Add This Baking Ingredient To Ground Beef For Richer, Beefier Tacos

Making a batch of ground beef tacos can be as easy as sauteing meat and heating up tortillas. Yet the magic of the dish really rests in the spices; you want bold flavors that effectively seep into the meat. Traditionally, taco seasoning is made of chili peppers, cumin, and, oftentimes, garlic powder. Want to make the seasoning a touch richer and beefier? Throw some cocoa powder into the mix.

Such an addition may seem surprising, but it can effectively elevate the dish. After all, a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder contains earthy, lightly tangy, and rich flavors, including notes of dried fruit and pleasant bitterness. It's a bold flavor that pairs well with beef's savory notes and goes delectably with the spice mix.

Integrating cocoa powder into your ground beef taco recipe requires no additional steps. Simply stir the powder into your seasoning blend, then add the mix to the beef while it's searing. Some time in the pan will further develop the cocoa's flavors, while the meat's released fat will absorb the seasoning. Once topped with salsa and cheese, the beef taco will still boast a classic appeal, only with an extra-flavorful touch.

Wondering how to round out your new and improved taco? The options are plentiful. Whether as a key flavor in mole recipes or the secret ingredient in a bowl of chili, cocoa-based products appear widely in both Mexican and Mexican-American cuisines. As a result, many flavors that go with beef tacos will pair with cocoa powder, too.

Chile peppers and cocoa especially go hand-in-hand; both ingredients offer notes of complex fruit. So, in addition to the powdered chiles in the taco seasoning, work bolder pepper flavors into the mix. Fresh or canned green chiles will lend a fresher, tangy-vegetal note. Alternatively, dried guajillos and chipotles create a beef taco with a smokier edge.

And to really make a ground beef mix that stands out, integrate a dose of umami — cocoa powder welcomes savory seasoning. You can add a small amount of grated beef bouillon cube, a few spoonfuls of tomato paste, or even just a touch of MSG. Don't forget ground cumin for an earthy note that'll tie everything together. Make a batch, and you'll see how beef tacos are one of the best ways to use cocoa powder besides brownies.