Simple ground elk tacos are a staple at our house. My kids love tacos any day of the week, and I love the simplicity! The only thing that can be time-consuming, is making homemade tortillas. But you can certainly use pre-made tortillas, if you want to. (my family is spoiled, haha!)
Elk tacos with Cotija cheese.
This recipe is so simple that it barely needs a recipe card, but I know many of you want measurements and such. Personally, I am such a “fly by the seat of my pants” type person, that I prefer dumping and tasting. I guess that is called type B? I don’t know… I just know I am not type A. Anyways, on to the recipe.
How to make Ground Elk Tacos
First, fry the ground elk meat in a pan, till completely browned. Next, add seasonings, water, and garlic. Mix and stir for 1-2 minutes.
While the meat is frying, warm your tortillas on a dry, med-hot skillet, keeping them warm in a towel. Spoon the meat mixture into the tortillas, add a sprinkle of Cotija cheese and some onion. Squeeze some lime over it and you have yourself a ground elk taco worth eating!
We often just use whatever cheese we have on hand, like cheddar or pepper jack. Of course, I love cilantro and always add a generous amount of that herb to my elk tacos!
You can kick up the spice with some jalapeños, or cheat and use taco seasoning for the meat. Hey, I am not judging!! Any homemade food is better than store-bought, and cheaper, too.
Ground Elk Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 TBL olive oil
- 1 lb ground elk meat
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 TBL chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 8 corn tortillas
- Cotija cheese crumbled
- cilantro
- onion diced
- limes quartered
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium high heat, add oil, then add ground elk meat and fry till brown.
- Add diced garlic, water, and all spices and seasonings. Stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Warm tortillas in an ungreased frying pan, or wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave. Divide the meat between 8 tortillas. Add onions, cilantro and cheese as desired. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the tacos and enjoy!
Delicious and fast! Perfect for a midweek meal. We loved it! And will make it again.