Big-batch taco meat, four ways
50 min · 30 g protein · 249 cals / serving
One big pan of saucy, well-spiced taco meat, stretched with finely chopped mushrooms and red lentils that melt into it, so two pounds of lean beef makes eight generous portions. Cook it on Sunday and it becomes taco bowls, lettuce-cup tacos, stuffed sweet potatoes and a taco salad through the week.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 12 oz mushrooms, very finely chopped (a food processor is quickest)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika, smoked
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Steps
- Heat the oil in your widest pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and press it flat; let it brown undisturbed for 3 minutes, then break it up and cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes more (160°F).
- Add the onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and it has cooked away.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until it smells toasty.
- Add the lentils, water, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 15–18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have softened completely into the sauce and the mixture is thick and saucy rather than wet.
- Stir in the lime juice and taste for salt. Cool, then divide into containers of about 1 cup each.
Good to know
What are the four ways?
Taco bowl: over brown rice with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo and a spoon of Greek yogurt. Lettuce-cup tacos: in crisp romaine leaves with radish, cilantro and lime. Stuffed sweet potato: split a baked sweet potato and fill it with hot taco meat and a little cheese. Taco salad: cold lettuce, tomato, corn and black beans with warm meat on top and salsa as the dressing.
How long does it keep, and does it freeze?
4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Cool it quickly by spreading it on a tray, then freeze it flat in zip bags, one or two portions per bag, so it thaws in minutes. For packed lunches keep the meat in its own tub and the cold toppings in another; reheat the meat until steaming and add the cold things after.
Can I use 93% lean beef?
Yes, it is a little juicier, at about 66 instead of 70. Pour off any fat after browning.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 110
- Protein
- (48%)
- 13 g
- Fat
- (27%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (25%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 140 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1988 kcal goes into the pot and 2258 g of ingredients comes out as about 1800 g of food: 110 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.