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Easy Ground Beef Tacos

Tacos are one of the most popular foods and one of the most recognizable foods in the world. Like pizza, tacos have become a staple on every menu in one form or the other.

January 15, 2021
Ground Beef TacoPhoto By Canva
Difficulty Medium
Servings 4-6 people
Preparation 10 mins
Cooking 20 mins
Total 30 mins

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a large pot or high sided pan over medium heat.
  2. Once oil is heated and shimmering, add garlic, onion, and cumin and sweat until onions are translucent and fragrant.
  3. Add ground beef to the pot one pinch at a time.
  4. Cook beef over medium to medium-high heat until browned, breaking it up as you go.
  5. Once browned, turn heat down to low and strain beef to get rid of the grease.
  6. Add beef back to pot and add taco seasoning, adding water as needed until seasoning is absorbed by the beef and is to your liking.
  7. Now just add the beef to your tortilla, add top with your favorite taco fillings and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Ground Beef Taco
Serves 4-6
Amount Per Serving
Calories600
% Daily Value*
Cholesterol 243 mg81%
Sodium 434 mg18.9%
Potassium 1139 mg24.2%
Protein 83 g166%
Total Fat 25.7 g32.9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Tips

  • Be sure to sweat your onions, garlic, and cumin. Just this little step adds a depth of to the beef as it cooks and lends a little something to the taco seasoning.
  • Put the beef in the pot a pinch at a time. Adding the beef a pinch at a time will allow the beef to cook more quickly and efficiently. It is also easier to break up during the cooking process.
  • Drain the beef before you add the taco seasoning.
  • Use store bought taco seasoning. It is less expensive and just as good as adding your own seasonings, just be leery of adding too much salt.
  • Make a lot of the beef. Go ahead and save your future self some time by making double the amount of beef for tacos. This way you can freeze the rest and thaw it out for your next taco night.
  • Add lime juice. While the toppings one puts on is their choice, do yourself a favor and add a little lime juice to your taco. The acid cuts through the beef and brings out every flavor you put in it. So good!
Rate This Recipe

Ground beef tacos is by far the easiest and most cost-effective method to cook tacos at home. With this recipe, even the someone with the most basic of culinary skills can make your taco Tuesday that much more delicious.

What ground beef is best for tacos?

The beef that I find works best is 80/20. The reason for this is because it will have enough fat in it to absorb the flavors, but also because it is not going to break your budget.

How long is ground beef taco meat good for?

Once your ground beef taco mix is cooked, store it in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze it for up to 3 or 4 months.

How to make tacos with ground beef?

Ground beef tacos are super easy and super delicious. First, start by browning the ground beef with a few herbs and spices to start building flavor. Then you drain the beef before you add your taco seasoning using water to loosen the seasoning (do not use too much, add in small increments). Once this is done just grab yourself a tortilla of your choice, put about a ¼ cup of ground beef on there with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.

How to cook ground beef for tacos?

When you begin to cook your ground beef for tacos, start by adding oil to a seep skillet or pot. Once the oil is heated add some minced garlic, diced onion, and cumin and allow this to sweat over medium to medium-low heat. Once sweated and very fragrant, add your beef one pinch at a time. By adding the beef a pinch at a time allows the beef to cook more quickly and evenly.

Once beef is added and mixed with the garlic and onions, cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Next, drain your beef in a strainer to get out all the grease. Add the beef back to the pot turning the heat down low at this point. Add the taco seasoning and pour in a little water at a time, stirring until the beef absorbs the water and is to your liking.

How to season ground beef for tacos?

Taco seasoningPhoto By Canva

I like to season and build flavors in my ground beef for tacos a couple times in the process. Before the beef is cooked, I like to add some minced garlic, diced onions, and cumin to the heated oil in my pot. Sweating these ingredients will accentuate the flavors and allow the beef to begin building flavor while it cooks.

Once cooked, drain the beef and add the taco seasoning. Instead of using a taco seasoning packet, feel free to use your own seasonings and flavors, but I find the taco seasoning to be just as good. Now just add water to incorporate the taco seasoning into the beef until it is to your liking.

How much ground beef for tacos?

For a typical taco sized tortilla, you can fit about a ¼ cup of beef taco mix on it comfortably and have plenty of room for your toppings.

How many pounds of ground beef per person for tacos?

You can go ahead and just plan on making a ½ pound of ground beef for tacos per person.

How much taco seasoning per pound of ground beef?

It is best practice to use a package of seasoning per 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef. This way you can get the great flavors of the taco seasoning, but it allows you to control your salt content better.

Do you drain meat before adding taco seasoning?

Yes! Please drain the beef for your tacos before adding the seasoning. I personally have the mistake of not draining the ground beef and it was greasy and very unappetizing.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets

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