When it comes to family time, tacos are the comfort food that everyone enjoys. This Ground Beef Taco Meat will be your winner for a flavorful, juicy, and delicious homemade taco. This is my go-to taco seasoning I use for quick last-minute tacos. I love how it takes me just 15 minutes!

Taco Tuesday is here and you don’t have any idea how to make a quick taco meat? Give this recipe a try, and this will be your go-to for your taco. This delicious taco dish uses just nine simple ingredients, which you may have already in your pantry. Can be cooked in one pan on the stovetop, adding all ingredients at one time. Cook it for 15 minutes, and there you have it!
You’ll feel the flavor of Mexican cuisine, which I really love! I was making sure to use condiments, they love to use for a more authentic taste. Those who love Mexican food in general will be in love with this recipe, for sure.
Tacos are incredibly versatile. They can be eaten as a main dish or as a snack, and also they allow for a wide range of fillings and toppings, including meats and different vegetables. You can combine them to your taste, and eat them how you prefer. Basically, tacos are the best comfort food around the world and it’s available anywhere and everywhere.
Are you a fan of some delicious tacos? Here are some of my favorites I can’t live without (literally…I make these all the time: Jack in the Box Tacos, and the Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos. If you love a little heat on it, check out this Easy Ground Beef Tacos (It’s ready just in 10 minutes). Yum!
With these pantry staples, you can make a large amount in a jar for storing. So, next time you just have to dump inside the pan, on top of the ground beef. It’s ready whenever and wherever you want. I think that’s really cool!
My Favorite Taco Meat
Easy and Quick. Whenever you need to make a last-minute dish on a weeknight, this taco meat is a great choice! Ready just in 15 minutes, and you have an all-time favorite dish everyone loves! Nobody will be disappointed with this recipe.
Homemade Seasoning. I always prefer doing everything from scratch, even the seasonings. Lof of bought condiments have some weird ingredients to help their flavor enhancer. I prefer to leave those out of my food, for a more nutritious dish. I love to be in control of the food choices I make, and this is the only way I can…to make it myself.
Gathering with People. Tacos are great because you can feed a lot of people without cooking the whole day. Family or friends, everyone will go home with a happy face after eating what they like! And this is it! This Ground Beef Taco Meat will be the hit! I already know!
More options for the Ground Beef Taco Meat
Taco meat in another dish. Oh, the list is long here. There are so many different dishes you can use this same recipe. The same taco seasoning goes perfectly when you make Nachos with Ground Beef; lasagna, Sliders, Burritos, Taco Soup, Empanadas, Lettuce Wraps, Quesadillas, Shepherd’s Pie… and the list goes on. These ideas are really good ways also, to use all the taco meat leftovers.
Wide range of fillings and toppings. Tacos are really versatile. But, the traditional taco fillings are lettuce, pico de gallo (or diced tomatoes), onions, cilantro, red radish, cabbage, guacamole (or avocado), shredded cheese, salsa, hot sauce, sour cream… and lime. In my opinion, lime is probably the most essential of authentic Mexican taco toppings. It brings out the flavors in a taco beautifully.
Main Ingredient. The meats can also vary. So much diversity here. The main ingredient can be taco meat (carne asada) which is the most popular one. Braised or grilled beef, steak, grilled chicken, fish, and other meats you consume daily.
Breakfast tacos are also popular, which contain scrambled eggs as a main ingredient. The shrimp taco is also famous thanks to the one and only Kylie Jenner and her friend Karrueche Tran. Here is the Kylie Jenner shrimp taco recipe.
Ingredients
We only need 9 simple ingredients for our recipe. You’ll find more details on the recipe card.
- Ground Beef – I like to use 85% lean ground beef. But feel free to use what you and your family love the best.
- Onion Powder – Onions are a must for taco meat. They give a lot of flavor to it. Some people prefer to use real onions, some people use onion powder. To be honest, I use whatever I have in my pantry at that moment. The general rule is that 2 tbsp of onion powder is equivalent to 1 onion.
- Garlic Powder – I love to add garlic or garlic powder to my taco meat. Garlic and beef are always good friends, and they help each other to bring those delicious savors out. Again, for the ratio, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to powdered garlic would equal 3/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder. So in our case, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder equals approximately 2 1/3 tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Paprika Powder – has a smokey flavor and helps color the taco seasoning.
- Season Goya with cilantro and achiote – I love this seasoning in taco meats. Puts more flavor and color into any dish. It gives a sensational Mexican/Latin-American vibe which I love for my tacos.
