How to make an easy skillet taco meal

One might imagine that, with such a common dish that, it would have a clear and concise history. We're talking about tacos, and the previous notion couldn't be further from the truth. Margaret Parker writes that evidence of their existence prior to the Spanish conquest has been found, but there really isn't much of a lead on the origins of this much-loved item. There's really no way of knowing what the first tacos were like, but one thing is certain: the tacos that come out of the recipe below are a quick and easy dinner idea that'll put a smile on everyone's face. 

The ingredients list and steps come from a MyRecipes.com video, which we've included below, but we've also broken it all out into pictures in case you're not looking to watch a video right now. 

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

— 1 pound ground beef
— 1 small onion, chopped
— 1 teaspoon olive oil
— 1 tablespoon chili powder
— 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
— 1 teaspoon salt
— 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
— 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
— 3/4 cup water
— 1/2 cup salsa
— 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
— 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
— Taco shells or flour tortillas, warmed
— Toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream

To start, you're going to want to cook up all of your ground beef. When there's no pink left in sight, drain it with a strainer and set it aside. 

Now we're going to sauté some onions — feel free to use the same skillet for all of this, just make sure to give it a wipe-down after cooking the beef.

When the onions have turned golden brown, add your seasonings: chili powder, cumin, and salt. 

Once all of the seasonings are mixed in, add your tomato sauce, your salsa, 3/4 cup of water, and your beans. The recipe calls for mashing the beans after they're in the pan, "leaving some beans whole."

After you've brought your mix to a boil and cooked it for ten minutes, it's time for finishing touches. To top this dish off, you'll need some cheese and cilantro. Once you've taken the pan off the heat and covered it up, the cheese will melt to the perfect point — that's when it's time to dig in. 

Were you inspired by this recipe? What changes might you make to make it your own? Let us know in the comments, and when you're done, be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook. They might like it even more than you did!