Ultimate IP Taco Guide
IP can stand for a lot of things: Intellectual Property, Internet Protocol, and something rather colorful according to Urban Dictionary — but in this case, we’re talking about the one and only Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Tacos are an absolute STAPLE in my meal prep rotation. They are easy, versatile, and impossible to mess up. This is not so much a recipe, but more of a guide to walk you through how to make your very own perfect taco meat. Because your tastes and preferences could be different than mine! That’s why there’s so much room to customize.
This guide is for everyone who loves tacos (which is everyone). Let’s get started!
The perfect IP taco meat consists of four main elements: Protein, Veggies, Seasoning, and Salsa. Let’s break down each one:
Protein
Ground meat is your best bet here. You can use ground beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bison, or a combination. My current favorite is a combo of beef and pork. Pick whatever you’d like! You’ll need around 2 lbs.
Veggies
You can go as small or as big as you want here! The possibilities are endless. Some of my tried and true favorites are: onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, butternut squash, mushroom, and sweet potato. And if you’re dying to throw some other veggies in there, give it a try! You do you. Overall you’ll need anywhere between 3-6 cups of veg.
My trick here is to cut the veggies up into small pieces. The smaller they are, the more they sort of “melt” into the meat and disappear. Picky eaters won’t be the wiser 😉. You can also keep the veggie pieces larger to give the tacos a more colorful feel (and to make chopping go by a little quicker) if you prefer.
To save time on chopping, look for precut veggies at the grocery store! Trader Joe’s has precut onion, mirepoix (mix of onion, carrot, and celery) and butternut squash (which I then cut up a little more, but it’s a good start). Or you may find that chopping veggies can be very therapeutic 😊.
Seasoning
Do yourself a favor and get a pre-made taco seasoning! Trader Joe’s has a good organic and sugar-free one called Chili Seasoning Blend. Thrive Market has a taco seasoning, and just about every spice company will have their own blend. You’re looking for chili, cumin, and garlic flavors.
I don’t really measure when I’m pouring the seasoning in.. but I would say it’s about a few Tablespoons!
Salsa
LITERALLY (say that in a Chris Traeger voice) any jar of salsa will do! Mild, medium, hot, chipotle, garlic, tomatillo, hatch chile, chunky, peach-pineapple, or whatever you have on hand. Whichever sounds best is the one you want to use. A can of fire roasted tomatoes would also work just fine.
Toppings & Tortillas
Now it’s time for the fun part!
By now it should come as no surprise that this guide encourages you to top your tacos with anything you fancy! My favorites are:
- Shredded goat cheddar
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Cashew queso
- Anything but cilantro 😂
Pro-Tip: Put a little of the good stuff (for me it’s the cheddar and avo!) both in the bottom AND on top of your taco! That way you get some in every bite 😉
When it comes to tortillas, get the Siete taco shells. They are so good, I swear! Amazing flavor, better than the traditional corn taco shells if you ask me. I’ve tried the Thrive Market brand taco shells and even though I ABSOLUTELY ADORE shopping there, they weren’t nearly as good as the Siete ones.
A really low-carb option would be the new jicama wraps from TJ’s. I tried them, and let’s just say I didn’t finish them all. They weren’t bad by any means, but just not as fun. And they also went bad a couple days after opening, so be careful of that. But I think I’ll try buying them again to layer it inside the Siete taco shell.. like a double tortilla!
Another serving suggestion: Turn it into a taco salad. This is great for when you run out of taco shells (because the Siete ones are just so damn good!), or just when you feel like eating with a fork. My favorite lettuce base is cabbage. It’s just got a nice satisfying crunch to it, you know? I will also crumble tortilla chips (current fave is The Real Coconut) over the top and I might even drizzle some Primal Kitchen BBQ Ranch over the top if I’m feeling extra!
Are you ready to make tacos now?? 🌮🌮🌮
Ultimate IP Taco Meat
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground meat (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, bison, or a combination)
- 3-5 cups chopped veggies (any combination of onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, butternut squash, mushroom)
- 3 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 jar salsa (or can of fire roasted tomatoes)
Instructions
- Plug in your Instant Pot and hit the Saute button.
- Add your meat with a little oil and begin to brown.
- Add your veggies as you chop them, stirring to combine.
- Add your seasoning spices and jar of salsa. Stir again to combine.
- Close the lid and set to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
- I personally let the IP depressurize on its own, but if you're in a hurry you can manually release the pressure once the cooking cycle finishes.
- Assemble with fixins and enjoy!!
Hope you love this simple and versatile recipe as much as I do!
💚Katy