If tacos are your go-to meal (they're definitely mine!), then you'll love this easy homemade taco meat recipe. With over 20 taco recipes on this site, I've gathered the best tips to help you make juicy, flavorful taco meat every time.
Recipe Overview
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: Ground beef, tomato paste, water, spices
Ease: So easy, my go-to for an easy and comforting weeknight meal
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef - Higher fat ground beef (80-85%) will give you juicier, more flavorful taco meat, while leaner ground beef (90-95%) is less greasy. Ground turkey or chicken also works-follow the same lean vs. fatty guidelines to achieve the desired results.
- Tomato Paste - Use tomato paste over tomato sauce for a better texture. Tomato paste gives the taco meat a richer flavor, but if you don't like tomato, skip it.
- Spices - I used a classic blend of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I think this is the best taco meat seasoning recipe. NOTE: If you use a store-bought homemade seasoning, do not use tomato paste; the seasoning mix already has tomato powder in it.
- Water - It helps to coat the meat and gives the taco meat a silky sauce. You can also use beef broth for more flavor.
How to Make Taco Meat
Brown the Beef
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned.
Mix the Seasonings
While the beef cooks, stir together the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and oregano in a small bowl.
Season and Simmer
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the seasoning mix, tomato paste, and water to the cooked beef.
Finish Cooking
Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced. Spoon the taco meat into warm tortillas, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or taco salads.
Tips
How to Get Fine, Restaurant-Style Taco Meat
For the finely crumbled texture you often find in Mexican restaurants, use ground beef with a higher fat content (80-85%). You can also use a 5 Blade Meat Masher, which I love using 😁. It helps break the meat down into small, even pieces as it cooks.
Spice Level
This taco seasoning blend is mild. For medium heat, add ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper. For hot, use ½ teaspoon.
What to Make With Taco Meat
- Ground Beef Tacos - Fill a tortilla with taco meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
- Burritos - Wrap taco meat with rice, beans, cheese, and your favorite salsa in a large tortilla.
- Quesadillas - My favorite way of using up leftover taco meat. You just need taco meat, tortillas, cheese, butter, and your favorite toppings.
- Enchiladas - Roll taco meat and cheese in tortillas, top with enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake.
- Nachos - Pile tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top with taco meat and cheese, then bake until melted. Add salsa, sour cream, and jalapeños.
- Taco Salad - Pair taco meat with salad, cheese, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn with a Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
- Baked Potato - Add ground taco meat, cheese, sour cream, and green onions to a baked potato.
- Stuffed Peppers - Stuff a bell pepper with taco meat, rice, beans, corn, and cheese.
Using Frozen Meat
- Place frozen beef in a skillet over medium heat, cover, and cook a few minutes to thaw the edges.
- Scrape off browned parts, flip, and keep cooking until fully thawed.
- Break it apart as it cooks, then drain the excess fat.
- Add seasoning and finish as usual.
How to Freeze & Reheat Taco Meat
- Let the cooked taco meat cool completely. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag, pressing out extra air.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water.
Common Questions
Use 80-85% lean ground beef. Don't forget the water when adding the taco seasoning. If the meat still looks a little dry, add one more tablespoon of water until the sauce is silky.
1 pound of ground meat will make 8 decent-sized tacos
Some of my favorites include shredded cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, and fresh cilantro.
Sides to Serve with Taco Meat
- Mexican Rice - Classic and flavorful, perfect alongside tacos or burritos.
- Refried Beans - Creamy, savory, and filling.
- Chips & Salsa - Easy, crunchy, and fresh.
- Guacamole & Chips - Creamy avocado dip with tortilla chips.
- Black Bean Salad - Light and refreshing with corn, peppers, and cilantro.
- Pico de Gallo - Fresh tomato salsa to brighten up the meal.
Tried this recipe? Let everyone know how it turned out! Your feedback and tips help others decide if they should make it.
Juicy & Flavorful Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 90% - 80% lean
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat.
- While the beef cooks, stir together the spices in a small bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the seasoning mix, tomato paste, and water to the cooked beef. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the beef is evenly coated in the flavorful sauce.
- Spoon the taco meat into warm tortillas or use it for burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or taco salads.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!