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Just in case no one ever taught you how to make the best weeknight meal, Iโm here with a printable recipe! This ground beef for tacos is something I make nearly once a week in my house. Itโs a great skillet summer dinner recipe, and stores great in the freezer, too!
Iโm going to preface this recipe by saying that Iโm from Texas; I know a thing or two about tacos. Weโve been doing Taco Tuesday since we were totsโway before it was cool.ย
Iโve eaten quite literally thousands of tacos in my life. And while I grew up on a healthy mix of crispy ground beef tacos, soft chicken tacos, tiny taquitos, and puffy tacos, I have to admit that crispy beef tacos are my favorite.
Puffy tacos are something I donโt dare to make at home, even though I love frying. Have you ever read my manifesto on frying food on my Pork Schnitzel recipe? I donโt mind the splatter or smell of frying in my houseโI donโt bring fear with me into the kitchen. But thereโs just something about holding a taco shell in the perfect place to make it fold over that keeps me from making puffy tacos at home. I do eat them out around town in Dallas and Austin quite a biteโask me for a puffy taco restaurant recommendation, I dare you.
The best Taco Meat Recipe
Crispy beef tacos taste like home to me. The shells must be super thin and crispy, and the toppings must be ice cold. Thinly shredded lettuce, thick-grated cheddar cheese, and big scoop of pico de gallo or finely diced tomatoes are my choices. Sour cream is optional on top, but Iโve never loved the way it cools down my whole taco.
This brings us to the spicy beef at the bottom. Itโs the first thing we put into a taco, and the first thing we taste.
Ground beef for tacos should be moist, subtly spicy and have a strong enough flavor to carry itself. Great ground beef for tacos is welcome to be rolled into a corn tortilla, drenched in sauce and baked into enchiladas.
In short, donโt trust people not from Texas to make you ground beef for tacos. However, if your life is lacking a texan, please, let me be the Texan to share my recipe with you.
Taco Meat Ingredients
- Olive Oil. You need a small amount of oil to sear the ground beef. I use regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil, but anything you like to sear meat in is fine here (even butter!).
- Ground Beef. Ground beef that is 80% lean with 20% fat makes the best ground beef tacos. You can use 90% or even 97%, the choice is yours, but the lower the fat percentage, the less delicious, in my opinion.
- Tomato Paste. One tablespoon of tomato paste brings some acidity to the dish and a bit of moisture in the pan. Be sure to cook the tomato paste on its own with the beef in the pan for a few minutes before adding the spices so that the flavor caramelizes.
- Chili Powder. Chili powder is NOT the same as chilE powder. Chili powder is a spice blend; chilE powder is a single type of chile pepper dried and ground up. Grab a jar of chili powderโGebhardtโs is my favorite, but anything will work. You need 2 teaspoons for this recipe, because weโre adding additional spices.
- Ground Cumin. Instead of adding ground cumin, garlic powder and oregano, you could just add an extra tablespoon of chili powder. But, my preference is one teaspoon of ground cumin seed for extra smokiness.
- Garlic Powder. One teaspoon of garlic powder, or 1 clove of garlic, finely minced.
- Onion Powder. One teaspoon of onion powder or 1/4 of a small onion, finely diced.
- Dried Oregano. My first choice is Mexican dried oregano, but whatever you have is fine.
- Salt.
- Pepper. This recipe needs freshly ground black pepper, and you can also add red pepper flakes if you want spicy taco meat.
Instructions
Preheat a 10โณ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the ground beef, tomato paste, and all spices to the skillet.
Cook over medium-high heat while breaking it up with a spoon occasionally. After about 7-9 minutes, the beef will no longer be pink in the middle. Serve immediately in crispy taco shells with taco toppings.
How to upgrade your taco (free tips from a Texan):
- smear refried beans in the taco shell before adding the fillings
- smear refried beans on the outside of the taco shell, and then wrap it in a soft flour tortilla
- preheat your taco shells in the oven (never the microwave) before adding the fillings
- find the smallest, thinnest taco shells you can find (this is the brand I like)
- keep the taco shell and ground beef hot and the rest of the fillings cold
One final taco tip: if you have leftovers, the best way to reheat is to scrape out the cold fillings, re-heat the shell and meat, and then pile the cold fillings back inside.
Beef Taco Recipe FAQs
One pound of taco meat makes 8 generously filled tacos with all of the toppings. So, for my family, thatโs 2 tacos per person. I serve with this recipe forย black beans and rice.
This ground beef for tacos recipe has its own taco seasoning built into the recipe, but if you want to skip all of it, you can just use 2 tablespoons of a store-bought pre-mixed taco seasoning packet.
Ground Beef for Tacos
Perfect ground beef for tacos; recipe from a real Texan!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (80% or 90% lean is perfect)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a 10" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add the ground beef, tomato paste, and all spices to the skillet.
- Cook over medium-high heat while breaking it up with a spoon occasionally. After about 7-9 minutes, the beef will no longer be pink in the middle.
- Serve immediately in crispy taco shells with taco toppings, or store in freezer-safe plastic bags for up to 3 months until ready to eat.*
Notes
*To reheat frozen taco meat, place it in a hot skillet with a few tablespoons of water and heat through.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 450mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 21g
I was searching for a non-packet taco seasoning and this one is good, but I have an extra step that I added to this recipe. I used always use 94% lean ground beef, so I donโt get a lot of extra grease when I brown it, but I still drain the grease before I add the seasonings and tomato paste. I love the tomato paste in here! I might try two tablespoons next time! Thanks!
Wow, these are amazing! The spices are spot on. Thanks for the pro tips about the sour cream and letting the tiny humans fix their own. My son is a little picky but he happily ate his taco after building it.
VERY good! The best taco meat Iโve tried. I did add about 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon (personal taste).
Iโve been making this recipe since you posted it years ago. We just love everything about it โ the spice blend and the ease of preparation are perfection. I usually freeze half of the prepared meat for a future meal. So easy. It also makes a great meal for Meal Train. Iโve prepared it several times, included toppings, Spanish rice, and a dessert. Itโs been well received every time. Thank you!
Love the tacos, have you found a replacement for La Tiara taco shells?