Beef Tacos

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

Ground beef tacos on corn tortillas with a homemade spice blend that replaces the onion and garlic powder in packet seasoning.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Taco Seasoning (makes about 3 tablespoons)

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (check label for onion/garlic powder; Gourmend and Fody are clean)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of asafoetida (optional, for an onion-like depth; use a gluten-free brand, since many are cut with wheat flour)

Beef and Shells

• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef (85/15)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 small (6-inch) corn tortillas (Mission yellow corn or similar 100% corn tortillas)

To Assemble (amounts listed per serve of 2 tacos)

• 40 g (about 1/3 cup) shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/4 cup (~60 g) lactose-free sour cream or lactose-free Greek yogurt
• 5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper (about 30 g)
• 1/8 avocado (~30 g), diced
• 1 tablespoon scallion greens, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges, for squeezing

Instructions

Make the Seasoning

1. Stir the cumin, both paprikas, coriander, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and asafoetida (if using) together in a small bowl. This makes enough for one pound of beef.

Brown the Beef

1. Heat the garlic-infused oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and no pink remains.
3. Spoon off excess fat if there's more than about a tablespoon.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the seasoning mix and tomato paste, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Pour in the water, scrape the bottom of the pan, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid thickens into a loose glaze. Taste and adjust salt.

Warm the Tortillas

1. Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high. Toast each corn tortilla for about 20 seconds per side, until pliable and lightly charred in spots. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

Assemble

1. Lay out two warm tortillas per serve. Spoon about 1/4 cup of seasoned beef down the center of each.
2. Top with cheddar, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and avocado.
3. Finish with a spoon of lactose-free sour cream, scallion greens, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Tips & Substitutions

• Set up a taco bar for mixed diets. Put the beef, warm tortillas, and all the toppings in separate bowls so everyone builds their own. People not on low-FODMAP can add raw onion, regular sour cream, or flour tortillas on the side without cross-contaminating the low-FODMAP components.
• For a vegetarian swap, use cooked lentils or firm tofu. Black beans and most other canned beans are high-FODMAP at taco-filling quantities. Canned lentils are low-FODMAP at 1/4 cup (46 g) per serve, rinsed well; crumbled firm tofu is low-FODMAP at 170 g per serve. Brown either one in the garlic-infused oil and season with the same spice blend.
• Use diced avocado instead of guacamole. Most guac recipes call for a half or whole avocado per serve, which can tip into high-FODMAP sorbitol. An eighth of an avocado (about 30 g) per serve keeps it low-FODMAP and still adds the creamy bite.
• Double-check your chili powder. Many store brands (McCormick, most supermarket house brands) include onion and garlic powder in the blend. Gourmend, Fody, and pure ground chile (ancho, New Mexico) are reliably clean. If yours has onion/garlic, leave it out and bump the paprika and cumin up by 1/2 teaspoon each.
• Use 100% corn tortillas. Flour tortillas are wheat-based and high-FODMAP at a single-tortilla serve. Check the corn tortilla label for added wheat flour in blended brands; Mission yellow corn and most taqueria-style corn tortillas are pure corn.
• Lactose-free sour cream behaves the same as regular. Green Valley and Lactaid both work. Lactose-free Greek yogurt (Green Valley, Lactaid, or Fage BestSelf) is a leaner swap with the same tang.

Why This Works

Packet seasoning is the main issue. Every commercial taco seasoning packet tested (McCormick, Old El Paso, Ortega, Lawry's) lists onion powder and garlic powder in the first few ingredients. Those are concentrated fructans. Mixing your own takes 30 seconds and removes the only real FODMAP problem in a taco.

Corn, not wheat. Most plain corn tortillas are low-FODMAP at a typical two-tortilla serve. Flour tortillas are wheat, which puts you into fructans at a standard serve. Check the corn tortilla label for added wheat and swap the shell.

Toppings stay inside Monash serves. Cherry tomatoes at 5 small, red bell pepper at about 30 g (well under the 75 g low-FODMAP cap), cheddar at 40 g, and avocado at 1/8 per serve all sit comfortably low. The amounts above are scaled for a two-taco plate.

Garlic-infused oil carries the browning. Fructans aren't oil-soluble, so infused oil gives you the garlic flavor without the FODMAP load. The oregano, cumin, and asafoetida fill in the savory depth that onion and garlic powder usually cover.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover seasoned beef in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen it. The tortillas and fresh toppings don't store well assembled, so keep components separate and build fresh. The dry seasoning mix keeps in a jar at room temperature for about 6 months.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.