You’ll love these gluten-free Picadillo Tacos for Taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo or really any regular weeknight dinner. It’s a healthy, quick recipe and a delicious spin on your typical tacos.
Okay, I’ll admit it, when I saw the initial recipe for these picadillo tacos in Food and Wine, I was a bit confused.
Almonds and raisins in tacos? Aren’t tacos supposed to be spicy and savory? But anyone who knows me, knows that I prefer sweet over savory, so I decided to give the recipe a try (putting my own spin on it, of course).
Travis and I were both amazed by how well the almonds and raisins worked in this recipe. The almonds add a delicious crunch and the raisins provided a yummy sweet contrast to the heat of the red pepper flakes.
Vegans and vegetarians, you can make these, too! I’ve also made these Picadillo Tacos with Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles and the recipe turned out really well! Just substitute an equal amount of Beyond Beef plant-based protein for the ground beef and you’re good to go!
I’ll leave the toppings up to you, but I served these with sliced avocado, shredded cheese and fresh chopped cilantro. And they were delish!
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Healthy Asian Shredded Beef and Brown Rice Bowls
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Try these Gluten-Free Picadillo Tacos with Ground Beef, Almonds and Raisins. It's a surprising change from your classic taco and SO delicious!
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 3 Tablespoons avocado or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. ground beef (I used 93/7 sirloin)
- 2 cups diced tomatoes (or tomato purée)
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh lime juice
- Corn tortillas for serving
- Shredded cheese for serving
- Sliced avocado for serving
- Shredded lettuce for serving
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Bring a large skillet to medium heat. Add the almonds and stir regularly for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. You should be able to smell them once they are toasted. Remove almonds onto a small plate to cool.
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In the large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Next add the spices (cinnamon through red pepper flakes) and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the ground beef to the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until browned, breaking up large pieces with a spatula or spoon. Add the tomatoes and raisins to the pan, and simmer for 7 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced almonds.
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Serve on corn tortillas with toppings of your choice (shredded cheese, sliced avocado, beans, lettuce, etc.)
Recipe adapted from Food & Wine.
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