The absolute BEST ground beef Taco Meat! An easy to make homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient that makes this the most flavorful and juiciest taco meat EVER! Perfect for loading up on soft or hard shell tacos and topping with all your favorites!

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat.

What is the best meat to use for Taco Meat?

The best meat to use for taco meat is a simple ground beef, a 70-80% lean. The fat is going to help give flavor to the meat and we are able to drain the grease prior to serving.

What spices are in Taco Meat?

The spices that are used in this homemade taco seasoning are: chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

If you want to add a bit more heat you could add a bit of crushed red pepper as needed.

Taco meat in shells topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream.

How do you make Taco Meat?

This recipe is super simple to follow and easy to make. We start with the ground beef, cook it up until it’s completely browned. Drain the grease. Then when we return to the heat to the stove lower the heat, add the homemade taco seasoning and a small amount of tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce thickens it up and helps the spices stick to the meat. It’s so flavorful and you will never go back to using water with your taco seasoning again! Trust me.

Some tools that you may find helpful for making this recipe:

How to make the Best Tacos:

My personal preference and what shows in the images is using corn tortillas. White corn tortillas, or even yellow corn tortillas can be easily fried in a small amount of oil. These turn out so much better than store bought crunchy taco shells.

That said, you can use any kind of tortillas you prefer. If you want to use flour tortillas I would recommend using a smaller, 6 inch size.

Taco topping Suggestions: Shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, diced cilantro.

Recipes that use this Taco Meat:

This meat is so versatile and can be added to so many other recipes. Some simple ideas that are on my site that use this same taco meat are:

Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Taco meat in shells topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream.

Best Ground Beef Taco Meat

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Author: Serene
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Tex Mex
The absolute BEST ground beef Taco Meat! An easy to make homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient that makes this the most flavorful and juiciest taco meat EVER! Perfect for loading up on soft or hard shell tacos and topping with all your favorites!
4.94 from 80 votes
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Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Break the beef up with a wooden spoon while cooking. Cook the ground beef fully, until browned and no longer pink.
  • Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Then return to the stove and reduce the heat to low.
  • Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir together until the meat is coated in the sauce.
  • Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add to tacos shells or use in any other recipes that call for taco meat.

Video

Notes

  1. My preference is to use 80/20 ground beef. 
  2. Taco shells shown are white corn tortillas that have been fried in canola oil. 
  3. Toppings used include: shredded mild cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced grape tomatoes, diced cilantro and sour cream. 
  4. Other topping ideas: guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, onion.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 152kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 280mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 363IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 2mg
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