Why restrict such delicious Mexican cuisine to only one day of the week?! I say heck with Taco Tuesday, let’s make this awesome Taco Skillet any day of the week!
I experimented with this recipe recently, and it has easily become a weekly favorite. I love anything that can be baked or cooked out of one dish, and especially when you can cook quinoa right into it! (I don’t know anything better than dumping uncooked quinoa into your skillet, and letting it cook hands free…i know it sounds ridiculous, but it makes me so happy!)
This meal is a healthy spin on a traditional taco recipe, and involves a giant skillet so there is plenty for everyone (or for leftovers)! Instead of using tortillas or rice, I replaced the wheat component with quinoa, to act as a nutritious and gluten free carb replacement.
The quinoa and seasoned lean ground beef, which can be substituted for turkey or chicken if you prefer, is baked directly in the skillet before topping with veggies. Feel free to get crazy with your veggies, too! Add as much as you’d like and of whatever you’d like…have fun with it 🙂
Note, all of the quinoa may not be fully cooked after the first round in the oven, but will cook all the way through after round two in the oven!
Cheese is totally optional, but since I’m a cheese-lover at heart, I can’t help but sprinkle a little love in some of my meals. I use feta cheese, instead of shredded mexican or pepper jack cheese, since goat’s milk cheese is better for your gut and causes less inflammation than cheese made from cow’s milk.
Once everything is baked together, I drizzle some special spicy sauce on everything and top with lettuce and sliced avocados before serving! Serve directly from your bakeware or scoop servings into individual bowls!
Can I meal prep this recipe?
Absolutely! Make the full recipe, and then portion it out for the week in separate containers. It will last for up to one week in the fridge.
Can I use a different protein?
Yes, I’ve used chicken, ground turkey, and ground beef (always organic). Cook it the same way, for the same amount of time. If using chicken, cut into small pieces so it cooks all the way through.
How can I make this vegetarian friendly?
Instead of cooking in protein, just add some extra veggies! You will still bake the uncooked quinoa and broth together (just omit the step where you would add protein) for 30 min in the oven. Then mix in your veggies and cook for another 20 min.
Taco Skillet
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb organic ground beef
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 1/4 cups bone broth
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
- 1 lime (1/2 for veggies, 1/2 for sauce) juice
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta
- 2-3 cups iceberg lettuce chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and red crushed peppers each
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Spicy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Chipotle Tabasco
- 1/2 lime juice
- 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder each
- 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet or baking dish, mix together uncooked quinoa and broth. Using your hands, pull apart ground beef into small chunks and lay on top of quinoa and broth. Sprinkle seasoning mix over ground beef.
- Bake for 30 min.
- While skillet is baking, prep veggies and spicy sauce. Take chopped veggies and add to mixing bowl. Mix with oil and lime juice and set aside.
- For spicy sauce, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl, then set aside.
- When skillet is done baking, stir in veggies. Bake again for 20 min, stir halfway through.
- When skillet is done baking, top with half of the spicy sauce, cheese, lettuce, and avocado. Add additional spicy sauce on top, and save some on the side for individual use.
