Taco Tuesdays have come a long way, but we can’t forget the classics. Ground Beef Tacos are a forever favorite in so many homes (including ours) for good reason. Simple ingredients, simple recipe, and they go from stove to table to mouth in just about 30 minutes. Plus, our homemade taco seasoning blend takes them from basic to best-tacos-ever.
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Regardless of your interior design aesthetics, there is one sign I recommend everyone have hanging in their home: a giant placard emblazoned with TACOS. Not only does it serve as a reminder that there are always things worth living for, but that there is ALWAYS something for dinner.
If you, or anyone in your home, struggle with the mental load of deciding what to eat, your TACOS sign will rescue you every time. It will remind you to always have an easy taco recipe in your back pocket. It will remind you to always have fixin’s on hand.
This particular ground beef taco recipe is a classic – both specifically in my home and in general, out in the world. All jokes about “white people taco night” aside, there’s a reason ground beef tacos are a thing. It’s a perfect recipe for beginners, and even though I’ve taken it up several notches past a taco kit, it’s still an easy recipe that’s practically impossible to mess up.
While ground beef tacos are a go-to in my house, maybe you prefer grilled chicken tacos. Or maybe you like street-style chicken tacos. Or steak tacos. Maybe you need a vegetarian taco. Or maybe you need a keto version. Whatever you need, there’s a taco for that.
Whether or not you choose to use any of my taco recipes, you can count on the fact that they’re easy, they’re completely customizable, and they’re always, always satisfying. I mean, they cornered the market on Tuesdays, a day that was previously known best for just not being Monday.
The Tacos My Family Has Eaten for Over a Decade!
This is one of the very first recipes I ever “developed” many, many years ago before food blogging was even a thing. I’ve made these tacos so many times, they’re one of the few recipes I can replicate from sense memory alone. I can make ’em with my eyes closed, and have – well, I’ve “made” this recipe as a ravenous, bedridden, pregnant lady barking instructions to my husband from the couch to my husband, so, you know… same thing. 😉
Why they’re so good:
- Homemade taco seasoning is so much better than store bought, plus it’s really easy to adapt the ingredients to your preference for heat.
- The flavor is built from the very first step, from browning the beef with onions to blooming the seasoning to adding tomato paste for depth – each step builds the flavor, and the result is a completely classic but craveable taco!
- They’re super fast – faster than deciding what to get for delivery, and definitely faster than driving to our local joint (that’s reserved for when we want fancy tacos!).
- This recipe uses pantry staples that I almost always have on a hand. When I don’t know what to make for dinner, I go to beef tacos.
- They’re classic. Not fancy. Not “healthy”. Not low carb or dairy free (though they can be if you want ’em to be). This is classic American comfort food and it’s gooooood.
- Everybody. Loves. Tacos. And I mean everybody. My kids, in particular, gobble them up, down, and every which way. It’s always one of my go-to recipes when we have family or friends in town. I’ve served these taco-bar style for our annual Christmas party (keep the meat warm in a crockpot!) and at more kids birthday parties than I can count.
Ground Beef Taco Seasoning
Homemade taco seasoning makes or breaks this recipe – truly. In fact, it makes or breaks several of our most popular recipes, from easy taco soup to taco stuffed sweet potatoes.
The best way to make sure that any homemade seasoning blend you prepare is perfect is to make sure your herbs and spices are fresh! Most will stay fresh for a year, but if you suspect that coriander has been rolling around in a drawer for too long, you can test it by aroma. Rub a small amount of spice between your fingers – it should smell very, very fragrant. If it smells dull, toss it and buy a new jar.
- Chili Powder: use at least one tablespoon and up to two
- Cumin
- Cornstarch: this will thicken the sauce
- Paprika: regular or smoked, sweet or hot
- Kosher Salt: this recipe was tested using Morton’s kosher salt. If you use sea salt or table salt, reduce the salt by at least 50%
- Ground Pepper: we use fresh ground pepper, which is coarser than pre-ground; reduce by half if you don’t use a pepper grinder.
- Garlic Powder
- Coriander
- Dried Oregano: use Mexican oregano if you can find it
- Red Pepper Flakes: optional, but do include if you really love heat
Pro-Tip: I make large batches of taco seasoning and you should too! It’s just as easy to make one portion as it is to make four (or more, hehe). Just combine in an appropriately sized jar and shake away. As long as your spices are fresh, the taco seasoning will stay fresh for at least 6 months.
More Ingredient Notes
- Reach for tomato paste – not sauce (which is too sweet) or canned tomatoes (too chunky). Tomato paste lends the perfect depth, smoky finish, and hint of tomatoes that everyone craves in a taco-truck-style taco.
