Taco Potatoes

5 from 3 votes

Taco potatoes take a fluffy baked russet and stuff it with saucy taco beef and your favorite taco fixings. A fun weeknight twist everyone builds their own way.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 35

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: potatoes

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

Baked Potatoes

6 medium size russet potatoes washed and dried
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt (divided for sprinkling the outside of the potatoes)

Taco Topping

1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ounce packet mild taco seasoning
¾ cup water
¾ cup mild salsa
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
½ cup diced roma tomatoes
½ cup creamy guacamole
⅓ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a pastry brush, or even a paper towel, to coat the potatoes with olive oil.
6 medium size russet potatoes, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle a ½ teaspoon of kosher salt over each potato.
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Bake for about 1 hour until the skin is crispy and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, or are soft when lightly squeezed. Remove from the oven and allow the potatoes to rest for about 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking make the taco topping. In a 4 to 5 quart saucepan over medium high heat, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until the ground beef is no longer pink and cooked through. Drain any excess oil.
1 pound lean ground beef, ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the taco seasoning, water and salsa, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and slightly thickened.
1 ounce packet mild taco seasoning, ¾ cup water, ¾ cup mild salsa
Slice the potatoes lengthwise and gently fluff the inside of each potato before topping.
Top with taco meat, shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, ½ cup diced roma tomatoes, ½ cup creamy guacamole, ⅓ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Notes

Keep the taco beef saucy. If you cook it down until dry, the filling turns crumbly and slides off the potato, so pull it from the heat while it still looks juicy and glossy. Really press the ends of each potato so the center pops wide open and the filling nestles down inside instead of sitting on top. For a crowd, bake the potatoes and make the beef ahead, then set out the toppings and let everyone build their own. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days, keeping the potatoes and beef separate and stuffing them fresh when you reheat.

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