Three tacos with meat, cheese, and guacamole.

Authentic Tacos with Homemade Corn Tortillas

27/05/2020 | By Cowboy Kent Rollins

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Taco Tuesday? Nahhhh, it's taco everyday of the week around here! We are throwing out that little seasoning packet and making some authentic tacos. We also have some corn tortillas homemade from scratch and blending those good dried chilis for an authentic Mexican flavor. Come on grab a chair at the table 'cause it's just that good.

Bring On The Beef

For these tacos, I love using 80/20 certified Angus ground chuck. Ground chuck gives a little more flavor in tacos.

Chilis Chilis Chilis

No we ain't talking the restaurant chain folks, we are talking dried chiles: Chili Cascavel, Gaujillo Chili and Chile De Arbol. Now, if you don't like that heat, you may want to leave out the Chile De Arbol. Just make sure and dump the seeds out the best you can and grind them up finely. You can usually find these in the Hispanic aisle at the grocery store in clear bags.



Whole Oregano is another seasoning that just adds so much more flavor! Don't buy the powder in the jar- get the whole oregano again in the Hispanic aisle in the clear bag and grind it yourself. Full Seasoning recipe is down below.

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Pro Tip: Browning your ground meat before you add the seasoning and leaving some of the grease in there instead of adding a bunch of water will give you a much better blending of seasonings.


Corn Tortillas

Now instead of making my tortillas with corn flour and water, I like to use Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Broth) instead. Knorr brand is best. However, if you prefer flour tortillas, Shan makes some of the best ones you've ever had in your life. Check out a great video on these Flour Tortillas.

Pro Tip: To fry up your tortillas use a little bacon grease instead of cooking oil.


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Authentic Tacos - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Servings 8 to 10
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Total Time 25 Minutes
Author Cowboy Kent Rollins

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder

  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground oregano

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 dried guajillo chile

    seeded and crushed
  • 1 dried cascabel chili

    seeded and crushed
  • 1 dried chili de arbol

    seeded and crushed
  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

  • 2 lbs. ground chuck beef

  • 1 tablespoon Red River Ranch Mesquite

    or your favorite blend
  • 8 to 10 corn tortillas

    see recipe below
  • Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole for topping

Instructions

  1. Mix all the dry seasoning ingredients well in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, beginning browning the beef over medium-high heat. When the beef browns about halfway, sprinkle in the Mesquite seasoning and stir. Stir in about 4 to 5 tablespoons of the dry seasoning blend.
  3. Continue cooking until the meat has completely browned. If there is a lot of excess grease you can drain, but I like to keep some of the grease in there for flavor and moisture instead of adding all water. If the mixture is too dry, stir in 2- 4 tablespoons of chicken broth or water.
  4. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon on top of corn tortillas and top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, etc. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Mesquite seasoning available at KentRollins.com

    Grab our guacamole recipe here:

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Homemade Corn Tortillas - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Servings 8 to 10
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Total Time 20 Minutes
Author Cowboy Kent Rollins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups corn masa

  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth

    warmed
  • Bacon grease for frying

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn masa and chicken broth with a spoon. Begin to work the dough with your hands until it forms a soft ball that will stick together. Add more broth/masa if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
  2. Pinch off about 8 to 10 golf ball-sized pieces and roll out into a thin circle.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease (or other food oil) to the skillet. Add a tortilla to the skillet and fry on both sides just until it sets up- you don’t want these too crispy. Remover from the skillet and cover. Place in a warm spot until ready to serve.

Notes

  • We prefer Knorr chicken bouillon cubes for this recipe 

    You can also roll this out a little thicker and deep fry in any fry oil at 350 degrees F. until puffy and a light brown for gorditas.

    Cut the tortillas into triangles and deep fry as above for homemade tortillas chips.

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