EPIC Taco Night That’s 100x Better than Taco Bell!
Make these insanely crunchy and delicious ground beef tacos next time you want to blow someone's mind. Use my link to get a lifetime Rosetta Stone subscription for $149 partners.rosettastone.com/bri...
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BEEF
▪3T (45ml) olive oil
▪2lb (1kg) 90/10 ground beef
▪Salt
▪2 small white onions, small diced
▪25g (5 cloves) minced garlic
▪40g (1/3c) chili powder
▪10g (3 1/2t) paprika
▪10g (5t) ground cumin
▪2g (1 1/4t) Chile flakes
▪2g (1t) dried oregano
▪500g (2c) chicken stock
▪200g (3/4c) tomato sauce
▪20g (5t) brown sugar
▪30g (2T) apple cider vinegar
BRITEGA TACO SAUCE
▪400g (1 1/2c) tomato sauce
▪25g (4) dried guajillo chiles
▪300g (1 1/4c) water
▪20g (5t) sugar
▪10g (3 1/2t) paprika
▪10g (2t) garlic powder
▪3g (1t) cumin
▪2g (1t) oregano
▪10g (2 3/4t) onion powder
▪10g (2t) salt
▪100g (1/3c) apple cider vinegar
ASSEMBLY
▪2 heads romaine lettuce
▪8oz (225g) pepper jack cheese
▪8ox (225g) sharp cheddar cheese
▪12-16 corn tortillas
▪Neutral oil, for frying
▪Fresh tomatoes, for garnish
▪Sour cream
Instructions:
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and a pinch of salt. Thoroughly crumble the beef as it browns.
2. Once the beef is browned and crumbled, add onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions become translucent.
3. Stir in chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, chili flakes, and dried oregano. Cook for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the taco sauce (BRI-TEGA): soften dried guajillo chiles removing stems and seeds, boil water, turn off heat, and place chilis in the water to soften for about 15 min
6. In a blender, combine tomato sauce, softened guajillo chiles, water, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until very smooth.
7. Preheat the oven to 185°F (85°C). Keep a sheet tray inside to keep taco shells warm.
8. Shred the romaine lettuce finely and grate the pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese.
9. To fry the taco shells, fill a 4-quart saucepan about ⅔-¾ full with neutral oil and heat to 325°F (163°C). Use taco frying tongs to fry each corn tortilla for about 90 seconds until lightly golden brown. Transfer to the oven to keep warm.
9a. Alternatively, in a 10” saute pan, pour enough oil to reach about 1 inch depth and preheat to 325°F (163°C). Fry one half of the corn tortilla for about 25-30 seconds until starting to firm up. Then flip and submerge the other half, holding one side at an angle with tongs, and pressing the submerged side into the oil until golden brown. Flip and refry the first side for an additional 30-60 seconds until crispy.
10. Once the taco shells are ready, assemble the tacos by filling each shell with a quarter cup of the taco meat mixture, a pinch of the cheese blend, a generous drizzle of BRI-TEGA sauce, shredded lettuce, and diced fresh tomatoes. Add sour cream and raw onions if you’d like.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 making the BEEF
2:06 making the taco sauce
4:12 staying up on my spanish
5:19 frying taco shells (2 methods)
7:46 building the perfect crunchy taco
#groundbeeftacos #crunchytacos #tacos #rosettastone #rosettastonepartner
The "Weiner - whadaya think" look is one I know all too well. Bravo, sir.
Yeah as a guy who stained Oujia symbols into their butcherblock to annoy my religious friends at a dinner party, I know it too well but my husband is past caring.
I love seeing spouse humor, which is usually the husband dropping unnecessary phallic references on the wife.
Brian drinking ingredients that are not designed to be drank continues to be one of my favorite bits on the channel
Saaaaame especially when it spills everywhere so silly
Ngl I winced watching it lol.
I drank taco sauce after losing a bet once - It does not go down easy
Another gem. I love that you are bringing back the dynamic duo of “Hey what’s up” + “Let’s eat this thing”!
just need the dancing to come back
@@virtualet I used to be hovered over the video ready to hit pause before the dancing started, so each to their own.
