Southwestern-Flavored Ground Beef or Turkey for Tacos & Salad

4.4
(326)
235 Reviews
34 Photos

With Southwestern-Flavored Ground Beef, you can simultaneously make tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch. Just save out and refrigerate some of the taco meat and fixings such as shredded cheese and lettuce, plus chopped scallions and tomatoes. A good-looking salad like this will draw potential lunch traders. More likely than not, they'll be out of luck.

Submitted by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson
Updated on October 7, 2022
Tested by
Allrecipes Test Kitchen
Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen
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Servings:
10
Yield:
10 servings
Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 3 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • ¼ cup cornmeal

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet until shimmering. Add onion; saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef or turkey and cook, stirring often, until it loses its raw color. Stir in tomatoes; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornmeal; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens, almost instantly. Cool and refrigerate (or serve warm for dinner as tacos or taco salad).

TO PACK FOR LUNCH

Put a portion of taco meat in a small container. Put some salsa in another small container. Put lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions and shredded cheese in a plastic salad container or other lidded container. Pack tortilla chips in a baggie. Add a plastic fork and knife to the lunchbox.

Copyright 2004 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

248 Calories
10g Fat
8g Carbs
30g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 248
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 345mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 30g 61%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 22mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 184mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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