Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat

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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 -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.

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat -a quick and easy taco meat recipe that's perfect for any day of the week. Great for tacos, burritos, or nachos!

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.

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat -this is a great taco meat recipe that's great for tacos, burritos, or even nachos!

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

Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat -a perfect taco meat recipe that's great for any night of the week! This taco meat is perfect for tacos, burritos, and even nachos!

What to serve with Ground Beef Tacos:

5 from 2 votes
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!
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:

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.

13 thoughts on “Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat”

  1. This recipe was super easy and delicious. I think the tomato sauce gave it that creamy saucy texture that’s missing in most taco meat recipes. Everyone in my family loved it!

    Reply
  2. I added Tomato sauce but it took away from the flavor of taco meat. I think next time I’ll skip the sauce and maybe add 1/2cup of water instead

    Reply
  3. Thanks for this! I always just throw a bunch of spices in the meat and hope it turns out! Now I know exactly what to use!

    Reply

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