- Adobo Seasoning – Improves the flavor of the taco meat. It’s a Latin-American seasoning.
- Beef Broth Seasoning – Seasoning is a key for our taco meat. This seasoning will also improve its delicious flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Heat a large skillet.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet.
- Break the beef up with your spoon while cooking.
- Cook the ground beef fully, until no longer pink. That’s approximately 5 minutes. The ground beef will release enough water and grease to make the taco juicy and flavorful. If the ground beef doesn’t release enough water for your taste, add water little by little. Not too much. Otherwise, you don’t need to add extra water. No oil! The boiling process helps separate fat from the meat, and it comes out quite lean.
- Add all the seasoning and stir together.
- Allow to simmer for 10 more minutes or until the meat is cooked perfectly.
- Serve it hot.
Common Questions
How much taco meat per person?
Generally speaking, men usually eat 3 to 4 tacos and women seem to usually eat 2 to 3 tacos, which means almost 1 cup of meat for each guest.
How To Store Leftover Taco Meat?
If you plan to eat it in the next few days, just put it in an air-tight plastic container like and leave it in the fridge. If you like for the taco meat to last longer, you can freeze it in an air-tight freezer bag. Make sure you squeeze all the air out and lock the zipper securely. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.
How to make this vegan?
Vegan tacos starting to gain more popularity these days. There are so many things you can add for a no-meat taco. For example, black beans is always the vegetarian option for most people. Chickpeas, mushrooms, tofu, tempeh, lentils of cauliflower seem to be popular in the vegan community. Just choose what you love, and it will be a win, for sure!
What to Serve with Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Dominican White Rice
- Guacamole
- Mexican Street Corn
- Spicy Red Gold Salsa
- Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa
- Dominican Bean Stew
Ground Beef Taco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lb ground beef 85% lean
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pack Season Goya with cilantro and achiote
- 1 pack Beef Broth Seasoning
- ½ tbsp Adobo Seasoning
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet.1½ lb ground beef
- Break the beef up with your spoon while cooking.
- Cook the ground beef fully, until no longer pink. That's approximately 5 minutes. The ground beef will release enough water and grease to make the taco juicy and flavorful. If the ground beef doesn't release enough water for your taste, add water little by little. Not too much. Otherwise, you don't need to add extra water. No oil! The boiling process helps separate fat from the meat, and it comes out quite lean.
- Add all the seasoning and stir together.2 tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1 pack Season Goya with cilantro and achiote, 1 pack Beef Broth Seasoning, ½ tbsp Adobo Seasoning
- Allow to simmer for 10 more minutes or until the meat is cooked perfectly.
- Serve it hot.
Julie
These came out so fresh and tasty! I love how rich the flavors were and how fabulous of a dinner they made. I’ll be making this one again for sure!
Padma
Quick and easy recipe with such good flavors!
Eureka
The seasoning was perfect, not too spicy but still packed with flavor. And I loved how juicy and tender the meat turned out. Paired with some homemade guacamole and salsa and it made a so delicious meal.
Lauren
The best taco meat recipe I have come across! Easy to follow recipe and the flavors are just amazing and so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Gianne
The flavors were perfectly seasoned and the meat was juicy and delicious. It was super easy to make and my whole family loved it. Definitely a new favorite in our house!
Fiona Maclean
Gosh such a quick recipe to make – utterly delicious too!
Harriet Young
YUMMY! I loved the seasoning in this, it was really delicious. Will definitely be making again!
Dina and Bruce
This is an easy meal prep for dinner and lunch! Thank you!
Winona
My whole family loved these tacos! My husband immediately asked when I was making these again. This is such a delicious and easy recipe for taco night!
Aimee
Absolutely delicious and so easy! The blend of spices is perfect. Used it for tacos, and the family loved it. Tacos is always a favorite in my house.
MacKenzie
The flavors of this taco meat was so good. We made it tonight for taco Tuesday and absolutely loved it.
Paula
I put this on flatbread after realizing I didn’t have taco shells. My boys loved it.
Jennifer
Love these! Tacos are a big hit in my house and you got the spices just right. Love all the suggestions, too!
Shelby
I love the homemade seasoning for this! So flavorful and super easy to make. Way better than store-bought.
Donna
Big hit with the kids, adding to the regular rotation for a delicious but fuss free dinner!
Mandy Applegate
This looks a great recipe and I can’t wait to make it, thanks for giving a guide to how much ground beef I’ll need – I always get it wrong!