Every time he doesn't say ""Hey what's up!" it really messes with my brain.
Yup, and we need the little adorable jaunty "sweet f*** this tastes good!!!" dance to make a comeback! I'll start a petition lol!
@@theritchie2173 That's kinda weird lol
This one goes out to all the Midwest moms hosting tacos nights for the boys growing up. Love it.
you know it!
Missing the olives and sour cream!
I dropped to my knees in pure emotion when I saw the BriTega Sauce Recipe. My cup runneth over!
my people
Same ,, needed that ,,
@@BrianLagerstromsoft ahells are the only way to go. Soft shells deserve a video if you haven't already done one
Docking the tortillas with a fork (just make a bunch of little holes in the surface with a fork), helps a lot to keep them from developing any large air pockets while frying, little tip I've learned from making taco shells like this thousands of times in the restaurant days.
thank you for the tip.
Gringo tacos are underrated. These are delicious!
Yes! I grew up eating tacos just like this and always absolutely loved them. While I grew to eventually prefer street tacos in the style of LA and Tijuana, there's absolutely still a place for a good Gringo Taco, whether it be from Taco Bell (fine), Del Taco (much better), or the very best; HOME MADE
"Holy s**t, this is filthy" - I FELT that. 😂 Can't wait to make these. Thanks for the video, Bri!
That line made me actually chuckle.
Bri guy just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Two years ago before I got married I couldn’t cook anything. I’ve watched every video and made the majority of your recipes. They’ve all been bangers. My wife and I get hyped with every video you release. Keep up the great work homie!
So great to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Sir.
@@BrianLagerstrom See that, Broseph? You over here building strong foundations for a happy marriage 'n' sh*t!
How to Keep a Woman 101
@@genjii931 haha for real, the wifey definitely appreciates it
I grew up on the border and honestly American tacos will always hold a place in my heart just as authentic street tacos do.
Genuinely curious as to what an authentic taco is. I've never had or seen one being up in New England
@@Novictus soft corn tortilla, meat, onion, cilantro. squeeze of lime on top right before eating.
@Novictus depends. Northern new mexico tacos are ground beef mixed with diced potatoes that have been boiled first. (This was done back in the day to extend the beef for a family dinner) seasoning is just salt and pepper but can use seasoned salt. Corn tortilla that is lightly fried so it is crispy but soft
Having spent plenty of time around "real" Mexican food...there's absolutely a place for both. They're practically different cuisines.
@@lysolcoke2HDlet us not forget the salsa. Crucial.
That meat smasher is such a game changer! Thank you for using often, I broke down & bought it, love it!
This is peak Brian. Classic food with tons of staple sub recipes, some of the best content on youtube
Bri i just want to say you’re indispensable to the way i cook, i haven’t found anyone else in the recipe space whose target audience is in that spot where they’re a home cook but not an amateur. also i appreciate how broad your palette is, and how you explain the reasons behind things. keep up the great work
These are the California rolls of tacos ! We love authentic tacos but we always get back to the basics lol 🌮
Authentic street tacos are better without a doubt, but American tacos like this are still quite tasty and a good way to mix it up.
As a midwesterner, this gives me great joy. Thank you! Love you, fam!
Your channel is one of the best things to come from the pandemic. Thank you for sharing your love of food.
I can't thank you enough for your recipes, but importantly, your careful explanations and your STYLE. My wife and I were one of 4 couples in a monthly supper club where someone in the other couples were either former or current chefs and I learned so much from them but that supper club is no more. Your videos have brought me back to a point where learning to cook new and better is again a great focus in my life. Just so you know, I work 40+ works a week and so quick, easy, and tasteful is perfect for me and my wife. THANK YOU!
I made these last night. The taco meat has so much more flavor than the popular recipe sites which call for adding spices to hamburger meat. The tacos along with the sauce were the best I've ever had. The only thing that could make them any better would be to hire a mariachi band.
