I’ve been trying to branch out on tacos after being totally swept up by the fish taco frenzy. Not that that’s a bad thing of course—there’s just so much more to this taco-filled world. Sesame beef tacos are somewhat of an Asian-inspired taco. Ground beef sauteed up with sesame oil, soy sauce and a little bit of garlic and brown sugar. Sweet and savory in every bite.
I’m a firm believer that every good taco needs two critical elements: a creamy sauce and a combo of veggies. Sesame beef tacos are topped with homemade creamy avocado sauce and a simple mango jalapeno salsa/pico de gallo, minus the tomato.
Toasting the Tortillas
Corn tortillas tend to be more brittle than a flour tortilla. I prefer to briefly toast my tortillas in a pan with cooking spray. It works much better than steaming and tastes phenomenal. Sear in a large pan on medium heat with cooking spray. 1 minute per side should do the trick. They’ll be slightly golden and toasted and much stronger. At a bare minimum, steam in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20 seconds.
Creamy Avocado Sauce
The sauce is comprised of avocado, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, and cream. It’s the perfect light and creamy topping that goes really well with the mango and jalapeno salsa. If you don’t want to bust out the blender, sometimes I opt for a watered-down sour cream as a really simple creamy sauce. You can also add a little fresh lime juice.
Lastly, if you don’t have a blender, a single-serve blender such as a Ninja or NutriBullet will work just as well.
Mango Jalapeno Salsa
My simple salsa is made with fresh mango, diced jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and plenty of lime juice. The only point to hit home is finely diced ingredients. It makes for better salsa. Add jalapeno to taste, as some are much hotter than others! You can also omit it entirely.
That’s it—the perfect taco to pair with a cool beer this summer.
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Sesame Beef Tacos with Mango & Jalapeno Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Sweet and savory sesame beef tacos served with creamy avocado sauce and jalapeno mango salsa. Fresh, citrusy, and my new go-to summer taco.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 5–6 inch corn or flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 packed tablespoon packed brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- lime wedges and extra cilantro for serving
Jalapeno mango salsa
- 1 diced mango (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 lime, juice squeezed
- 4–5 slices fresh jalapeno, diced *see note*
Creamy avocado sauce
- 1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
- 1 clove garlic
- half a lime, juice squeezed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup light cream or half & half
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine mango and jalapeno salsa ingredients in a small bowl, stir to mix and set aside.
- Combine avocado sauce ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Bring a large pan with sesame oil to medium heat. Add ground beef and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Use the tip of a spatula to break up the beef; cook until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain some excess fat and add brown sugar, and soy sauce. Cook for 2 minutes then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
- Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds to soften. Alternatively (my preferred method), you can heat in a greased pan (cooking spray) on medium heat until warm and slightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Serve with avocado sauce, mango jalapeno salsa, and extra lime wedges/cilantro.
Notes
TEST your jalapenos before adding. Some tend to be very spicy, while others are more mild. The salsa is mild overall, however add more or less jalapeno depending on preference (I left out the seeds).
Corn tortillas tend to be more brittle than a flour tortilla. I prefer to briefly toast my tortillas in a pan with cooking spray. It works much better than steaming and tastes phenomenal. Sear in a large pan on medium heat with cooking spray. 1 minute per side should do the trick. They’ll be slightly golden and toasted and much stronger. At a bare minimum, steam in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20 seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 812
- Sugar: 24.5g
- Sodium: 1085mg
- Fat: 30.4g
- Saturated Fat: 10.4g
- Carbohydrates: 64.3g
- Fiber: 10.9g
- Protein: 72.5g
- Cholesterol: 207mg
Keywords: beef tacos, taco recipes, sesame beef tacos
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