Save my best taco meat recipe for your next taco night. This recipe is super easy and quick to make with a few pantry ingredients. The taste is wonderful with a nice balance of spices and herbs. I love using fresh ingredients for flavor so I use chopped onion but you can use powder too. I also use jalapeno for some heat but that is totally optional if you like it mild. Tomato paste adds a nice tang, a little sweetness, and umami flavor as well. The best thing about this taco meat recipe is, you can customize everything to your needs. I’m going to talk about all the substitutes for ingredients as well. This is one of my favorite recipes and I hope you give it a try!
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What I make with Taco Meat
Taco meat is very versatile and I make lots of dishes with it and my family loves them all. I make not only tacos but burritos, rice bowls, taquitos, loaded nachos, taco salads, and even lettuce cups when I want to go healthy. You can get so creative with it. The recipe can be doubled or tripled and you can freeze some for later too. You got to try this recipe, my friend. I promise you’re going to love this.
Ingredient Info and Substitutes
Ground Beef
I use 80 – 20 ground beef for this (80% lean and 20% fat). The fat helps to keep the meat moist and makes it flavorful too. You can always drain the excess fat with a paper towel. But if you want to use leaner beef, that works too.
Onion
I like to use chopped yellow onion over onion powder. Onions add a nice flavor as well as a great texture.
Garlic
I use garlic powder for the recipe. You can add 2 – 3 cloves of finely minced garlic as well.
Jalapeno
I love the little kick that jalapenos add to the taco meat. If you love heat, you can substitute it with a
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste adds a nice tangy, sweet, umami flavor to the dish. You can use more or less depending on your taste. I usually use a couple of tablespoons for one pound of ground beef. You can also use tomato sauce as a substitute. You may need to add a little more than tomato paste since it’s not as concentrated as the paste.
Ancho/Cayenne/Paprika powder
Ancho chili powder is preferred. But Cayenne, Paprika or any choice of chili powder should work.
Dried Oregano
Mexican oregano has a more pungent citrusy flavor so Mexican oregano is better for this recipe in my opinion. But regular/Mediterranean oregano can be used too.
Equiments/ Tools I use
Storing/ Freezing Taco Meat
You can refrigerate taco meat for 3 -4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze for 3 – 4 months. Put the meat into a ziplock bag when it’s cooled down. Flatten it and freeze it. When you need to use, thaw in the fridge overnight or leave on the counter for about an hour.
Meal prepping
This Taco meat recipe is one of the best recipes for meal prep. You can make the meat ahead of time and use it over the week to make several meals out of it. You can make tacos, burritos, rice bowls and many more. The recipe can easily be doubled/tripled/quadrupled. Just make sure to use a bigger frying pan.
Make Tacos:
Heat the tartillas. Top each tortilla with taco meat, pico de gallo, cheese, salsa of your choice and serve.
Make burritos:
Heat a large tortilla. Top the tortilla with cilantro lime rice or brown rice, taco meat, pico de gallo, goacamole or sliced avocados and salsa of your choice and some cheese as well. Wrap the burrito tightly and heat again on a pan to toast the tortilla.
Same way you can make a burrito bowl as well.
I hope you give this easy Taco Meat recipe a try! Let me know your feedback too. Happy cooking!!!
Best Taco Meat Recipe
Description
My easy and super delicious Taco meat recipe that my family loves. Save it for your taco night or meal-prepping day.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat a skillet. Add Beef along with onions and jalapenos. Break the ground meat into small pieces while mixing with onions. Cook until the pink color of the meat is almost gone.
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Add the spices, seasonings, and herbs: cumin powder, ancho chili powder, oregano, garlic and onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Mix them with the meat and let them cook with the meat for a minute.Â
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Add tomato paste. Mix with meat and saute for about a minute. If fat renders while cooking, you can remove the excess fat using a paper towel.Â
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Add broth or water. Mix well. Lower the heat and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated but the meat remains moist. If more fat renders, remove any excess fat with a paper towel. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
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