Easy Ground Beef for Tacos Recipe

This Easy Ground Beef for Tacos is flavorful and juicy! Ready in just 20 minutes, this versatile meat is perfect to fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, empanadas or whatever your heart desires.

Easy Eggless Meatloaf, Bolognese Sauce and Easy Shepherd’s Pie are some of my favorite recipes that use ground beef.

QUICK AND EASY GROUND BEEF MEAT FOR TACOS RECIPE

This kid-friendly Easy Ground Beef for Tacos isn’t just for tacos. This super versatile ground beef recipe, made with simple ingredients, is perfect to fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, empanadas, etc.

No store-bought taco seasoning needed and it’s ready and just 20 minutes!

PRO TIP: Double (or even triple!) this recipe and use it to meal prep for meals for the whole week or freeze to use those days that you don’t have time to cook but still want something delicious and satisfying.

What is the best meat to use for Taco Meat?

I like to use 90-10% lean ground beef, this way, I skip the step of draining the fat released from the meat after browning it.

What spices are in Taco Meat?

Skip the packet seasoning! Seasoning meat for tacos is truly simple: onion, garlic, chili powder, paprika cumin, oregano plus optional cayenne pepper for a kick of heat.

If you are looking for a spicy taco blend check out my Homemade Spicy Taco Seasoning recipe.

How do you make Brown taco meat?

Heat a skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat. When hot, place meat in the skillet and cook, using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the ground beef into equal-size pieces as it cooks, until no longer pink.

How do you make perfect taco meat?

• Heat skillet or pan to hot.
• Add the ground meat and cook, using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the ground beef into equal-size pieces as it cooks, until no longer pink.  Add spices and liquid.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook for 5 -8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired, and use to fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, empanadas, etc.

HOW TO STORE TACO MEAT

Let the meat cool then place leftover ground beef into an airtight container and refrigerate for up 3 days.

HOW TO FREEZE TACO MEAT

Let the meat cool then place leftover ground beef into an airtight container or a freezer Ziploc bag and freeze for up 3 months. Make sure is well sealed to avoid freezer burn.

When it comes time to use your ground beef, you can defrost in the microwave or in the refrigerator overnight. To warm it up, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of beef broth over the meat, place it in a skillet over medium-low heat, cover and heat to your liking.

LOOKING FOR MORE MEXICAN RECIPES?

• Easy Instant Pot Mexican Green Rice
• Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas
• Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
• Instant Pot Drunken Beans

How can I use this ground meat recipe?

This Easy Ground Beef is perfect to fill tacos, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, empanadas and much more…

Easy Ground Beef for Tacos Recipe

This Easy Ground Beef for Tacos is flavorful and juicy! This versatile meat is perfect to fill tacos, burritos, or whatever your heart desires. No store-bought taco seasoning needed and it’s ready and just 20 minutes!

Author Oriana Romero

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Main Course

Mexican

ground beef, meatloaf, mexican, tacos

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 313kcal

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (see notes)
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or black pepper if you don't like the heat)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions

• Heat a skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat. When hot, place meat in the skillet and cook, using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the ground beef into equal-size pieces as it cooks, until no longer pink.
• Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 2 -3 minutes.
• Add paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and beef broth. Mix until everything is well combined.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook for 5 -8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired, and use to fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, empanadas, etc.

Notes

MEAT: I like to use 90-10% lean ground beef, this way, I skip the step of draining the fat released from the meat. If you prefer, you can use a higher fat content ground beef but, in this case, I recommend draining the extra fat after the browning step. You can also use ground turkey, chicken or pork.

 

 

BEEF BROTH: For this recipe, I sometimes dissolve 2 beef bouillon in 1 cup of hot water for extra flavor instead of using canned or boxed beef broth. In this case, I don’t add any more salt since the spices and the broth adds enough seasoning to our taste. However, you can use just store-bought beef broth and adjust the salt in step 4, as instructed in the recipe.

 

 

STORE: Place leftover ground beef into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

 

 

FREEZE: Place leftover ground beef into an airtight container or a freezer Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure is well sealed to avoid freezer burn.

 

 

LOOKING FOR MORE MEXICAN RECIPES?

• Easy Instant Pot Mexican Green Rice
• Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas
• Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
• Easy Instant Pot Mexican Green Rice
• Instant Pot Drunken Beans

 

 

★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

 

 

Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1130IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3.3mg

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