2-3clovesgarlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1can(6-ounces) tomato paste
1can(15-ounces) tomato sauce
3cupschicken broth, I use low-sodium
½cuplong grain, basmati, or jasmine white or brown rice
1can(15-ounces) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1tablespoonchili powder (see note)
2teaspoonground cumin
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpaprika, smoked or sweet
½teaspoondried oregano
¼teaspoonblack pepper
Creamy Lime Dressing:
1cupbuttermilk
½cupmayonnaise
4ouncescream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
¼cupfresh cilantro, more or less to taste
2tablespoonsfresh lime juice
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoononion powder
½teaspoongarlic powder
Pinchof black pepper
Toppings:
Corn chips, lightly crushed
Shredded cheese
Chopped lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced olives
Sliced or chopped avocados
Instructions
Stovetop Directions: In a deep 12-inch skillet, electric skillet, or saucepan set over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey, onion, and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks; continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease and return to the heat.
Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender. Stir often and moderate heat to prevent sticking.
Slow Cooker Directions: brown the ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic the same as in step #1 above. Transfer the mixture to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
For the dressing: combine all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.
Serve the taco meat over crushed corn chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, dressing, and any additional toppings your heart desires (like, tomatoes, olives, avocados, etc).
Notes
Rice: if using brown rice, I'd suggest increasing the broth by 1 additional cup.Chili Powder: because chili powder is a blend of spices, different brands have varying degrees of heat. Moderate as needed in the recipe if you want to lessen or increase the heat.Dressing: the dressing can be made several days in advance - the flavors get better if made a day ahead of time, but it's delicious whipped up the night of, too.Instant Pot: I have not tried this in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker yet.