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Crispy beef tacos recipe and tacos with lime wedges on a speckled plate.

Crispy Cheesy Beef Tacos

This is what happens when a late-night taco craving meets big, punchy flavours. Sizzling, caramelised beef tucked into tortillas that are crisped in melted cheese until golden, lacy, and crackly at the edges.

Every bite hits that perfect balance with fresh slaw, creamy spicy kick. It's juicy, crunchy, a little fiery and completely addictive.

Ingredients for crispy beef tacos

Ingredients

  • Beef filling
  • 500 grams beef mince
  • 0.5 medium onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons gochujang
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 60 milliliters beef stock or water
  • Crispy tortillas
  • 8 small flour tortillas
  • 250 grams mozzarella, coarsely grated
  • 2 tablespoons avocado or vegetable oil
  • Sesame slaw
  • 150 grams green cabbage, very finely shredded
  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Spicy Drizzle
  • 3 tablespoons kewpie mayo
  • 1 teaspoons gochujang
  • To Finish
  • 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 pinch flaky salt
Minced beef stir fried in MAKO essential pan

METHOD

1. Prepare the Slaw

Toss the cabbage with rice vinegar, lime and salt. Scrunch it with hands for 30 seconds to soften and add spring onion, coriander, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Toss well and refrigrate until serving.

2. Prepare the spicy drizzle

Stir together kewpie mayo, gochujang until smooth, if require adjust the heat. Spoon into a small bag for easy drizzling. Set aside.

3. Sear the beef

Heat a large pan with even heat distribution like the MAKO Essential Pan to prevent over crowding and even caramelisation.

Add in oil and the beef mince, then leave it untouched for few minutes until a dark crust develops.

Break it up, then add onion and cook until soften and add garlic, ginger and stir fry until fragrant.

Stir in the gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Cook for 1 minute until glossy and caramelised.

Pour in the beef stock and rice vinegar, scraping the base of the pan to lift all the flavour. Simmer until reduced and the beef is well coated. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Beef filled tacos crisped on the pan with melted cheese

4. Crisp the tortillas

In the same pan, heat a thin layer of oil. Lay in a tortilla and scatter mozzarella evenly over the surface.

Our stainless steel essential pan is ideal for this step, as it delivers fast, even heat to help the cheese melt and caramelise while the tortilla turns deeply golden and crisp.

Let it melt and bubble until the base turns golden. Spoon beef onto one half, then fold over once the cheese is melted and holding.

Press down firmly and cook until the outside is crisp and golden. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Crispy tacos served with fresh slaw and red chilly

5. Serve

Open each taco and fill with slaw. Drizzle over the spicy mayo, then finish with fresh chilli, sesame seeds, and flaky salt. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.