Taco, Taco! How many can you have at one time? I seriously can’t get enough of these Ground Beef Tacos. They’re so fun and easy, I know my whole family loves them too. Honestly, I don’t even bother waiting until Tuesday to make these!
I just season the beef perfectly, wrap it in soft tortillas, and load them up with all my favorite toppings. It’s one of those meals where everyone’s asking for more.
And you know what makes it even better? I can have these on the table in about 20 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
Seriously, I think I could eat these ground beef tacos every day. They’re that good. Even the pickiest of eaters will gladly chow down on them. And they’re super customizable with your favorite toppings!
My recipe uses a homemade taco seasoning, which is so much better than store bought. Trust me, the 5 minutes it takes to mix up is well worth your time.
So grab a skillet and your favorite tortillas and let’s get cookin’!
Ingredients
You will find exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:
- Ground Beef – I like to use 85/15 ground beef for our taco meat. Take note that leaner beef might require a little more water. If you’re using fattier ground beef, skim off some of the grease before adding the other ingredients.
- Tomato Sauce – Adds tanginess. You can also use tomato paste or salsa instead.
- Chili powder – This is the flavor base of the taco seasoning.
- Cumin – A staple seasoning in Latin cuisines.
- Garlic powder – You can use fresh garlic, but we’re trying to make this easy, right?
- Onion powder – Alternately, you can use dried onion flakes if that’s what is in your cupboard.
- Oregano – I use Mexican oregano when I have it on hand, but regular is fine too.
- Paprika – For flavor variation, sometimes I use smoked paprika.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – For a hint of heat.
- Salt and black pepper
- Water – I just add a dash of water. You can use broth instead (chicken, beef, or vegetable).
- Tortillas – Some days I use corn, some days flour. Just depends on my mood!
Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
1. Make taco seasoning: First, I just mix together my chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
2. Brown the beef: I next heat up a skillet over medium-high heat and adding in a tablespoon of oil. Once that’s hot, I toss in the ground beef and break it up with my wooden spoon or spatula. I let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes to get a nice sear, then I give it a stir. I keep cooking, giving it a stir every now and then, until the beef is perfectly browned.
3. Add the flavor: Next, I stir in my taco seasoning, a bit of tomato sauce, and a splash of water. I mix everything well and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Now, it’s time to start assembling those tacos! I load up my warmed tortillas with the ground beef mixture and my toppings of choice.
What Kind of Tortillas to Use
It’s up to you! Sometimes I use flour tortillas, but sometimes I make these tacos with corn tortillas and chow down with equal gusto.
I always like to give our tacos a quick sear to warm them up and add just a slight touch of crunch. I simply heat up an ungreased non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s nice and hot, I cook the tortillas for about 10 seconds on each side, just until those little brown spots start to show.
You can also use hard taco shells. That’s what Jason grew up on and thinks of as real tacos. One day he said he was making tacos for dinner. I asked what kind he was making and he said “taco tacos”. I knew what that meant…
Some Topping Ideas:
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Tomato
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Chopped Onion
- Sliced Black Olives
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
Serving Suggestions
I like to have my toppings prepped and on the table so everyone can build their own perfect tacos. Just scoop a generous portion of the ground beef filling into each tortilla and fill with your favorite toppings.
If you like a little kick, you can drizzle on some hot sauce. I keep several varieties around, so each taco can have a slightly different flavor.
You can make an entire meal out of these tacos. I do like to have a side of Refried Beans on the side, though.
So there you go friends, one fun and easy weeknight meal. Watch the whole family chomp on these tacos one after another. I am sure you’ll be coming back to this one again and again.
Pin or bookmark this great recipe so you always know where to find it. And please leave a comment and star rating when you cook these, I love hearing from you. Until next time…
Ground Beef Tacos, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great taco recipes!
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Ground Turkey Tacos
Tacos Gobernador
Baja Shrimp Tacos
Steak Tacos
Korean Beef Tacos
Birria Tacos
Breakfast Tacos
Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
These ground beef tacos are a fun, super easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. You won’t even want to wait till Tuesday!
Ingredients
Taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika (we use smoked)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Taco meat
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
Tacos
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
Desired Toppings
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Tomato
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Chopped Onion
- Sliced Black Olives
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- Mix all taco seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat up a skillet over medium high heat, and add in a tablespoon of oil. Add in the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then give it a stir. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully browned.
- Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce and a little water. Mix everything well and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Heat an ungreased non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, cook the tortillas about 10 seconds per side, just until some brown spots start to appear.
- Scoop a generous portion of the ground beef filling into each tortilla and fill with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- You can use the same recipe with ground turkey or chicken. Just add a little extra oil to compensate for the lower fat meat.
- Leftovers: You can refrigerate leftover taco meat in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When reheating, add a tablespoon or so of water.
- You can also use the leftovers for a variety of other things. This ground beef filling is great for nachos, in lettuce wraps, tacos bowls or on a taco salad. I’ve even used it for taco omelettes!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 469Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 101mgSodium 966mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 5gSugar 2gProtein 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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