Taco Baked Potatoes Recipe – An Easy & Delicious Meal

I love to make dinner recipes are simple, delicious and a complete meal in itself, like this Taco Baked Potatoes recipe. Mashed baked potato filling is mixed with a mixture of taco seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese.

Then it is placed back in the shell of the baked potato and topped with more taco meat and shredded cheese. A few minutes under the broiler, the cheese will melt and dinner is ready!

However, don’t forget to add your favorite taco toppings to the potato to make it even more delicious! With just one bite you will know that you this recipe is one that will be made over and over again.

I am always trying to find ways to make Taco Tuesday a little more interesting. Of course, standard hard shell or soft shell tacos are a favorite in my house.

However, there are times when I want to add a little more flavor or a different texture to a dish but still maintain the taco theme.

Taco Tuesday Alternatives

For instance, I will make this Easy Taco Casserole recipe so I don’t have to worry about picking up a filled taco shell and everything falling out the back side when I go to take a bite.

And when I have a bag of tater tots in house I will make Mexican Tater Tot Casserole. This is a dish with taco seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese mixed together and poured in the bottom of a casserole dish and then topped with tater tots.

It is a great way to get a taco inspired dinner on the table and never get bored with the same thing over and over again. However, my favorite taco night recipe came out of the need to use leftovers.

The Best Leftover Taco Night Recipe

When I first started cooking for two, I found our refrigerator full of leftovers that needed to be repurposed before they went bad. Since then I have gotten really creative in my use of these leftovers in an effort to not let things go to waste.

And that is how this recipe came to be. I had leftover taco meat and a half of a large baked potato that I took home from a steak house dinner.

That may not seem like much, but I was able to turn it into a delicious Taco Baked Potato recipe. However, it wasn’t like the recipe described below.

Instead, I simply heated the taco meat and the potato in the microwave. Then I piled the meat on top of the warm potato and added shredded cheese and salsa on top.

It was a simple, yet delicious way to combine the two leftovers into a complete meal. Although since that time, I have expanded that basic recipe into something even more delicious!

But instead of using leftovers, this time I make the meal from start to finish. And it all begins with making two baked potatoes.

Baked Potato Cooking Instructions

Although you may prefer to make ‘baked potatoes’ in the microwave or make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes when serving them as a side dish for dinner, for this recipe it is best to bake the potato in an oven or air fryer. These two cooking methods allow the shell of the potato to remain crisp and firm which is an important factor in this Taco Baked Potatoes recipe.

How To Make Baked Potatoes In The Oven:

Start by scrubbing the potatoes clean and remove any eyes that are on the surface. Then rub olive oil over the entire skin of the potato.

Next sprinkle salt all over the potatoes, patting the salt lightly to adhere to the surface. Then use a sharp paring knife to pierce the skin in 7-10 places.

Place the potatoes directly on the oven grates or on a wire cooking rack placed inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven set at 425°F (220°C) until baked through, approximately 45-60 minutes.

How to Cook Baked Potatoes In An Air Fryer:

Prepare the potatoes as instructed above for cooking them in the oven. Then place the potatoes in a preheated air fryer set at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 40 to 50 minutes, flipping half-way through. 

For step by step, complete instructions and helpful tips be sure to check out the entire recipe here: Air Fryer Baked Potatoes.

Now that your potatoes are ready, it is time to make this delicious meal for two!

Taco Baked Potatoes Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 package Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1/4 cup diced Onion
• 1 TBSP diced Green Chiles
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 cup Beef Stock
• 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese or Mexican Blend Cheese
• 2 Baked Potatoes, cooked in oven or air fryer

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook two Russet potatoes in the oven or air fryer until a fork can easily pierce through the skin and flesh. Set aside.

Once the potatoes come out of the oven or air fryer, begin to make the taco meat mixture. Place a skillet over medium high heat and add the ground beef.

Brown the meat, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain and return the meat to the pan.

Add the taco seasoning, diced onion, diced green chiles, garlic, and smoked paprika to the meat and stir. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the beef stock and stir. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, stirring frequently.

Once the meat mixture is thickened, remove the skillet from the heat source and stir in half of the shredded cheese. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut off the top third of each baked potato. Scoop out the flesh of both sides and place it in a medium size mixing bowl.

Place the two larger hollowed out shells on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Add half the beef mixture to the potatoes in the bowl and mash until well combined. You can use a fork to mash or mix it with a spoon until evenly incorporated.

Divide the mixture and place it into the shells of the potatoes, mounding them slightly. Top the potatoes with the remaining beef mixture and shredded cheese, pressing down lightly so that it sticks to the top of the potato filling.

Broil To Melt The Cheese

Place the baking sheet under an oven broiler with a rack set in the middle position of the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts. *Be sure to watch carefully to prevent the cheese from burning.

Remove the taco baked potatoes from the oven and top with your choice of taco toppings.

Suggested toppings: shredded cheese, diced onions, diced jalapeños, salsa, avocado slices and cilantro.

Enjoy! Mary

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