Fiery Beef Tacos with Mango Salsa
These tacos are sure to light a fire in your mouth!
Fiery Beef Tacos with Mango Salsa
Happy Friday, Friends! Today I’m introducing these little fiery beef tacos with mango salsa that seem to have it all – juicy beef, plenty of spices for an Indian flare, plus coconut and mango salsa to balance the spice. My husband and I have been enjoying these little guys for a quick but flavor-packed weeknight dinner – and they are delivering.
As the name implies, these tacos pack some heat to them. I happen to love a good kick (see: the lady who likes a few drops of ghost pepper sauce in her chicken noodle soup) but…I can understand how those *ahem* lifestyle choices aren’t for everyone. Not to worry, not to worry! These tacos are very adjustable – all that really needs to be done is a chili powder reduction to keep all the flavor with less heat.
The perfect, spicy-sweet combination.
Inspiration
These tacos take a pretty generous riff from the delightful recipes that my sister-in-law has made for me. When I visit her and my brother, a lot of time is spent asking what recipes she enjoys making that are different from the usual South Indian fare we have. Of course, I couldn’t get enough. My sister-in-law is also from south India but hails from the state of Kerala – a lush, green, tropical-feeling state. Kerala favors seafood, mango, and coconut due to the abundance of those foods in the area. Think mango curries with naan, lush shrimp with rice, riverboats, palm trees, and beautiful beaches – it’s a great time, obviously.
Prepping the Fiery Beef Tacos
These fiery beef tacos come together in a quick snap – if you follow a few simple guidelines. I start with the beef marinade process. This can ensure the flavor really gets into the meat and sticks nice and close. Friends, BE SURE to add a good amount of melted coconut oil directly to the beef during the marinade process. Seeing dry spices on your beef can cause it to kick up into the air when cooking. This will lead to lots of coughing, sniffles, and rushing to open windows even though it’s 32 degrees F out…which may have happened to me once or twice. Adding oil to the seasoning and turning it into a paste keeps the spice on the beef and away from your nose!
Click Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana if you’re looking for a less spicy recipe.
Make sure to season the beef before you start cooking it.
The Mango Salsa
As the beef is marinating, I like to spend the next 15 minutes dicing up the ingredients for the mango salsa. A rough chop is great and efficient here, plus it gives the salsa a nice texture. Mix everything together and let it sit (allowing the flavors to bind further) while returning your attention to the beef.
Mango Salsa is a fantastic topping for my Fiery Beef Tacos.
The beef can really be cooked to your liking – my preference is 3 minutes per side on a HOT HOT frying pan with coconut oil. Be sure to keep the lid on during the cooking process to further prevent the marinade from kicking up into the air. Once the beef is cooked, all that’s left is assembly! I’ve enjoyed both corn and flour tortillas. Great additional toppings can include – cilantro, pickled onions (which I make homemade), sour cream, and/or some extra lime juice.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok! Hashtag them #thehappyhaandi. And tag me @thehappyhaandi.
Fiery Beef Tacos with Mango Salsa
Equipment
- 1 Skillet (cast iron, nonstick, or stainless steel)
Ingredients
For the Beef Tacos:
- 1 lbs beef (cubed)
- 3-4 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp cumin
- Pinch cloves (just a dash, less than 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp chili powder/cayenne powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 4 Corn or Flour Tortillas
For the Mango Salsa:
- 1 mango, medium (diced)
- 1 plum tomato (diced)
- 1 jalapeno (diced)
- 1 cup onion (diced)
- Juice of 1 lime (to taste)
Optional Garnishes:
- Pickled onions
- Sour cream or yogurt
- Lime
- Cilantro
Instructions
For the Beef Tacos:
- Start by placing your cubed beef into a bowl and begin mixing in the cumin, cloves, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. *Be sure to add 2-3 tbsp of melted coconut oil into the mixture so the seasoning becomes a paste that sticks to the beef.*
- Let the beef marinate for about 15-20 minutes.
- While the beef is marinating, assemble the mango salsa - dice the onion, mango, jalapeno, and tomato. *Add a squeeze of lime and salt to taste and set aside.
- Returning your attention to the beef. Now heat a skillet (one with a lid) and melt 1 tbsp of coconut oil in the pan.
- Once the pan is VERY hot, add the beef. Sear the beef chunks - 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through the middle. *Be sure to keep the lid on throughout the cooking process. I like to put the beef down, close the pan, open it, flip the beef, and close it again until done.*
- Assembly! Add the beef chunks into tortillas and top with mango salsa and any additional garnishes (including margaritas....It's just a suggestion!).
Notes
- If you'd like some heat but not too much I would recommend cutting the chili powder in half. You are also welcome to add even less or none at all! All the flavor is in the other seasoning involved.
- Totally optional but I've taken to cutting the beef chunks into smaller pieces after the cooking process. It gives me a chance to check if the beef is done and helps the tacos be a little easier to chomp into.
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