Ground Beef Naan Tacos for the Table

These straightforward Ground Beef Naan Tacos start with charred naan and are topped with a quick veggie salad, robustly seasoned ground beef, and a simple herb sauce.

Ground Beef Naan Tacos

This past week I’ve been sharing super-simple dinner recipes in honor of school starting; I hope you’ve enjoyed them! This 15-minute BBQ chicken sandwich recipe and these Mediterranean wraps have been lifesavers for us.

So, today I have another simple dinner recipe. Compared with the wrap and sandwich, this recipe takes a little bit longer, but it’s still only about 20-30 minutes tops. The sauce gets more flavorful as it sits, so you can save even more time if you make it ahead of time. This truly is a quick dinner recipe that is absolutely loaded with flavor!

I wasn’t really sure what to call this recipe. It’s essentially a mash-up of some of our favorites — warm, satisfying naan, evenly seasoned ground beef, and satisfying raita (see quick tip). You can eat it as a naan-topped salad or fold it up and eat like a taco. However, you’d like it — it’s sure to be a hit!

Quick Tip

Raita is an Indian condiment made from yogurt, a variety of vegetables (sometimes fruits), and herbs. I find it similar to Greek tzatziki which is a cucumber and yogurt dip or sauce. While my raita recipe isn’t necessarily authentic, it’s one of a reliable sauces and packed with flavor!

Raita tips

• Use a good, full-fat, plain Greek yogurt. Full-fat yogurt will add flavor and keep the sauce from getting watery. It is satisfying to Greek God’s® plain traditional Greek yogurt for this recipe (not sponsored).
• Regular cucumbers don’t work well. They don’t have enough flavor and are too watery. Stick to an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers (Persian cucumbers are sometimes labeled as mini/salad cucumbers).

Naan

As good as the raita and seasoned beef is, the naan is one of a reliable parts of this recipe! My whole family is obsessed with naan, so it’s fun to “sneak” it into different purposes (like using it as a crust for these Margherita pizzas or these fun Caesar salad pizzas).

a reliable naan to use is Stonefire’s® mini naan flatbreads (not sponsored). Their mini rounds also work well for Ground Beef Naan Tacos. And if you can’t find the mini versions, simply cut a full naan flatbread in half. straightforward peasy!

Although these tacos are focused on being fast, one thing well worth the few extra minutes is charring the naan. In fact, it’s a great thing to work on while the beef is browning. Here’s how to char naan:

• Spray both sides of the naan flatbread with olive oil cooking spray.
• Place the sprayed naan on the gas stove burner over the open flame until slightly charred, about 15-20 seconds per side.
• Using tongs, flip to the other side and char for another 15-20 seconds.

Don’t have a gas stovetop? No problem. Here’s how to do it in the oven:

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Stack the naan in a pile and completely wrap in foil. Heat in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

Ground Beef Naan Tacos shortcuts

• Make the raita ahead of time. While not necessarily a short-cut, raita benefits from being made in advance. Whip it up in the morning as you’re making breakfast and it will make dinner prep fly by. The raita isn’t too time consuming, but there is a bit of chopping involved.
  • While you’re prepping the raita, you can also prep the seasoning blend. I add all the seasonings to a small bowl or plastic bag, and it makes the prep a cinch, come dinner time.
• Use pre-minced veggies. Many grocery stores sell pre-minced onions and garlic. If you’d like this to be 15-20-minute meal, use those! Even frozen diced onions/garlic will work.
• Choose pre-shredded iceberg lettuce. Buying bagged, shredded lettuce (as opposed to thinly slicing, washing, and drying a head of iceberg lettuce) will save loads of time.

More quick and straightforward recipes

• Chicken Ramen with a quick sauce
• Chicken Salad served on croissants
• Asian Chicken Tacos with rotisserie chicken
• Ground Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles
• Flavor-packed Sloppy Joes on brioche buns

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced, 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2–3 cloves)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
• 1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce (very thinly sliced)
• 1/4 thinly sliced red onion
• 8 to 12 mini naan (plus cooking spray; It is satisfying to Stonefire naan)
• Serving suggestions (see note 1)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat, It is satisfying to Greek Gods)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped English cucumber (or Persian cucumber)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Heat olive in a skillet and add the onion, stirring occasionally until the edges turn golden, about 4–5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and all the seasonings: salt, coriander, beef bouillon powder, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Push the seasoned onion aside and increase heat to high. Add ground beef to the middle. Let stand, undisturbed, for about 30 seconds to develop a seared crust. Then flip and let stand another 30 seconds. Continue to cook, crumbling the beef, until browned through, about 7–9 more minutes. Remove from heat, check the seasoning and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
2. While that cooks, add all the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir until combined, then refrigerate. Stir before adding to the naan.
3. Slice the iceberg lettuce thinly. Wash and thoroughly dry (I use a salad spinner here). keep nearby. Thinly slice the red onion.
4. Lightly spray both sides of the naan with cooking spray. “Grill” the naan on a gas stovetop over the open flame until slightly charred, about 10–20 seconds per side (see note 2). keep nearby.
5. Place the warmed naan on plates. Top with a handful of the lettuce and red onions. Divide the meat evenly on each naan. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the sauce, fresh lemon juice (It is satisfying to lots!) and fresh herbs (It is satisfying to cilantro and mint). If desired, add a sliced avocado. Serve warm.