If you’re in the mood for a simple yet delicious meal that the whole family will love, these classic Ground Beef Tacos are the perfect choice!
The homemade taco meat is perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, then loaded into soft taco shells. Customize your tacos with favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Ready in under 30 minutes, they’re the perfect quick and tasty option for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Make it super easy – or choose to customize it: I’ll be the first to admit that I’ll use a packaged seasoning mix when I need things to be super quick. I try to buy the highest quality to fit into our budget, and choose a salt-free blend. But instead of relying on pre-packaged mixes, you can also make homemade taco seasoning. This lets you control the flavor and the spiciness, so it’s just right for your family’s preferences.
- Quick to cook: In less than 30 minutes, you can have dinner on the table, making it the perfect go-to option for those busy weeknights when time is tight, but you still want something hearty and homemade.
- Versatile: The recipe for the taco meat is so simple and forgiving, you can easily double or triple it and freeze some for later – or serve it buffet-style at a birthday party or casual family gathering!
Tacos are probably the one dinner I serve my family the most – they’re just so quick and easy to pull together, and nobody complains at the dinner table. Plus, I let everyone pick and choose their favorite toppings, which is always a hit with the kids.
A pet peeve of mine is meals that take much longer to prepare than the recipe says, but I can well and truly tell you that this is a dinner you really can have on the table in less than 30 minutes. It’s a true weeknight star!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Meat: When it comes to taco meat, you can’t go wrong with good old ground beef. I recommend using a leaner ground beef because I’m not a fan of taco meat swimming in fat and dripping everywhere. You can always use a fattier meat and drain off the grease after browning though! Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- Onion/garlic: Yellow or red onion are best in this recipe. I usually use red because I also chop up some red onion for our toppings, and I really don’t like having half an onion left over in my fridge! For even quicker prep, use dried onion and garlic powder instead of freshly minced.
- Tortillas: I prefer the softer flour tortillas over fried corn tortillas for tacos. If you prefer crispy taco shells, feel free to fry white corn tortillas! Either way, I suggest going with 6-inch tortillas (sometimes labelled as “mini”), since they’re the perfect size for tacos.
- Tomato paste: Please use tomato paste and not tomato sauce in this recipe. If you’re in a pinch and all you have is tomato sauce, skip the water the recipe calls for and instead use about ¼ – ⅓ cup tomato sauce; or as needed to yield juicy (not liquidy!) taco meat. The color and taste will be a little different, but still good.
How to make ground beef tacos
1. Step:
Start by heating a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, go ahead and add the ground beef to the skillet. Use a spatula to break it up into smaller pieces, about 1 minute, then add the onion, garlic and taco seasoning
Let the beef cook until it’s nice and browned all over, while stirring and breaking it up to crumble. When it’s done, take a moment to drain off any excess fat.
2. Step:
To bring it all together, stir in some tomato paste for richness and then pour in a little water to keep things juicy.
3. Step:
Bring the dish to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for a few more minutes over medium heat, giving the sauce time to thicken up and coat the meat. Before you know it, your taco meat will be perfectly seasoned and ready to serve!
Top tips
- How much meat per person: This recipe uses 1 pound ground beef, which serves about 4 people. You’ll need 2-3 tablespoons of meat mixture per taco, which yields approximately 2-3 tacos per person; or 8-12 tacos in total.
- Make sure you don’t let the taco meat dry out: Once the beef is browned, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer gently with the seasoning and liquid – don’t overcook it, or the meat may dry out.
Helpful hints
Recipe variations
- Add vegetables: Want to sneak in some extra veggies? Just chop up some bell peppers, zucchini, green onion or shred carrots and toss them in the skillet with the meat as it cooks. It’s an easy way to add more color and nutrients to your meal.
- Make it lighter: If you’re feeling like a lighter option, you can skip the tortillas and serve up the meat as a taco salad or in a taco bowl instead—just as tasty and full of flavor, but with a fresh twist!
Leftovers and freezer instructions
Leftovers: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium heat until steaming hot all the way through, adding a little water or tomato sauce if the meat seems dry.
Freezer: Batch cooking is such a smart way to make the most out of those family-sized packs of ground beef. If you’ve got a busy week ahead or just want to stock up for the future, you can cook several pounds of taco meat at once. After it’s cooked and seasoned to perfection, simply portion out what you need for the night and then freeze the rest for later.
Label freezer bags or containers with the name and use-by date, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating is a breeze too. Just defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat the meat in a frying pan like described for the leftovers above – or pop it in the microwave if you’re in a hurry.
Serving ideas
When it comes to taco toppings, the possibilities are endless, and that’s half the fun!
Start with the classics like shredded cheese, fresh diced tomatoes, and crisp shredded lettuce to add some color and crunch to your tacos.
For a creamy touch, we like a dollop of sour cream or a generous scoop of guacamole (although I’ll often just toss in diced avocado vs full-on guac).
If you like a little heat, sliced jalapeños and salsa are perfect for kicking things up a notch.
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Ground Beef Tacos
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ onion finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup water or more as needed
- taco shells soft or crunchy
- taco toppings choose your favorites!
Instructions
- Brown meat: Heat olive oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook for 1 minute, crumbling meat as it browns. Stir through onion, garlic and taco seasoning. Cook until meat is browned and onion has softened, about 5-8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add liquids: Reduce heat to medium. Stir through tomato paste until fully combined. Add water, stirring well to combine. Simmer for 2-4 minutes over medium heat, until sauce has thickened and is coating meat well.
- Serve: Serve taco meat immediately with your favorite taco shells and toppings.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Meat: I recommend using a leaner ground beef, or to drain excess fat after browning. Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- Onion/garlic: Yellow or red onion are best in this recipe. For even quicker prep, use dried onion and garlic powder instead of freshly minced.
- Tortillas: I prefer the softer flour tortillas over fried corn tortillas for tacos. If you prefer crispy taco shells, feel free to fry white corn tortillas or use store-bought crunchy shells.
- Tomato paste: Please use tomato paste and not tomato sauce in this recipe. If you’re in a pinch and all you have is tomato sauce, skip the water the recipe calls for and instead use about ¼ – ⅓ cup tomato sauce; or as needed to yield juicy (not liquidy!) taco meat. The color and taste will be a little different, but still good.
Recipe tips
- How much meat per person: This recipe uses 1 pound ground beef, which serves about 4 people. You’ll need 2-3 tablespoons of meat mixture per taco, which yields approximately 2-3 tacos per person; or 8-12 tacos in total.
- Make sure you don’t let the taco meat dry out: Once the beef is browned, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer gently with the seasoning and liquid – don’t overcook it, or the meat may dry out.
- Leftovers/freezer: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat in a skillet with a splash of water until steaming hot all the way through.
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