- We like 80% beef because the fat helps it to brown up nicely; there’s no need to drain the fat unless you’d like to (the cornstarch will help it thicken into a rich sauce). Don’t go leaner than 90%, and if you do, we recommend adding just a bit more cooking fat to help the meat brown. Browning maximizes flavor!
- Speaking of flavor, use beef broth, not water, to build the sauce.
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos
Ground beef tacos are always a crowd pleaser – seasoned meat, veggies, and cheese wrapped in a soft tortilla. So simple, yet so perfect. Make your own taco seasoning and taste the difference! This recipe is super easy to make, ready in about 30 minutes, and you probably already have everything you need in your pantry.
- Make the pico de gallo. Combine chopped tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix until evenly combined, then taste for seasoning and adjust the lime juice, salt, or pepper to taste.
- Combine all taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or lidded jar and stir or shake until well-combined.
- Whisk the beef broth and tomato paste until very smooth.
- Saute the onions over medium high heat for 5 minutes, or until soft.
- Add the ground beef and cook until the meat starts to crisp up and the onions start to caramelize around the edges.
- Add the taco seasoning and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until worked into the beef and onion mixture and very fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and tomato paste mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the sauce is thick.
- Serve right away in warmed tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Chef’s Tips!
- For best results, use 80% ground beef, but do not go higher than 90%. Remember, fat=flavor.
- Use a wooden spoon to break up any beef chunks while cooking the filling.
- Make sure you cook the filling until onions are translucent, but caramelizing around the edges.
- If you scale up the taco seasoning, measure out ⅓ cup of the seasoning blend to make one batch of filling as written in the recipe card below.
- Both corn and flour tortillas work well, but fresh corn tortillas are the best! We like 6″ tortillas, and we love ’em warmed up!
How to Warm Tortillas
There are many ways to heat tortillas to make them soft and pliable, and to add a bit of char for flavor. We’ve listed our favorite methods below in order of preference.
Gas Burner: use tongs to place the tortilla directly over the grate of a gas burner set to medium heat for about 10 seconds on each side. Wrap in a tea towel to keep warm until ready to serve.
Skillet: warm a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat; heat each tortilla for 15-30 seconds (max) on each side. Wrap in a tea towel to keep warm until ready to serve.
Oven: wrap 8-10 tortillas in aluminum foil and place in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes. For extra soft tacos, wrap the stack in damp paper towels before wrapping in foil.
Microwave: place 3 tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds, and repeat as necessary.
Ground Beef Taco Toppings!
As I tell my kids every Tuesday – it’s not a taco without toppings, that’s just a tortilla sandwich. Top those tacos right with one of our go-to combinations, or pick your favorites!
American Style: pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
Street Style: diced red onion, fresh cilantro, avocado, crumbled queso fresco, and lime wedges.
Other Toppings: diced tomato, crema, black beans, shredded jack cheese (pepper, colby, etc.), sour cream, pickled red onions, cotija cheese, sliced or pickled jalapeno pepper, shredded cabbage, fresh or pickled radishes, pinto beans.
Storing and Freezing
In the Fridge: store cooked ground beef taco meat in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. It reheats perfectly in the microwave!
In the Freezer: store browned taco meat in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to store in gallon freezer bags frozen flat to save space. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat the entire batch on the stove in a 10″ skillet over medium heat until bubbling around the edges, or smaller portions in the microwave in 30-second increments storing in-between.
Did you make these ground beef tacos? I’d love to know how the recipe turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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30-Minute Ground Beef Tacos
Description
Ingredients
Ground Beef Taco Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, up to 2 tablespoon depending on preference for heat
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pico de Gallo
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced to ½” (about 1 cup)
- ½ small white onion, diced to ½” (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Ground Beef Taco Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped to ¼”
- 1 lb ground beef, 80-90%
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
For Serving
- 12 soft corn tortillas, or flour tortillas
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar jack cheese, or cheddar cheese
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- ⅓ c sour cream
Instructions
- Combine all taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or lidded jar and stir or shake until well-combined.
- Combine the beef broth and tomato paste in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until very smooth.
- Make the pico de gallo. Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix until well-combined. Taste for seasoning and just the lime juice, salt, and pepper until the flavor sings. Transfer to the fridge to marinate while the filling cooks.
- Heat a 10” skillet over medium high heat; add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Add the ground beef to the onions and cook, stirring with a wood spoon to break up the beef, until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent and starting to caramelize around the edges, 7-8 minutes.
- Add the entire portion of taco seasoning to the skillet and stir to combine; cook, stirring frequently, until worked into the beef and onion mixture and very fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and tomato paste mixture, then give everything a good stir. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the sauce is thick, about 5 minutes.
- Serve right away in warmed tortillas, topped with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Rose Martine
This looks absolutely amazing! Cannot wait to make this next week! Definitely want to try it out at our next Bimbo dinner party.