This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These classic Ground Beef Tacos feature homemade taco meat loaded into freshly fried taco shells. Serve up with all your favorite toppings for an easy family meal that takes less than 30 minutes!
Why make this Ground Beef Taco Meat Recipe?
- Quick and easy: this meal can be ready on the table in under 30 minutes, making this a perfect family weeknight meal.
- Homemade seasoning blend: skip the packets and make your own seasoning! This allows you to control the salt and heat to suit your family’s needs.
- Family Friendly & Perfect for Gatherings: cook up the meat and serve this buffet style so guests/kids can get the toppings they want!
Ingredients Needed:
Notes on Some Ingredients:
- Ground Beef: 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.
- Tomato Sauce: grab any kind of canned, pureed tomato sauce. Or if you want more spice you could use a thick salsa instead.
- Oil: this is used for frying up the tortillas. Use either a canola or a vegetable oil.
- Tortillas: white corn tortillas fry up perfectly to make a crisp taco shell. If you would prefer you could use flour tortillas and not fry them. I would recommend using tortillas that are 6 inches.
How to make (Step by Step)
- Step 1: Cook 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.
- Step 2: Allow the taco meat to simmer briefly in the sauce to give more flavor.
- Step 3: Fry the corn tortillas in a small amount of oil in a medium size skillet. Once fried on both sides, remove the tortillas and fold in half to form their shape.
- Step 4: Fill the taco shells with the cooked beef and any toppings desired.
F.A.Q’s
How much meat should I use per person?
Plan on using 1 lb of meat for 4 people. This will yield about 2-3 tablespoons of meat per taco.
What are some good topping ideas?
Some suggestions are: Shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, diced cilantro.
What do I serve as a side?
Mexican Rice and refried beans are always great options. Other ideas include: charro beans, Mexican Street Corn, or Street Corn in a Cup.
How can I add more heat to the seasoning blend?
Add a bit of crushed red pepper as needed for more heat.
Expert Tips:
- Fry your own 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 shells.
- Skip the water: 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 seasoning again!
- Variations/Modifications: If you want to use flour tortillas I would recommend using a smaller, 6 inch size. You can also switch out the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Extra Veggies: looking to add some more veggies? Chop up some peppers, zucchini, and carrots to sauté with the meat while it cooks.
More Recipes To Enjoy:
Watch How To Make
Best Ground Beef Taco Recipe
The absolute BEST ground beef Tacos! An easy to make homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient that makes this the most flavorful and juiciest taco meat EVER! The perfect family weeknight meal that can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 70-80% lean*
- 1 tbsp chili Powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp granulated onion
- ½ cup tomato sauce
Taco Shells
- 8 white corn tortillas
- ½ cup oil avocado or vegetable
Instructions
- Cook Ground Beef: 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: Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Then return to the stove and reduce the heat to low.
- Season: Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir together until the meat is coated in the sauce.
- Simmer: Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Fry Tortillas: Pour 1/2 cup oil in a medium size skillet, heat over medium high heat. Carefully dip a tortilla, if the oil sizzles and bubbles then it's hot enough. Gently lay the tortilla in the oil and fry each side for about 30 seconds, just enough to give some color and add some crispness.
- Shape Tortillas: Remove the tortilla to a paper towel to absorb oil, and carefully fold the tortilla over to create a taco shape. I do this with my tongs, or two forks, whatever I'm using to lay the tortillas in the oil and remove them.
- Toppings: Fill the tortillas with the ground beef taco meat and add desired toppings
Video
Equipment
Notes
- Ground Beef: Using 80/20 ground beef, this keeps the meat flavorful, but not greasy.
- Ground Beef Substitution: instead of ground beef use ground chicken or turkey.
- Extra Veggies: looking to add some more veggies? Chop up some peppers, zucchini, and carrots to sauté with the meat while it cooks.
- Control the Heat: if you are wanting to add more heat to this recipe sprinkle some crushed red pepper into the seasoning blend according to your preference.
- Tortillas: Taco shells shown are white corn tortillas that have been fried in canola oil.
- Topping ideas: shredded mild cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced grape tomatoes, diced cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, and onion.
