To cook ground beef for tacos, follow these expert steps for flavorful, well- seasoned taco meat:
- Heat a skillet and brown the beef
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 pound of lean ground beef (80% lean or leaner).
- Break the meat into small pieces with a spatula or meat chopper tool.
- Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired
- Add aromatics (optional but recommended)
- Sauté finely chopped onion (about ½ to ¾ cup) and minced garlic with the beef for extra flavor.
- You can also add finely chopped jalapeño for heat
- Season the beef
- Stir in taco seasoning made from a blend of chili powder (1-2 tsp), ground cumin (1-2 tsp), dried oregano (½ tsp), garlic powder (½-1 tsp), onion powder (¼-1 tsp), salt (½-1 tsp), black pepper (½ tsp), and optional smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for heat
* Alternatively, use a store-bought taco seasoning packet following its instructions
- Add liquids and simmer
- Add ½ cup water or tomato sauce (about 1 cup) to the skillet.
- Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Cook until the sauce thickens and coats the beef, about 3 to 5 minutes
- Final touches
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Optionally add lime juice, hot sauce, or salsa for extra flavor
- Serve
- Warm corn or flour tortillas.
- Spoon the seasoned beef into tortillas and top with shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, or your favorite taco toppings
This method yields juicy, flavorful ground beef taco meat in about 10-15 minutes of active cooking time. Leftover meat can be refrigerated for up to 4-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months
. Enjoy your tacos!
