Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat is a great taco meat recipe that can be made with beef, turkey, or ground chicken.

Quick and easy and perfect for tacos, burritos, or nachos!

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat

This is my go to beef taco meat recipe.

I love it for so many reasons….it’s quick, easy, requires only a handful of pantry staples and no package of taco seasoning.

It really is just as easy as dumping a package of taco seasoning and by making it homemade you can adjust to suit your tastes!

Some other great taco recipes are: Spicy Chicken Tacos, Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos, and Easy Taco Soup.

Most of the time I make my taco meat this way instead of storing taco seasoning, I just find it easier and one less thing for me to store.

But I do have a Homemade Taco Seasoning that is really good. It’s really just a matter of preference.

Make a batch of taco seasoning to have on hand and ready to use at any time or use this taco meat recipe if you don’t want to store a jar of taco seasoning.

What spices to put in taco meat?

I use chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.

You can also replace the onion and garlic powder for fresh which I also do sometimes. Use 1 small onion chopped and 4-6 cloves garlic, minced in place of the onion and garlic powder.

You can also add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to boost the heat. Change up the flavors by adding smoked paprika or chipotle powder.

Can I freeze this Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat?

Yes! It is great to make ahead and stored in a freezer safe container it will last 2-4 months.

To thaw place in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as necessary.

You can also make ahead and store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

A few extra tips about this beef taco meat:

• This recipe also works great with ground turkey or chicken.
• Use any type of ground beef you prefer. Just drain the grease well so your taco filling isn’t greasy.
• A few extras that I like to add sometimes:
  • an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (as shown in these pictures) or 1/2 cup of salsa to make it a little saucy! This is our favorite way.
  • a 4 ounce can of chopped green chilies
  • a 15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

What to serve with Ground Beef Tacos:

• All the toppings!! Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado…you name it.
• Homemade Pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Quick and Easy Refried Beans
• Spanish Rice

5 from 2 votes

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Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat -a great taco meat recipe that can be made with beef, turkey, or ground chicken. Quick and easy and perfect for tacos, burritos, or nachos!

Course: Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: healthy taco meat, homemade taco meat, taco meat recipe

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Calories: 147 kcal

Author: Malinda Linnebur

Ingredients

• 1 pound (453g) ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 (8oz) (227g) can tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large skillet brown ground beef sprinkled with seasonings over medium heat. Drain any grease and stir in tomato sauce. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. 

Recipe Notes

1.  Make ahead options: Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 2-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as needed. Or store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
2. You can replace the onion and garlic powder for fresh which I also do sometimes. Use 1 small onion chopped and 4-6 cloves garlic, minced in place of the onion and garlic powder. You can also add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to boost the heat. Change up the flavors by adding smoked paprika or chipotle powder. 
3. This recipe also works great with ground turkey or chicken.
   Use any type of ground beef you prefer. Just drain the grease well so your taco filling isn't greasy. 
4. A few extras that I like to add sometimes: 
   1/2 cup of salsa instead of the tomato sauce. (This is our favorite way.) A 4 ounce can of chopped green chilies, a 15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
5. Nutrition info calculated using lean (90%) ground beef. 

What to serve with Ground Beef Tacos:

• All the toppings!! Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado…you name it.
• Homemade Pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Quick and Easy Refried Beans
• Spanish Rice

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat

Amount Per Serving

Calories 147 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 49mg16%

Sodium 74mg3%

Potassium 302mg9%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 395IU8%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 2.4mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.