Those taco tongs are GLORIOUS!!!!
Lorn ending is the perfect testimonial!
Bri, please continue to eat/drink items that are not meant to be consumed solo or in such large quantities. I find it so entertaining, lol!
This is absolutely the video I have been waiting for! We're making these tonight! Thank you for making this one.
I believe you, Bri. Tacos are one of life's greatest joys and these look fantastic
We do tacos every week so love seeing your take. Will definitely be trying some of this!
That’s hysterical, and the recipes looks delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes, I love watching your funny side, but mostly the delicious foods!
Once I started frying my taco shells there was no going back!😆. PLS PLS post a printable recipe link, all of your recipes are fantastic!!! TY!
Edition 1 of this I've made like 50 times. Pumped to try this with homemade sauce!!!
Always excellent tips with your cooking so thank you very much. I only came across your videos about a month ago and I’ve watched many. You crack me up. Bless your taco heart. 🤗
I came here to watch the video on sourdough for beginners, but clicked this afterward out of curiosity. I will now feel personally indebted to you forever. May God bless your sweet ingenious little soul for the rest of your natural born life.❤
Looks good Bri. Your recipes never fail so I look forward to trying this soon.
Those taco shell tongs! Hell yes! I’ve used that two tong method and though the results were good it wasn’t worth the effort for me. Those tongs are gonna be game changers! Thanks Bri!!❤
You're so right! Homemade taco shells 💯
I watched your original taco video and loved it. That one purpose taco device is life changing! I'll be buying it! Also, I've been waiting for your take on taco sauce...Solid vid man
Tried the taco meat and sauce recipe this evening. Best ever!
I grew up with my mom shallow frying corn tortillas for tacos 😊 she put the cheese down first, works to hold the taco meat in place. Fried curb tortillas really are the best vehicle for a taco, IMO! Gotta say, the uni-tasker taco fryer is intriguing. Great video!
i was just looking for a recipe for this, thanks!
I've never seen a taco shell tong before. Never even heard of such a thing. Now I have ordered one. Gotta taste that thing.
YES please!! Can't wait to make these. You rock, Bri!!
Just go to taco bell and ask for tacos. Less cooking and spend and eat.
@@gaiden4567 Why are you even on a home-cooking channel? Also, I got the worst food poisoning of my life from T.B. 20+ years ago and never going back.
The recipe I've been searching for ❤❤
I’ve been making your old taco recipe for a while now it’s a banger. This looks great! Gotta try your bri sauce!
Brian, absolute banger of a video! I rushed out to grab the ingredients the moment your video dropped. Dinner in clutch thanks to you!
This recipe will be an instant classic 😮
Love this, gotta do this. That taco tool is awesome.
Anytime I make tacos at home now, I've taken to frying corn tortillas for the shells instead of using store bought shells. It's a complete game changer. Not to mention ridiculously easy.
Holy hell. I made these today for my mom for Mother’s Day. Incredible and perfect. This will be my go to taco meat recipe now for sure. The shells came out tremendous but I can’t see myself doing them a lot but for special days or nights yes. Just a lot of oil. But wow what a great meal.
I literally came home from work and made beef for my taco supper, then see your episode. I'm psychic!
Your, “What’s up?” Is so friendly. I missed it and had to check the date of this video to see if it is current! Thanks!
If you put cheese on the bottom, then meat, it tends to hold the shell together better and it doesn't fall apart in your hands.😊
I've watched dozens of your videos and saved as many recopies, but this is the first one I've made. My wife loves Tacos an said these were the best she's ever had, and I agree. Thanks Bri, now lets eat this thiiing.
I was hoping for a dry scoop taste test with the store bought taco seasoning but I'm glad I waited for the Ortega sauce chugging. Did not disappoint!
