Family Favorite Beef and Kale Tacos
Elevate taco night with these Family Favorite Beef and Kale Tacos. Packed with nutrition and flavor, these tacos are a great way to get some leafy greens into the whole family.
Taco Night Smiles
As I have mentioned before, my kids LOVE taco night. And I love that I know what we’re having on Tuesdays (having theme nights totally helps with dinner planning). Oh, and yes, I LOVE tacos too! In fact, I think it may be time to invest in a tortilla press!
And with so many delicious tacos out there–chicken fajita tacos, fish tacos, turkey tacos, bean tacos, and these beef tacos, taco night never seems to get old. I didn’t even mention all the topping options! Occasionally, I may mix it up and make taco rice bowls or quesadillas, but usually, it’s straight-up tacos!
[bctt tweet=”Get some leafy greens into your little ones with these Family Favorite Beef and Kale Tacos! #tacotuesday” username=”halsanutrition”]
Hälsa Kids
While my kids love almost any taco, this is their most requested. I used to make these tacos with just onions and ground beef but eventually decided to add kale. Since my kids are used to me adding chopped green parsley to foods such as Swedish meatballs and turkey burger sliders, they didn’t really comment on the specks of green in their taco meat. I gradually upped the amount of kale that I added from a couple of leaves to 6 leaves (about 2 cups), and you know what, they still LOVE these tacos! Win-win!
And while we all know that kale is a nutrient powerhouse, let’s not forget onions. Onions are packed with nutrition and add great flavor to this dish.
Nutrition Boost
While this recipe is already a good source of many vitamins and minerals, you could take the nutrition of this taco up even further by adding grated carrots or finely chopped mushrooms. If you are trying to shift to a more plant-based diet, you could even substitute half of the meat with chopped mushrooms.
Finally, let’s not forget the toppings! From shredded red cabbage to chopped avocado to cilantro to salsa, no taco is complete with toppings.
So give this recipe a try and let me know how your family likes it!
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (or ½ medium or large onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or use ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 6 Lacinato kale leaves, stem removed and finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 pound grass-fed beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 12 corn tortillas (gluten-free if needed)
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron (or other) skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic and saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Turn down heat to medium-low if starting to brown.
- Add kale and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add beef, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Saute for another 3-5 minutes, until meat starts to brown and is mostly cooked. Add chili powder through cumin and continue to saute for another couple of minutes until meat is cooked through.
- Heat tortilla shells in a skillet or in a microwave; keep warm by wrapping foil or a clean tea towel.
- Serve everything family style on the table or as a buffet line.
Salsa
Red cabbage, thinly sliced
Chopped lettuce
Diced avocado (or guacamole)
Cilantro, chopped
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
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