Tacos are a popular Tex-Mex food that have become a staple in many households. Pre-made taco kits provide a convenient way to enjoy tacos at home without much effort. The El Paso taco kit contains the necessary ingredients to make tacos for the whole family. This kit allows you to quickly assemble tacos with ease. But what exactly comes in the El Paso taco kit?
Meat
The main component of the El Paso taco kit is the taco meat. The kit includes 1 pound of pre-cooked and seasoned ground beef. This meat has been pre-flavored with traditional taco seasonings like garlic, onion, cumin, and chili peppers. The meat comes pre-cooked so all you need to do is heat it up in a pan or microwave. This ground beef provides the hearty protein that is essential for tacos. The seasoned meat eliminates the step of having to individually season and cook the beef yourself.
Tortillas
No taco is complete without the quintessential tortilla wrap. The El Paso taco kit contains 12 corn tortillas to assemble your tacos. Corn tortillas have a delicious corn flavor and give tacos an authentic Mexican flare. The kit provides enough tortillas so each family member can make 2-3 tacos. The tortillas just need to be warmed up before serving. You can quickly heat them in the microwave or place them directly on a hot pan.
Toppings
What sets tacos apart are all the tasty toppings. The El Paso taco kit comes with a variety of toppings to add crunch, creaminess, and flavor contrast to your tacos. The kit includes:
- Shredded lettuce – 2 cups
- Diced tomatoes – 2 cups
- Shredded cheddar cheese – 1 cup
- Sour cream – 8 oz container
- Salsa – 16 oz jar
These fresh toppings add color, texture, and flavor to tacos. The shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes give tacos a delicious crunch. The shredded cheddar cheese adds a creamy, melted element when warmed in the taco. Cool and creamy sour cream helps balance out the spices. And the salsa ties everything together for a fresh, southwestern flavor.
Taco Seasoning
To give the ground beef its quintessential taco taste, the El Paso kit includes a 1 oz packet of taco seasoning. The proprietary blend contains spices like garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Add this packet to the beef to infuse it with the robust seasoning that is essential for tacos. This special spice blend eliminates the need to individually measure out all these spices in your own taco seasoning.
Tortilla Chips
What’s a taco night without some tortilla chips to scoop up any toppings that may fall out of the tacos? The El Paso kit includes a 7 oz bag of crunchy tortilla chips to complement your tacos. These chips provide a savory, crispy vessel for the taco toppings. Dip the tortilla chips in salsa and sour cream for a perfect pairing.
Recipe Ideas
With all these components, you can whip up quick and easy tacos in minutes. Here are some taco recipe ideas using the ingredients in the El Paso taco kit:
Classic Tacos
For a classic taco, simply heat up the seasoned ground beef and warm the tortillas. Fill the tortillas with the beef, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa.
Supreme Tacos
For a loaded taco, include all the toppings – lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. The cool and creamy elements offset the hot beef for a contrasting taste.
Breakfast Tacos
Make breakfast tacos by scrambling eggs with the taco meat and topping with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
Nutrition
The El Paso taco kit allows you to make relatively nutritious tacos at home. Here is the nutrition breakdown for 2 classic tacos using the kit components:
| Ingredient | Amount | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | 2 oz | 124 | 7 | 0 | 12 |
| Tortilla | 2 tortillas | 112 | 2 | 20 | 4 |
| Lettuce | 1/4 cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tomatoes | 2 Tbsp | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cheese | 2 Tbsp | 60 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Salsa | 2 Tbsp | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 314 | 14 | 24 | 20 |
As you can see, two tacos made with the kit provide 314 calories with 14g of fat, 24g of carbs, and 20g of protein. The tacos offer a balanced nutritional profile with lean protein from the beef, fiber from the corn tortillas and veggies, and calcium from the cheese. This makes it a satisfying mini meal.
Benefits
There are many benefits to using the El Paso taco kit for taco night:
- Saves time – No need to season meat or gather ingredients
- Easy assembly – Just heat, assemble, and enjoy
- Flavorful – Pre-seasoned meat and included salsa add taco taste
- Customizable – Add any extra toppings you desire
- No waste – Kit contains just enough for family taco dinner
- Portion controlled – Each kit makes 12 tacos
- Nutritious – Provides protein, veggies, fiber
- Convenient – Easy weekly family dinner option
- Fun mealtime – Kids enjoy assembling their own tacos
Price
The El Paso taco kit costs around $9.99 at many major grocery stores. Considering it contains 1 pound of meat and all the taco accompaniments to make a family dinner, this offers good value. Purchasing all these ingredients separately could cost double this price. Many stores run promotions to get the kit for just $6.99 or put it on sale for $7.99 regularly. At under $10 for a family dinner, it provides a budget-friendly mealtime option.
Where to Buy
The El Paso taco kit can be found in the Mexican food aisle at the following major grocery chains nationwide:
- Walmart
- Kroger
- Safeway
- Albertsons
- Publix
- HEB
- Meijer
- Food Lion
- Harris Teeter
- Fred Meyer
Check the Mexican or Tex-Mex food sections at your local grocery store to find the signature yellow El Paso taco kit packaging. Many stores place these kits in an easy to access location as they are a popular weekly dinner item for families.
Alternatives
If you can’t find the El Paso taco kit, there are some comparable alternatives at the grocery store:
- Old El Paso Taco Kit – Similar size and components
- Ortega Taco Kit – Comes with 8 soft taco shells instead of corn tortillas
- Taco Bell Taco Kit – Contains Taco Bell tortillas and seasoning
- Rosarita Taco Kit – Includes Rosarita brand refried beans
While the brands may differ, the main ingredients are quite similar. Look for a kit that contains taco seasoning, meat, tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and salsa. The key is finding one with all the taco essentials so you can quickly whip up tacos at home.
Storage
To get the longest shelf life out of the El Paso taco kit ingredients once opened, make sure to store them properly:
- Meat – Seal tightly and refrigerate. Use within 2 days.
- Tortillas – Seal bag and store at room temperature. Use within 5 days.
- Lettuce – Wrap in damp paper towel in produce drawer. Use within 3 days.
- Tomatoes – Store in produce drawer in fridge. Use within 4 days.
- Cheese – Seal tightly in original bag and refrigerate. Use within 1 week.
- Sour Cream – Transfer to sealed container and refrigerate. Use within 1 week.
- Salsa – Transfer to sealed container and refrigerate. Use within 1 week.
- Chips – Seal original bag and store at room temperature. Use within 2 weeks.
Be sure to check expiration dates and throw away any ingredients that have gone bad. Proper storage will maintain freshness and prevent the ingredients from spoiling before you can make your tacos.
Conclusion
The El Paso taco kit takes the work out of taco night by providing you with all the tasty components in one convenient package. Inside the kit, you’ll find pre-seasoned taco meat, corn tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning, and tortilla chips. These ingredients allow you to quickly assemble delicious tacos the whole family will love. Given the time-savings, ease of assembly, and nutrition the kit provides, it’s no wonder the El Paso taco kit is a staple for taco night in many households.
