The Chewy 4-Ingredient Tacos Kate Hudson Makes On Repeat

Tacos are a Mexican staple that over time have become an integral part of the American food landscape. They're a classic choice for quick, customizable meals, even for celebrities like the actress Kate Hudson. In fact, she appeared on an episode of "Drew," a talk show starring fellow actress Drew Barrymore, and shared a taco recipe that impressed the host. It requires just four ingredients (excluding toppings): beef, taco seasoning, tortillas, and cooking oil.

Hudson starts by sautéeing a whole chopped onion in either vegetable or avocado oil. (This will later serve as a topping.) She then browns some ground beef in a pan and flavors it with the taco seasoning. This may sound somewhat plain, but the flair is in the tortillas.

Hudson uses what she refers to as "a soaking level of high heat oil" to elevate the flatbread. She places the tortilla in the hot liquid until the bread starts to bubble and becomes chewy. The actress puts the beef on top of the tortilla and folds it up while it's still in the oil, flipping it as needed until the tortilla is nicely browned. That's it for the basics of the taco, but like Hudson told Barrymore, "It's all about the garnishes."

Kate Hudson goes for a veritable smorgasbord of toppings, which she might prepare at home on her impressive collection of cutting boards. The "Glass Onion" actress piles on cilantro, diced tomato, guacamole, sour cream, and two types of onion — the sautéed onions from before and pickled onion.

Part of the beauty of tacos lies in their versatility. Countless toppings can go well on a basic one like Hudson's. But unusual toppings like pickled onion are one of the best ways to upgrade homemade tacos, as is heating the tortilla, like Hudson does in the hot oil.

A taco bar is a great way to feed a crowd, and that is essentially what Hudson laid out on Drew Barrymore's show. Preparing the garnishes is certainly work, but the whole production is less effort than other group meals, like lasagna or a roasted chicken. Allowing guests — or in Hudson's case, her family — to assemble their own plates takes considerable work off the cook's shoulders and lets picky eaters decide exactly what's going into their mouths.