Making these tonight, and used Ancho chili powder and regular chili powder… these are the best taco night tacos I’ve ever had
it cracks me up everytime he swears, 10/10 lets eat this thing those tacos looked delicious
Muchas gracias 💖
Every time I watch one of these videos where you use that blue Le Crueset pan, I have to give a little chuckle. I also live in St. Louis, and I have the same pan - same color and everything. I believe it’s actually a risotto pan. I bought mine on special from Williams Sonoma, and it’s been a minute. I do love that pan. It’s probably use one I use the most. That’s all.
Britega sauce is awesome, thank you for sharing this great recipe!
I love you man!! Great recipe!!
These look fantastic! And, you could eat them fresh over a few days, if you don't mind frying the tortillas. Great recipe. Thanks you guys
That sweep swig of taco sauce is how I check for sauce quality, too. Good man. 👍
Muy bien, Bri! Voy a preparar esos tacos!
God bless YOU Bri! Great content! Could we get another Q&A vid? What does Lorn do during your vids?
In Chicago IL, I crave the fat beef tacos, where the beef *inside* the shell prior to deep frying, but it is difficult to pull off at home! I love that tortilla holder! Thanks for sharing your great talents!! Will be trying this!
I love your videos, particularly this one. I'm not crazy about two ads in one episode.
I just made these. They were so good!!
Just bought the taco tongs. Didnt know they made anything like that. Uts gonba make taco night so kych easier. Those tacos look especially delicious. Thsnks Bri.
Thanks Bri
"Holy sh*t. That is FILTHY " - best line yet. 😂
Been making your older recipe for this for a while and everyone loves it. I can't tell yet what's much different here. I tried those tongs before but prefer a more u shaped rather than v shaped shell. Amazon has some other 2 piece metal molds sort of things you should check out. You could deep fry with them just the same but i shallow fry and flip them. Pretty hands off.
Love this! I must give it a try! I usually squash raw meat on half a fresh taco shell, put unmeat side down in about a quarter inch of hot oil, cook until crisp then flip it over to the meat side and cook until done! You need to pry it open a little to slide a thickish piece of cheese into it and and a slice of tomatoe! Put some lettuce in and hot sauce and voila! It sounds harder than it is! Learned from a Mexican who learned from his mom! Salt and pepper meat before frying!💪🏻
"Make your own tacos" has been one of my go-to family dinner dishes for ages; I used to make it with straight-up ground beef and lately I've been making a kickass carne asada. Tonight I made the ground beef filling from this recipe and it was a *huge* hit. Served it with hard and soft taco shells, rice, diced tomato, lettuce, grated carrot, shred cheese, guacamole and salsa; usually I julienne some cucumber as well but I didn't have any.
@brianlagerstromm Um, what?
Awesome thank you. Do you perhaps have a recipe to make the taco shell? Thanks so much.
Looks amazing.
We used to brush the tortilla with oil and hang them off of the oven rack to get crunchy shells. It's not perfect but it works.
Fantastic!! Would love to see a fried taco recipe one of these days, like jack in the box but better (similar to Hotshots here in MO). Love what you do and will be buying my very own taco tongs, thank you!
Man, Brian… I have been searching for the perfect taco meat for so long! I have failed over and over again. You have made my day! Thank you! By the way your chicken curry was so Adam===
I loved the 2020 version of this. Glad to see a reboot. Maybe I'll actually be able to get it right this time!
@brianlagerstroom So honored to get a shoutout from you Chef Lagerstroom.
I'm happy to see you incorporating the dried chilies into your taco sauce. I do the same for the meat, subbing out some of the chili powder.
Great episode. The taco tongs I gotta have em.
In a push, brushing the tortillas with oil and hanging them over a few wires of an oven shelf works. Loading and unloading the rack outside the oven makes things easier but needs two people. Not fried but you get lots cooked at a time.
Brian, there is (at least) a third shell method between the two. As a kid in the proto-70s, I lived in California's central valley. My mother had someone make up a bunch of taco shell forms. These were, like your tongs, taco shell shapes inside and outside of the food. Made of pierced sheet metal (like vent coverings), they held the shape while (with several pairs) several shells cooked. And, key difference, they could be shaped as you wanted. I like shells with a wide bottom -- no problem. I've been soft tortilla lately, but feel a set of these in my future.
