Cheesy Beef Pockets
Make Cheesy Beef Pockets with seasoned ground beef wrapped in tortillas, topped with cheese and baked until golden brown in about 40 minutes!
An Easy Family Dinner Recipe
I wasn’t really sure what to call these (if you have a better idea, please let me know!) It is basically taco beef wrapped in tortillas and topped with garlic butter and melted cheese, then baked until it gets a little crispy around the edges. It turned out so good and everyone really enjoyed this little twist to regular tacos!
Frequently Asked Questions:
We like serving these with a Caesar salad or a fresh garden salad. I also like to pop a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave for an easy side of veggies.
Yes, you can use ground chicken, ground turkey, or even Italian sausage.
Absolutely! I think a layer of refried beans or even just some drained and rinsed pinto beans or black beans would be delicious (and a great way to add some fiber!)
Corn tortillas are pretty small. I suppose you could but it won’t come out looking like this. You also have to heat corn tortillas before wrapping them so they don’t tear. I haven’t personally tried this with corn so I cannot tell you at all how it would turn out. If you decide to experiment, please let me know how it went for you!
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- ground beef – I used lean ground beef for this recipe. If you use higher-fat ground beef, just be sure to drain the excess grease thoroughly.
- red bell pepper – don’t like bell pepper? Just leave it out or use another color you prefer
- yellow onion – a sweet yellow onion would also work.
- tomato paste – adds rich flavor and helps thicken the beef mixture. This is one of the ingredients that you can leave out if you don’t have it on hand.
- taco seasoning– you can use your favorite seasoning packet or make Homemade Taco Seasoning (where you control the ingredients).
- garlic – If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use jarred garlic instead. You’ll also need garlic powder.
- water – helps create the sauce and blend the seasonings together.
- flour tortillas – See the frequently asked questions above concerning corn tortillas.
- butter – it’s best to use real butter here if possible, not margarine. You can use salted or unsalted.
- mozzarella cheese + cheddar cheese – You can use any cheese you like. A Mexican cheese blend works great too.
How To Make Cheesy Beef Pockets
To a large skillet, add the ground beef, bell pepper, and onion. Brown and crumble the ground beef. Cook until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease. To the skillet, add the water, tomato paste, taco seasoning, and minced garlic. Stir for 3–4 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, add the melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Grease the bottom of the 9-inch round baking dish with some of the garlic butter and set the remaining garlic butter aside.
Cut each tortilla in half. Divide the meat mixture in your pan into 6 sections. Fill each shell with ⅙ of the meat mixture and ⅛ cup of the provolone and mozzarella cheese.
Fold into triangles and place into the greased baking dish, seam side down. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the tortillas with the remaining garlic butter. Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 15–20 minutes. Sprinkle dried parsley on top.
Craving More Recipes?
Cheesy Beef Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (I used lean ground beef)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (optional, can use other colors)
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted (can use salted or unsalted)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 3 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded provolone and mozzarella cheese blend
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the 1 pound ground beef, 1 red bell pepper, diced, and ½ cup diced yellow onion. Brown and crumble the ground beef. Cook until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease.
- To the skillet, add the ½ cup water, 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 ounce packet taco seasoning, and minced 2 garlic cloves, minced. Stir for 3–4 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- In a small bowl, add the melted 3 Tablespoons butter, melted, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon dried parsley. Grease the bottom of the 9-inch round baking dish with some of the garlic butter and set the remaining garlic butter aside.
- Cut each of the 3 (8-inch) flour tortillas in half. Divide the meat mixture in your pan into 6 sections. Fill each shell with ⅙ of the meat mixture and ⅛ cup of the provolone and mozzarella cheese.
- Fold into triangles and place into the greased baking dish, seam side down.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the tortillas with the remaining garlic butter. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for about 15–20 minutes.NOTE: Oven times can vary. Please go by doneness, not just by time. Edges should be golden brown (please refer to my pictures to see how it should look.)
- Optional: sprinkle dried parsley on top.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I’m a super taster so I’m wondering about the taco seasoning. Is it just for flavor or is it really spicy? If it’s spicy I can’t have it. This does sound good though!
I guess if you buy a spicy taco seasoning, it will be spicy or make your own and you control what goes in it 🙂
You can get mild taco seasoning, we do not like anything spicy and it tastes mild, nothing hot or spicy.