1 teaspoon fine grind sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon Mexican oregeno, ⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder
Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Dice the onion into ½" dice and use about 1 cup in the meat mixture and the rest as garnish.
1 bulb garlic, 1 large sweet onion
Cut the stem off the dried ancho pepper and remove the seeds. Slice the jalapeno. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño for less spice.
1 dried Ancho Pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper
Cut the stems off of the cilantro so you have about ½ cup. Reserve the leaves for garnish
1 bunch cilantro
If your beef is not already chopped in small pieces, chop it into about ½" pieces.
1 pound chopped chuck steak (carne picada)
If you are using bell peppers, cut them into about 1" strips.
1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
Sauté
Turn your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot on high sear/sauté. Add avocado oil and allow to heat for 2-3 minutes.
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
Add the carne picada beef, the smashed garlic cloves, 1 cup diced onion, sliced jalapeno (if using), and seasoning blend. Stir Well. Sauté on high heat to brown the meat for about 5 minutes.
Add in the sliced dried ancho pepper, cilantro stems, and the red chili pepper if using.
Cut the lime in half and add the juice to the pot. You should have 2-3 Tablespoons of lime juice from 1 lime. Add the can of fire-roasted tomatoes (or plain diced tomatoes) with the liquid. Stir to combine.
14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes, 1 Lime
Place the strips of bell pepper (if using) on top and do not stir them into the meat mixture.
Put the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure the valve is in the sealed position. Select high pressure for 2 minutes. When the time is up, immediately release the pressure by turning the valve to vent.
Open the lid and remove the bell peppers if you want to use them at toppings or stir them into the meat mixture if you want to incorporate them in the taco meat.
Skillet Frying Tortillas
Place a skillet on the stove and turn the heat to high. Add in about 1-2 teaspoons of avocado oil or just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Let it heat for 2 minutes.
Place as many tortillas that will fit in the pan without overlapping and fry until they start to bubble. Flip them over and fry another minute or so. You should see some charring. You can sprinkle some salt on the warm tortilla. If you want to shape it as a taco, do that while it is warm. Repeat for remaining corn tortillas.
12 corn or flour tortillas
Assembling the Tacos
Using tongs, remove about ¼ cup of the meat mixture (squeezing excess juice with the tongs) and place in your taco shell.
Top with your favorite toppings. I use raw onions, cilantro leaves, crumbled cotija, and mango corn salsa on mine. Serve & Enjoy!
Nutritional Information does not include corn tortillas or taco toppings as they will vary based on what type of tortilla you use and the toppings you choose. When using a jalapeno pepper, taste it before deciding on adding the entire pepper with the seeds. They vary in spiciness and you don't want to make your carne picada too spicy.