These tasty elk tacos come together in 20 minutes, making them a perfect weeknight dinner! They’re AIP, Paleo, Top 8 & Whole30.
Tacos are a staple in my household. When I first started the AIP diet I was at a bit of a loss since nightshades are eliminated and such an integral part of this classic Mexican dish! Not only did I need to replace classic tomatoes and peppers in salsa, I also needed to substitute out popular spices like chili powder, cayenne and cumin. Alas, I figured it out. By creatively spicing the meat, using alternative veggies for the salsa, lettuce as the shells and topping with my delicious Nightshade-Free Taco Sauce (outlined below), these AIP tacos have become a new favorite.
Ingredients
Elk Meat
- 1 lb elk meat (or meat of choice)
- Dried oregano
- Dried parsley
- Dried basil
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Olive oil (for cooking)
Salsa
- Jicama
- Radish
- Spring onion
- Cilantro
- 1 juicy lime
- Salt
Nightshade-Free Sauce
- 1 large ripe avocado (~½ cup)
- Water
- Olive oil
- 1 juicy lime
- Salt
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
Taco Shells
- 1 head of lettuce (Butter, Romaine, Iceberg, etc)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves.
- Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine meat with seasonings in a medium-sized bowl. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan on medium-high heat. Add elk and cook for ~5 minutes, gradually breaking apart meat while stirring. Once finished cooking through (no longer pink) cut the heat.
- While elk meat cooks, combine all the salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add meat & salsa to the lettuce leaves, then drizzle with the desired amount of sauce on top.
Hint: Chop the salsa veggies into small, bite-sized pieces. Make the salsa and sauce 1-2 hours ahead of time to marinate in the fridge for even more flavor.
Substitutions
Don’t have access to elk meat? Try one of these ground meats instead:
- Beef
- Bison
Storage
If leftovers exist, store the sauce in a food container with a tight lid. Mix the avocado pit into the sauce to keep it fresh longer.
Recipe
Elk Tacos
Ingredients
Elk Meat
- 1 lb ground elk
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon olive oil (for cooking)
Salsa
- 1 cup jicama
- 1 cup radish
- ¼ cup spring onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Nightshade-Free Taco Sauce
- 1 large avocado
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Taco Shells
- 1 head of lettuce (Butter, Romaine, Iceberg)
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves.
- Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine meat with seasonings in a medium-sized bowl. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan on medium-high heat. Add elk and cook for ~5 minutes, gradually breaking apart meat while stirring. Once finished cooking through (no longer pink) cut heat.
- While elk meat cooks, combine all the salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add meat & salsa to the lettuce leaves, then drizzle with the desired amount of sauce on top.
Notes
- If leftovers exist, store the sauce in a food container with a tight lid. Mix the avocado pit into the sauce to keep it fresh longer.
- Sub whatever meat is preferred if elk is unavailable.
- Chop the veggies into small, bite-sized pieces for the salsa.
- Make the salsa and sauce 1-2 hours ahead of time. Marinate in the fridge to gain even more flavor.
