Sneaky Mommy Tacos

If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner, these Sneaky Mommy Tacos are something the whole family will enjoy! No-one will even notice the heaps of veggies hidden in here (insert mom high-five).

We love a good taco night in our family and if you’ve followed me for awhile you know I LOVE to sneak extra veggies in to meals wherever I can. This recipe includes cooked-down shredded carrot and zucchini with the ground and trust me – no-one will even notice!

You can use a pre-made taco seasoning here (Epicure has a great one that is also gluten free) or with a few spices create your own with this recipe – simply mix together the following ingredients:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons chill powder
• 1 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano

With back to school in full force we’re always looking for easy healthier weeknight dinners and these check all the boxes! We put out all the topping so that everyone can assemble their own tacos and create a little taco bar. I recommend prepping the toppings ahead to make life that much easier when dinner time rolls around (if you’re interested in learning more about our Fraîche Meal Plan click here).

You can also easily turn these into a taco salad by skipping the shells and doubling (or tripling) up on the lettuce. They’re also so easy to flex if you need a gluten free meal or a vegetarian or vegan dinner!

If you’re looking for more taco inspiration these Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema are delicious or these Vegan Jackfruit Carnita Tacos are killer! Or if you realllly want to step up your taco night, we put together the ultimate Cinco de Mayo spread last year for Charles’ birthday.  Make your own salsa (Pico de Gallo recipe below) or guacamole if you can, but of course don’t sweat it if you can’t, there’s enough pressure on you all most days (no mom guilt here)!

Sneaky Mommy Tacos

5 from 1 vote

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Sneaky Mommy Tacos

You won't even notice the veggies in here and these tacos make for such a fun family dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Shrimp Tacos, sneaky mommy, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10 small tacos

Author Fraîche

Ingredients

Sneaky Mommy Taco Ground:

• 1 lb ground beef, chicken, tempeh or veggie ground
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or to taste
• 1 ½ cups water

Pico de Gallo:

• 2 ½ cups diced tomatoes strained
• ¼- ½ seeded jalapeno finely diced (optional)
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• ½ cup lightly packed cilantro roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• Juice of 1-2 limes to taste
• Sea salt to taste

For the toppings:

• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 avocado or guacamole optional
• chopped cilantro optional
• 10-12 small soft tortillas or hard shell tacos to serve
• canned black beans (drained & rinsed) optional

Instructions

To make the Taco Ground:

1. In a large pan sauté the ground beef or veggie ground on medium heat until cooked thoroughly and browned (add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan first if using veggie ground or very lean meat).

2. Add the taco seasoning, water and vegetables and bring the heat down to a simmer.

3. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally, or until water is evaporated and the vegetables are soft.

To make the Pico de Gallo:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and serve with the best tortillas or taco shells you can find!  You can make this a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until guests arrive. Store leftover salsa in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.

To assemble Tacos:

1. Once meat or veggie ground is cooked, add to the base of taco and layer on toppings as desired.
2. Serve immediately.