Pro-tip: use Oaxaca cheese. You'll thank me later. And you'll probably start using it on lots of other things, too.
Yessss! So good. Love using Oaxaca and cotija cheeses on things.
@@IzeOfLight I second the Cotija recommendation, but don't sleep on Queso Fresco. It's all good. People should explore using Mexican cheeses on a lot more than just Mexican food.
I love store taco mix but I get the low sodium version and add cayenne to the mix. I put the seasoning pack in a short mason jar and add 1 TBSP to about 1/4 lb. of 80/20 ground beef. Add a little water after browned and good ta go! I always buy organic taco shells. I prefer organic peanut oil for frying. It's the best. Yes, it's worth it to buy taco holders. $20 for four. Totally worth it. OMG Bri I had no idea they had a lil taco holder for frying! Spend the money, be happy! Oh no I always put down grated cheese, first and then the meat and then salted thin-sliced cabbage and then the sour cream and then the avocado and salsa verde on to with half-sliced cherry tomatoes tucked in on the side of the shell. Heaven!
Those look like spicy crunch heaven 😋
You havent changed since highschool bro, keep it up 💪 your videos are great and entertaining lol. Hope you're doing well ❤
And now I'm making this for dinner tonight!
When I lived in east LA, my girlfriends Mexican grandmother would put the meat (after cooking it) in the tortilla and then pan fry it in oil. Just like you did with the shell. Except we only used one set of tongs to hold the top of the tortillas together. Done one at a time. Put on a paper towel on a plate afterwards. Salt both sides immediately after taking it out. Just a little salt. And doing one taco at a time. Love these tacos! @Brian Lagerstrom, You should try it this way sometime.
Sup Taco-sensei. Yes, ground beef tacos are a gift from the gods, and I have learned much from your ways. Living in the center of the USA Tacoverse (Tucson), I can also confirm it is very unlikely to find something better at a restaurant. Making these tomorrow while doing Ortega sauce shots.
There's a nice Mexican grocery in Hillside, IL near us that sells dried chile pods of all sorts--guajillo, mulatto, chipotle, etc. I use them dry and rehydrated--I have a Krups coffee grinder which is used exclusively for spices, so that's once of my chili powder constituents. Mexene is pretty good too. Thanks for this vid--my wife is a big fan of the crunchy tacos.
that CRUNCH!!
OMG! BRI!! That taco sauce is the bomb!! I'll never buy store bought again!!
Hey Bri, they look amazingly delicious. Always god to see Lorn, even if for brief cameo appearance in your video. More involvement with featuring Lorn, I think would make the channel even better. Much ❤ to you both! 🙂
Pretty much exactly my taco meat recipe. Add a couple TBSP of cheese powder to that, and you're golden!
I’m from central America where tacos are a thing and this recipe is pretty, pretty good.
hi all the way from Europe, question for you: is there some traditional way to handle crunchy taco spillage? i'm trying to figure out some way to make it work and not spill it all either on my clothes or on the floor.
Ok Bri, these are my go-to home taco 🌮 style. I’m going to make your taco shells with the tool. I’m normally a die hard Old El Paso crunchy taco shell girl. I’ll let you know. 😁🌮💪🏻👍🏻
These look fantastic
Thanks, son
Can you make a batch of taco shells ahead of a large gathering featuring "tacos". Love the sauce Bri!
Could you do a video on what to do post cooking with oil? like a how to re-use video for oil and other stuff?
Going to make this.
Try #2 of asking you to make a cookbook. 🙏
LOL!! Dude I laughed out loud several times. Bravo!
My favorite hardshell tacos at Mexican restaurants are stuffed first with the meat, folded so the two ends meet then deep fried. Then they remove from the oil, gently pry it open stuff the heck out of them with tons of shredded lettuce and cheese (like, 1/4 cup of cheese). Since the taco shell is semi-closed after frying it, it keeps things really tight. They usually offer shredded chicken, beef or ground beef.