🫓 Griddle
Some nights you want the big weekend project, and some nights you just need dinner on the table fast without sacrificing flavor. This one's for the second kind of night. Everything — the seasoned ground beef, the charred fajita peppers and onions, even the tortillas — cooks on one flat-top surface, all at the same time, in about 20 minutes.
Working two zones on the griddle at once is the move here: peppers and onions caramelizing on one side while the beef browns and crisps up on the other. Pile it all into a bowl over rice and black beans, finish with Cotija, fresh onion-cilantro relish, and avocado, and you've got a taco bowl that tastes like way more effort than it actually took.
Protein & Fajita Veggies
Bowl Base & Toppings
Slice the red bell pepper and white onion into fajita strips. Season the ground beef thoroughly with your taco seasoning in a mixing bowl. Chop cilantro and mix with finely diced raw white onion for the fresh topping relish. Slice the avocados and set aside.
Preheat your outdoor flat-top griddle to medium-high heat. Apply a light layer of cooking oil across the cooking zones.
Drop the sliced peppers and onions onto one side of the griddle and toss with a spatula to get a good sear and caramelization. Place the seasoned ground beef onto the adjacent hot zone. Break up the beef with your griddle spatulas, spreading it evenly so it browns and develops a flavorful crust. Sauté until the beef is fully cooked and the onions and peppers are tender with charred edges.
Lay mini tortillas directly onto the hot griddle surface next to the beef drippings for 30–45 seconds per side until warm, pliable, and lightly toasted.
Add a base of warm cooked rice to each serving bowl. Arrange the black beans, griddle-charred peppers, and onions in sections around the bowl. Pile a generous portion of seasoned ground beef right in the center. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese, fresh onion-cilantro relish, and a drizzle of hot sauce. Garnish with fresh avocado slices on the rim and serve warm with griddled tortillas on the side.
Work two zones at once on the griddle — peppers and onions on one side, beef on the other — so everything finishes together instead of one component going cold while you wait on the rest. If you're warming tortillas, do it last, right next to the beef drippings, so they pick up some of that flavor and stay warm until you're ready to plate.