Crispy Baked Tortillas with Middle Eastern Spices

Thin flour tortillas filled with warmly spiced ground beef and baked until crisp. Finished with a cool cucumber-tahini sauce for contrast and balance

Makes: 15 small street-size tortillas

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

Spiced Beef Filling

• 1 pound ground beef - 80/20 fat count

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

• Tiny pinch ground clove

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1–1¼ tsp kosher salt

• 1–2 cloves garlic, finely grated

  
  

For Assembly

• 15 small street-size flour tortillas

• Avocado oil, for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a large rimmed sheet pan in the oven to heat.

2. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, salt, and garlic, and olive oil. Mix gently just until combined.

3. Spread a very thin, even layer of the beef mixture over half of each tortilla fold in half and press lightly to seal and place on a sheet of parchment paper

4. Lightly brush both sides of the filled tortillas with avocado oil.

5. Transfer the tortillas/parchment to the hot sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 7–9 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5–7 minutes, until crisp and golden and the filling is fully cooked.

6. Let rest briefly before serving. These are best eaten hot, straight from the oven.

Notes

• The filling should be spread thinly — this is what allows the tortillas to crisp while the meat cooks through. 12 finished tortillas should fit on one large rimmed sheet pan - you will get more even browning if you limit one sheet pan at a time. These can be done well ahead of time and baked right before serving which makes them a great for entertaining.

Cucumber–Tahini Sauce

Makes: about 1½ cups

Ingredients

• 1 large English cucumber - unpeeled, coarsely grated

• ½ cup sour cream

• ¼ cup tahini

• 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• ½ tsp kosher salt, or to taste

1. Lightly salt the grated cucumber and let it sit for a minute, then squeeze out excess moisture.

2. Whisk together the sour cream, tahini, lemon juice, and salt until smooth.

3. Fold in the grated cucumber. Taste and adjust with additional salt or lemon juice as needed.