Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Taco Compuesto
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
In a large skillet, cook ground beef, chopped onions, green chili peppers, and minced garlic over medium heat until the beef is brown.
Drain off the fat and stir in the chili powder.
In a mixing bowl, combine chopped tomato, Italian salad dressing, and seasoned salt.
Assemble and serve
Spoon the beef mixture into taco shells.
Top with tomato mixture, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and taco sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 14 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded (36g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Salad Dressing | not in our table | 0 |
| Taco Shell | not in our table | 0 |
| Taco | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together421 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + lettucetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,655 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lean ground beef
- Provides the main protein and savory, browned flavor of the filling.
- Onion
- Adds sweetness and aroma as it softens in the pan with the beef.
- Tomato
- Adds moisture and fresh acidity to the topping.
- Cheese
- Melts and adds richness and fat to the tacos.
The step that matters
Drain off the fat. Excess fat left in the skillet makes the filling greasy and can soften the taco shells. Draining it keeps the beef texture firm and the filling less oily.
Swap the lettuce
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, pepper, garlic, tomato, cheese, mozzarella cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Spinachfits better
- Lettucethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, pepper, garlic, tomato, cheese, mozzarella cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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