takes this family favorite and gives it a new twist. If your family still loves tacos, but you’re getting tired of the same old thing, try this recipe today.

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Video Version

Prep Time 25 mins

Baking Time 1 hr 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 40 mins

Cuisine Mexican

Servings Servings

Equipment

Vegetable Brush
Fork
Large Frying Pan
Spatula
Potholders

Ingredients

6 pcs Potatoes
1 pound Ground Beef
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 tbsp Chili Powder
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Onion Poawder
½ teaspoon Paprika
1½ teaspoons Cumin
½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Water
1 cup salsa
Salt and Pepper
Taco Toppings such as sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green onions, and guacamole

Instructions

Scrub the potatoes with a soft vegetable brush under cool running water. Poke the potatoes all over with a fork. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put the potatoes in the center of the oven.
Bake the potatoes for 60 to 75 minutes or until they are slightly soft when squeezed, and you can easily poke them with a fork.
About 20 minutes before the baking time is over, heat a large frying pan over medium heat on the stovetop.
Put the ground beef in the pan and cook it, chopping it with a spatula until it is fully cooked with no pink remaining. Add the garlic and cook just a minute more until the garlic is lightly browned.
Drain any excess grease from the skillet and discard it. Season the meat with salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
To the ground beef, add the paprika, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir in the water and the salsa. Bring the taco meat to a simmer over medium heat. Put a lid on the pan and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid. If there is still excessive liquid in the pan, remove the lid and continue to simmer until the meat is in a thick sauce.
When the potatoes are finished, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about five minutes. Gently, with a knife, slice the potatoes open lengthwise. Using potholders, squish the ends of the potatoes to open them. Use care so that the potatoes will not break in half completely.
Salt and pepper each potato and scoop about a tablespoon of sour cream into each potato. Use a fork to slightly stir and mash the potato without breaking the skins of the baked potato shell.
Spoon the taco meat into each potato, evenly dividing the meat among the six potatoes. Top the meat with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and any other taco toppings that you prefer.
Serve the potatoes immediately.

Notes

So how does one tell the difference between real Mexican food and Tex Mex?

First, one big tell of Tex Mex food is the cheese that tops the recipe. Both Mexican food and Tex Mex recipes feature cheese very frequently in their dishes, but Tex Mex recipes generally use yellow cheeses like cheddar cheese. When authentic Mexican dishes use cheese, however, the cheese is only white cheese.

The second way to recognize the difference between Tex Mex and Mexican food is to consider the spices used to flavor the meal. Tex Mex frequently uses cumin, but Mexican food generally uses chili peppers, oregano, and cilantro, along with cacao and epazote.

Another way of telling the difference between Tex Mex and Mexican food is to check out the tacos. Tex Mex tacos feature either a flour tortilla or hard corn shell that has seasoned ground beef, cheeses, lettuces, and tomatoes in the shell as a filling. Mexican tacos, however, are always made with flat corn tortillas. The filling generally features slow-cooked, shredded beef or pork (not ground beef) that has been marinated before cooking. These tacos have limes, onions, and cilantro for flavoring.

Our recipe for Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes would definitely be considered a Tex Mex recipe, rather than an “authentic” Mexican recipe, even though most people probably use the terms interchangeably. Whatever way that you want to label this recipe, the bottom line is that it is tasty, filling, and something that the whole family will enjoy. If you want to create a new twist on taco night, this is a quick, easy, and appealing way to do so.

Keyword Main Course, Recipe, Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes