Taco Meat Recipe (From Scratch)


Fulfill your style buds with this fast and simple floor beef taco meat recipe that includes juicy floor beef cooked in basic Mexican spices. It’s so hearty, stuffed with taste, and it makes for excellent leftovers!

best taco meat recipe.

At any given second, you possibly can most likely look forward to finding not less than 2-3 packages of floor beef in our fridge. That’s as a result of we cook dinner with it on an almost day by day foundation, and one among our favourite methods to cook dinner it’s in our favourite Mexican dishes. 

These days, my go-to dishes are taco soup and Mexican pizza, however in fact, neither of those dishes can be full with out having one of the best taco meat recipe. The meat stays juicy and absorbs each ounce of taste from my do-it-yourself taco seasoning. Plus, it’s simple to make and cooks up in minutes. 

Desk of Contents
  1. Recipe highlights
  2. Substances wanted
  3. Methods to make taco meat
  4. Recipe suggestions and variations
  5. Storage directions
  6. Ceaselessly requested questions
  7. Extra recipes utilizing floor beef
  8. Taco Meat Recipe (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

  • Foolproof. Merely add the meat and aromatics to the skillet, allow them to cook dinner, then pile on the seasonings, and voila! In lower than 20 minutes, you’ve completely cooked taco-seasoned meat.
  • Makes nice leftovers. I often make a double batch of meat simply so I can toss it into my meals all through the week. It tastes nice chilly however reheats simply. 
  • Versatile. Pile it on tortilla chips for the proper nachos, or stir it into beanless chili. There’s no finish to what you are able to do with this recipe. 
taco meat in a skillet.

Substances wanted

Except for the meat, the remainder of the elements you’ll want are widespread kitchen and pantry staples. Right here’s precisely what you’ll want:

  • Floor beef. I choose to make use of lean floor beef because it has a very good texture from the fats, nevertheless it’s not overly greasy. Something labeled “floor hamburger” may even work, however it will likely be a bit fattier so that you’ll wish to drain the surplus grease. 
  • Salt and black pepper. To style.
  • Garlic and onion. Important aromatics. 
  • Seasonings. No, we’re NOT utilizing the store-bought seasoning packets. I used smoked paprika, chili powder, floor cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder, however you may also use my do-it-yourself taco seasoning mix.

Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.

Methods to make taco meat

Step 1- Cook dinner the meat. In a big skillet over medium-high warmth, add the bottom beef. Break it aside with a spatula and cook dinner till it begins to brown. 

Step 2- Add aromatics. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the skillet. Proceed to cook dinner, stirring sometimes, till the meat is totally browned and the onions soften.

Step 3- Add seasonings. Within the skillet, sprinkle the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir the seasoning into the meat combination. 

ground beef, onion, garlic, and taco seasoning in pan.

Step 4- Simmer. Simmer over medium warmth for 5-10 minutes or till a lot of the liquid is absorbed. Then, function desired.

how to make taco meat.

What to serve with this recipe

My favourite manner to make use of this taco meat is to show it into juicy tacos. We often arrange an meeting line with corn tortillas or crispy taco shells and all of the fixings, after which everybody takes turns constructing their tacos. You may also use it in my taco salad or taco bowls.

For one thing totally different, use it in air fryer stuffed peppers, keto stuffed peppers, or wholesome stuffed peppers for a enjoyable Mexican twist.

Recipe suggestions and variations

  • Make it spicy. Add a touch of cayenne pepper or scorching sauce for an additional spicy kick.
  • Drain the grease. Earlier than serving, I prefer to rigorously drain the surplus grease or soak it up with a couple of paper towels. Usually this solely occurs once I use floor beef with the next fats content material.
  • Add extra liquid. Relying on the kind of floor beef I exploit, typically I’ll add slightly further water, hen broth, and even tomato sauce to forestall it from drying out. 
  • Ensure that the meat is totally cooked. When you add the seasonings, the meat might seem like it’s finished, however you’ll wish to let it simmer for the total time to make sure it’s utterly cooked. 

Storage directions

To retailer: Leftover taco meat may be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4-5 days. 

To freeze: Enable leftover meat to chill utterly, then switch it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Let the meat thaw in a single day within the fridge, or add extra reheating time.

To reheat: Microwave leftover beef in 30-second intervals till totally reheated.

recipe for taco meat.

Ceaselessly requested questions

How do I make my taco meat not dry?

The easiest way to forestall taco meat from drying out is to make use of floor beef with a excessive sufficient fats content material, often 70% lean 30% or 80/20. The leaner the meat, the extra possible it’s to dry out, so that you’ll wish to add further beef broth or water because it’s cooking. 

Can taco meat be made upfront?

Sure! Taco meat may be made as much as a number of days upfront and reheated within the microwave proper earlier than serving. 

Can I exploit different forms of protein?

Sure, should you’d reasonably skip the bottom beef, you should utilize this identical recipe with floor hen, floor turkey, or a plant-based substitute. 

Extra recipes utilizing floor beef

Forestall your display from going darkish

  • In a big skillet over medium-high warmth, add the bottom beef. Break it aside with a spatula and cook dinner till it begins to brown.

  • Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the skillet. Proceed to cook dinner, stirring sometimes, till the meat is totally browned and the onions are softened.

  • Sprinkle salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, floor cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder evenly over the meat combination. Stir the seasoning into the meat combination, guaranteeing the spices are properly distributed. 

  • Scale back the warmth to medium-low and let the taco meat simmer for an extra 5 minutes or till a lot of the liquid is absorbed.

  • Serve in bowls, tacos, and so on.

TO STORE. Leftover taco meat may be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4-5 days.  TO FREEZE. Enable leftover meat to chill utterly, then switch it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Let the meat thaw in a single day within the fridge, or add extra reheating time. TO REHEAT. Microwave leftover beef in 30-second intervals till totally reheated.

Serving: 1servingEnergy: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 25gFats: 6gSodium: 668mgPotassium: 486mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 403IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 3mgNET CARBS: 4g

Disclosure: This submit might comprise affiliate hyperlinks. I could earn a small fee for my endorsement, advice, testimonial, and/or hyperlink to any services or products from this web site.



Supply hyperlink

Stay in Touch

To follow the best weight loss journeys, success stories and inspirational interviews with the industry's top coaches and specialists. Start changing your life today!

Related Articles