Ground Beef Tacos With Chimichurri Sauce

Mmm… taco night never looked better. Trust me. Once you make this fresh, garlicky chimichurri sauce, it doesn’t matter what  protein you use to fill your tacos. The chimichurri sauce literally goes with anything. Chicken, beef, seafood, vegetables – check, check, check and check. Bring on the chimichurri!

Chimichurri is made with fresh flat leaf parsley, cilantro, garlic, oregano and olive oil. A little bit of vinegar adds some much-needed acidity. I’ve tried plain white vinegar and even rice vinegar, I’ve also heard that red wine vinegar works well. Just use what you have on hand. Nothing too overpowering, because we’ll let the fresh herbs and garlic shine and sing in this sauce.

It is so fresh, so addictive and so good. Slather some on meats and fish before grilling, stir into stir fries or cooked meats right at the end, drizzle or slather generously over sandwiches, wraps and tacos. Or just grab a spoon and keep eating it as you blend it. You know, just to taste and see if the flavors are okay (wink wink!!).

These tacos come together really quick if you have some sort of ground meat on hand. I used ground lean sirloin beef and cooked it down with some onions, garlic, cayenne powder and my favorite spicy barbecue sauce. Adding a touch of barbecue sauce instantly perks up the meat without really having to work so hard. I also stirred in some of the green sauce at the very end.  This is then served with lots of fresh red onions, juicy tomatoes, cilantro and loads of the garlicky chimichurri.

You can make a big batch of the sauce and store it in the refrigerator. It gets better as it sits and can be stretched to be used over a couple of days. Also, feel free to replace the beef in the recipe with ground chicken, turkey, lamb or some grilled shrimp.

GROUND BEEF TACOS {WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE}

You will need: (Makes 8 tacos)

For the chimichurri sauce,

• Fresh flat leaf parsley – 1 cup
• Fresh cilantro – 1/2 cup
• Garlic – 2 large cloves
• Dried oregano – 1/2 tsp
• Ground cumin – 1/2 tsp
• Red chili flakes – 1/4 tsp (or more as per heat desired)
• Vinegar – 1-2 tbsp (white, rice or red wine vinegar)
• Olive oil – 1/4 cup
• Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste

For the tacos,

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
• Garlic – 2 large cloves, finely chopped
• Ground beef – 1 lb
• Cayenne powder – 1/2 tsp
• Good quality spicy barbecue sauce – 2-3 tbsp
• Chimichurri sauce – 1 tbsp
• Salt – as required
• Corn or flour tortillas – 8
• Red onion – 1 small, chopped
• Tomatoes – 2, chopped
• Cilantro leaves – a handful, torn
• Lime – 1, cut into thin wedges

How to:

• Chimichurri Sauce: Blend all the ingredients together till fairly smooth in a blender or food processor. Remove to a clean jar and set aside. This can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Ground Beef Tacos: Heat oil in a large skillet or pan. Add onions and garlic and saute till onions are translucent.
• Add the ground beef and 1/2 tsp salt and brown it on medium high heat, 3-4 minutes.
• Add cayenne powder and barbecue sauce and stir into the meat. Cook till well combined and no longer runny.
• Stir in the chimichurri sauce and saute for another minute. The meat should be a dark brown and there shouldn’t be any liquid by now. Remove to a bowl and serve with the tortillas.
• To assemble a taco, lightly toast the tortillas in a hot skillet. Add a few tablespoons of the ground meat mixture, some red onions, tomatoes and cilantro in a tortilla. Drizzle the chimichurri sauce all over it. Fold and serve with more sauce on the side.

Notes:

• The barbecue flavored meat and chimichurri sauce go really well together. You may want to use a BBQ sauce that has a little kick to it and is not too sweet.
• All these tacos need are the cooked meat, chimichurri sauce and the fresh pico. If kids find this combo too overpowering, you may serve with some shredded cheese or sour cream as well.

These tacos are so amazing, you really must try them! Once you try the chimichurri, it’ll quickly become your go-to sauce for meats and tacos.

So, tell me, have you tried chimichurri sauce? What is your favorite taco filling? Come up with any new combinations lately? Do share.

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I am sharing this over at Angie’s amazing blog link party at The Novice Gardener and Saucy Saturdays.