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Meals · Tacos, burritos & enchiladas

Carnivore tacos in cheese shells

46

Crunchy taco shells made from nothing but baked cheddar, draped over a spoon handle while they are soft, then filled with well-browned salted beef and a spoon of cool soured cream. The shell is the whole trick: lacy and crisp at the edges, with the savour of a toasted cheese crust.

Time
35 min (10 prep + 25 cook)
Servings
4
Per serving
439 kcal
Protein
38 g

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with baking paper. Make 8 piles of cheese, a scant 1/4 cup (about 20 g) each, well spaced, and pat them into 11 cm (4 1/2-inch) rounds.
  2. Bake one tray at a time for 6–8 minutes, until the rims have browned and the centre has stopped bubbling but the round still bends. Give them about 45 seconds, then hang each one over a spoon handle or an upturned rack to harden.
  3. Meanwhile, brown the beef in a dry, hot skillet, spreading it out and leaving it alone for 3–4 minutes so it gets real colour, then break it up and cook to 160°F. Season with the salt, pepper and, if using, the cumin and paprika at the end.
  4. Fill the shells with the beef, top with the soured cream and eat at once. To keep some for later, store the beef, shells and soured cream apart for up to 3 days, reheat the beef and crisp the shells in a hot oven for 2 minutes.

Good to know

Can I use fattier beef?

Yes, 80/20 tastes richer and needs no extra fat, at about 40 instead of 46.

My shells went brittle before I could shape them.

Take them out a minute earlier and work with one at a time. If one sets too soon, put it back in the oven for 30 seconds and it softens again.

What if I am not strict?

A squeeze of lime and some chopped coriander over the top bring it closer to a regular taco.

Alternative

Per

Calories
255
Protein
(35%)
22 g
Fat
(62%)
17 g
Carbohydrates
(3%)
2 g
of which sugar
<1 g
Fiber
<1 g
Sodium
470 mg

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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 1757 kcal goes into the pot and 880 g of ingredients comes out as about 688 g of food: 255 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.