Get ready for THE BEST Ground Beef Tacos you’ve ever made! This taco meat is tender, flavorful and juicy. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or Taco Tuesday!
Everyone has their go-to dinners, and these tacos are one of mine. My family LOVES the mega-flavorful taco meat and we like to pull out all our favorite toppings and let everyone create their own tacos. It’s a fun and easy dinner that comes together in about 15 minutes!
Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Sauté onion and ground beef in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Drain off any fat and return to the stove top.
- Stir in tomato sauce and my homemade taco seasoning.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and let the flavors blend for a few minutes.
That’s it! Soooo easy and your mind will be blown away!
Do I Need To Add Water To Taco Meat?
Nope! That’s the secret trick to this flavorful taco meat. Skip the water and opt for tomato sauce instead. You’ll be left with an ultra flavorful taco meat that’s rich and juicy.
PRO TIP: If you want a spicier taco meat, try using half taco sauce and half tomato sauce!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
While it’s not 100% necessary to make your own, I do have one amazing homemade taco seasoning recipe that’ll knock your socks off. Here are the ingredients you’ll need, plus a link to the recipe just in case you want to read more about it. 😉
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Black Pepper
Taco Toppings –
The sky is the limit when it comes to your favorite taco toppings, but here are a few of our favorites that we always put out on Taco Night!
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- diced Roma tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Taco Sauce
- Diced Green Onions
- Jalapeños
I just recently found these crunchy flour tortilla shells from Old El Paso that are great for an added crunch and hold up well. We typically use a soft flour tortilla, but it’s always fun to switch it up every once in a while.
More Mexican Recipes To Try:
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Quick and Easy Steak Fajitas
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Super Easy Mexican Rice
- Taco Soup
Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
For the Taco Meat:
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced
- 1 lb. ground beef, lean
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning, or store bought
For the Tacos:
- 8 medium flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup lettuce, shredded
- 1 cup shredded taco cheese blend
- 1 large roma tomato, diced
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- Hot sauce
Instructions
For the Taco Meat:
- Combine the onion and ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook, until ground beef is cooked through and crumbled. Drain any excess fat and return skillet to stove top.
- Add in the tomato sauce and taco seasonings and stir over medium-low heat. Let the mixture simmer, until the sauce is thickened and flavors have had a chance to enhance, about 5 to 7 minutes.
For the Tacos:
- Serve the taco meat while hot with the tortillas and other toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Parmesan Crusted Spinach Dip
Andrey
This recipe is simply the bomb. Used store-bought taco shells. Did few changes in my opinion to make it a little better. Fried onions in oil BEFORE frying meat, till it soft and golden; used less salt in the homemade taco seasoning ( as few other people recommend).
Thank you.
Chris David
Its really a nice recipe try this one also https://www.beckandbulow.com/bison-chili-dogs/
Nikki
Can these be made ahead and then frozen?
An
So delicious easy instructions, simple reciepe. I subsituted tomato sauce for ketchup because I didnt have. I it was a bit spicy but boy was it yummy!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed the tacos An!
Liliane
So Yummy and Easy to Follow, my go to recipe for beef tacos and guacamole
Shawn
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Liliane!
Isabel
Made this for dinner. It was great and I appreciate the easy instructions/ingredients.
Joan
OH MY GOODNESS!!! used this recipe plus your homemade taco seasoning recipe and my family loved it ! I’ve always used the packet and water but this is so easy to make I don’t think I will need to go back. This is incredible! Thank You! My teenager loves it! Yay!
Shawn
That’s wonderful to hear Joan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tacos!
Lori
I made your taco recipe today with tomato sauce. I didn’t tell my two teenage boys that I was doing anything different with the meat (adding the tomato sauce). They both, along with a friend of one of them who was here for dinner, said more than once that they were the best tacos I’ve ever made. My 15 year old said ‘I can’t believe how good these taste!’ 😉 Thanks to adding that one simple ingredient! Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Shawn
That’s awesome!! You know it’s good when the teenagers can’t get enough! 😉
Ricky
Dear Mrs. Shawn:
This is a really great and simple recipe that motivates any working parent, especially on a Tuesday.
Thank you for taking the time from your family to share your culinary gifts in these difficult and challenging times.
I made these tacos with your recipe and added a bit of Spanish chorizo, as you suggested, to mix with your recipe; simply scrumptious.
I made both the Corn and flour tortillas although the Corn did have a ‘tad’ better overall Mexico flavor. The avocado slices in the shredded lettuce definitely enhanced the mix.
Please continue sharing your gifts with us. I pray for you and all the kind people that are sharing their recipes, now that the kidz “can’t leave the house” due to the evilness of the Corona virus.
God bless you!
Sincerely,
Ricky rainbow
PS. Your name is Irish: and it means God is gracious; gift from God. So contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for boyz. Take care!
Shawn
Hi Ricky! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. I love that you enjoyed the taco recipe. And thank you for the info on my name, that is so neat! 🙂
Richard Mavis
I love your recipes and instructions! I’ve been making Ground Beef Tacos for literally my whole life. I’ve never written down my seasonings and this was a great reminder for how my Grandma made hers.
I made one tweak a few years ago, and it’s simply amazing – substitute 1/2 the ground beef for chorizo sausage. I You only need to add a small amount of additional seasoning (~1 tsp per pound) for an even better tasting taco! I like to simmer the meat mixture with water for about 45 minutes, until the water cooks off so that every bite has the full flavor of the great seasonings!
Shawn
Thanks for your tips Richard! I love the idea of using chorizo in there too!
Shaunna
Taco Tuesday for real at my house tonight. I used this recipe plus your homemade taco seasoning recipe and my family loved it. I’ve always used the packet and water but this is so easy to make I don’t think I will need to go back. I made up a mason jar of the seasoning so I’m set for a while.
Thanks
Shawn
That’s awesome to hear Shaunna! I keep a mason jar of the seasoning too! YUM!
Rick Casey
ever try pork tacos?/ we have a small Mexican restaurant in our small town that does taco Tuesday each week. They have ground beef, chicken and pork tacos for 99 cents each. The pork tacos are excellent. going to try your recipe.
Shawn
Rick! I have the BEST Pork Carnitas that make amazing tacos… here is the link – Crispy Instant Pot Pork Carnitas. Hope you give it a try, you’ll be blown away!