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This easy Ground Beef Tacos recipe makes delicious, saucy tacos that are full of flavor in 15 minutes or less. A couple of surprise ingredients can really elevate your standard beef taco recipe beyond just that packet of seasoning.
You aren’t likely to come across ground beef tacos if you wander the streets of Mexico, but you’ll certainly find them on dinner tables across America. These easy beef tacos are a dinnertime staple, and with good reason!
You can easily transform a pound of beef into a succulent, flavor dinner with a handful of pantry ingredients and all your favorite fresh toppings. These tacos are quick, easy, super juicy, and so delicious. Even picky eaters have a hard time saying no!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Taco seasoning: Ingredients for homemade taco seasoning are right in the recipe card in the amount you need. Or, substitute one packet of store-bought taco seasoning.
- Ground beef: If you choose a lean ground beef such as 90/10, you may not need to drain any fat. Fat is flavor!
- Brown sugar: Leave this out if it sounds weird to you.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ teaspoon), Whisk in cornstarch if desired. (Or, substitute one store-bought taco seasoning packet).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning, garlic, and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Feel free to drain excess grease at this point if desired.
- Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the meat hot with the tortillas and all your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and diced avocado.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups (1 quart) of delicious Beef Taco meat. That’s enough for 4 servings, 1 cup of meat each, enough to make 3 or 4 tacos per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool the cooked meat, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag and press flat to gently squeeze out the air from the bag as it seals. Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (never at room temperature). Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Slow cooker: Sauté the onions in a skillet on the stove. Add the taco seasoning, garlic, and dried oregano. Add the ground beef and cook until almost done. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker and add the sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours.
- Dried spices: Cooking out of the pantry? Substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon onion powder or 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes for the fresh garlic and onion. For more heat, add red pepper flakes or more cayenne pepper.
- Taco toppings: Load it all up! Try lettuce, tomato, avocado (or avocado sauce), guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, minced white onion, cilantro, and minced jalapeños.
- Salsa: Try mild tomato salsa (pico de gallo), hot salsa, green tomatillo salsa, or corn salsa.
- Crunchy taco shells: Fry corn tortillas until crispy on the stove or in the oven.
- Lettuce wraps: This taco meat is delicious on butter lettuce or romaine leaves.
- Taco salad or bowl: Add the cooked meat to a bowl with chopped lettuce, cooked black beans or refried beans, tomatoes, scallions, and a creamy cilantro lime dressing. Add cooked brown rice to make a hearty taco bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.
- Add quinoa: Add cooked quinoa to the mixture to make it more filling or stretch it further.
- Ground Turkey Tacos: Ground turkey shows up where you least expect it, in the Best Turkey Tacos you’ve ever had. This recipe has a few tricks up its sleeve to make sure every bite is juicy and perfectly seasoned.
- Ground Chicken Tacos: Easy Ground Chicken Tacos are juicy, perfectly seasoned, and perfect for hectic weeknights. They are also lightning fast, ready in about 15 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is turkey a good substitute for beef?
There are many recipes where ground turkey is a fantastic, maybe even preferable, substitute for beef. Meatloaf, meatballs, tacos, spaghetti sauce, and chili are some of the best ways. You won’t even miss the beef!
More recipes to try
Mexican Recipes
Mexican Rice
Soup and Stew Recipes
Sweet Potato Chili
Main Dishes
Stuffed Zucchini
Main Dishes
Stuffed Bell Peppers
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Ground Beef Tacos
This easy Ground Beef Tacos recipe makes delicious, saucy tacos that are full of flavor in 15 minutes or less. A couple of surprise ingredients can really elevate your standard beef taco recipe beyond just that packet of seasoning.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the taco seasoning (see note 1):
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the tacos:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound ground beef (see note 2)
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (see note 3)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toppings for serving:
- corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- shredded lettuce
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced tomatoes
- sour cream
Instructions
To make the taco seasoning:
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ teaspoon), Whisk in cornstarch if desired. (Or, substitute one packet store-bought taco seasoning).
To make the tacos:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning, garlic, and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Feel free to drain excess grease at this point if desired.
- Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve:
- Serve the meat hot with tortillas and all your favorite toppings like lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream.
Notes
- Taco seasoning: Ingredients for homemade taco seasoning are right in the recipe card in the amount you need. Or, substitute one packet of store-bought taco seasoning.
- Ground beef: If you choose a lean ground beef such as 90/10, you may not need to drain any fat. Fat is flavor!
- Brown sugar: Leave this out if it sounds weird to you.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups (1 quart) of delicious Beef Taco meat. That’s enough for 4 servings, 1 cup of meat each, enough to make 3 or 4 tacos per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup meatCalories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 20gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 114mgPotassium: 432mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 850IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 3mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.