- How much meat per person? Plan on using 1 lb per 4 people. This is approximately 2 tablespoons of meat per taco.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Recipe first published March 23, 2018. Updated June 25, 2021 with new images and information.
Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany.co
For the chili powder, is it only chili powder or the one than is already mixed with other spices?
Just plain chili powder.
Hi there,
Making this again for the second time. Terrific recipe, I just got so turned off the packet seasoning and water. Delicious taste and I know exactly what my family is eating. Thank you so much!!!
this was delicious!! I have made it twice now! The second time I added a can of black beans just to stretch the meat and it was great too 🙂
I was out of my favorite taco spice so I looked on google. This sounded good so I gave it a try—- wow—excellent. I now have a new favorite!
To double the recipe should I just double all the ingredients? Thanks in advance, I’m super excited to make this for family night on Friday 🙂
Yes! Just double it all. Enjoy! And let me know how it turns out 🙂
Update: It was such a big hit! We made our own hard shells like the ones in your video and that put everything over the top. Makes them taste like they’re from a restaurant. You were right, I’ll never go back to using water again. The tomato sauce makes a huge difference 🙂 Thanks!
My husband loves tacos. But buying them at a Mexican restaurant can be too expensive..he doesn’t like the packaged seasoning so I sear hed for a homemade seasoning mix….He loved it….and he is very picky
I used this taco seasoning recipe and made beef tacos along with Frontera taco skillet sauce and the result was amazing, very well seasoned tacos with a silky nice filling. Very tasty. The leftover taco meat was immediate gone the next day.
Your cooking instructions are “Cook the meat”??!! Could you possibly be less specific and, therefore, less helpful? (Hint: No, you couldn’t). What temperature? With or without oil? Which oil? For how long? Cooked to what desired effect or level of doneness? “Cook the meat” is not a recipe.
Ground beef should be cooked until it’s browned and no longer pink. No oil is needed and is not an ingredient that is listed.
Wow!! A.D. not only is super rude but also has no clue how to even brown hamburger meat?!? If you even bothered to read her intro before the recipe then you would realize she did explain to cook the meat till it was completely browned. If you don’t know that by now & if you don’t know how to read a simple ingredients list, then you probably shouldn’t even be in the kitchen. With your ignorant self!
Thats exactly what I was thinking! Duh, who doesnt know how to brown hamburger! Sheesh!
Wow! You are super-rude. If you can’t even cook meat, that’s your problem. Anybody with half a brain can adjust temperature and addition of oil. I always check out comments section for helpful additions/deletions etc. but then I come across your rude comments….you must have a sad, miserable life.
It’s ground beef, A.D…. Have you never cooked ground beef for anything before? It’s as basic of a cooking skill as boiling water. No need to attack the recipe creator!
Gosh I have to make a comment. Cook the meat, yes most of us know how to cook the meat. But. . .there are some who gathered in my kitchen who I teach how to cook.
They grew up with mom working, no dad in the house and schools didn’t offer cooking classes. I’ve been blessed. I cook, and mom didn’t. She couldn’t even boil water and she didn’t work. Sadly her mother passed away when she was at the age you learn to cook. I’ve been cooking since 12 years of age and now 63.
Sometimes texting seems rude, but when you meet the person. . .they are the sweetest person in your kitchen and always asking a lot of questions. Today I was looking for a taco seasoning recipe to print out for them, because all of my ingredients are in my head and then I bumped into this site. There is a story behind every person, sometimes you need to listen to their story before judging or making a hurtful comment. Just saying!
Not knowing something and needing more information is no excuse for outright rudeness! If A.D. had simply asked the question, those judgments would not have been made. People are generally helpful with beginners. And, as another commenter said, the author DID say to cook the ground beef until completely browned. A.D. could have looked up “how to brown ground beef”. There was no need for rudeness and all of your reasoning, while true that some people need more help, does not and should not excuse the way the comment was made.
I literally just tried this recipe we love it and I have a family of six ☺️… I definitely pinned this under yumminess ?
Looks great! I am doing a Mexican buffet at a party. Can I make this the day before, store in the fridge and simply heat it in the micro wave before serving? Thanks!
Yes! It can be made and then reheated.
What kind of tomato sauce do you use?