Taco Meat
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This homemade taco meat is so easy and so much better than fast food. Perfect for Taco Tuesday or whenever you’re craving tacos.
If you love tacos you’re going to love our taco meat recipe. This is so good and has the texture of taco bell meat where it’s nice and finely chopped, no big huge chunks.
Recipe ingredients and notes
- Ground Beef – If you can’t or don’t eat beef you can also use ground chicken, ground turkey, impossible burger or beyond meat.
- Flour – We use flour to thicken the meat and help it absorb the liquid and seasonings.
- Taco Seasoning – For this recipe we use our homemade taco seasoning but you could also use a packet of taco seasoning if you prefer.
- Water – Once the meat is cooked we use water to help it create a sauce for the meat to keep it nice and juicy.
Step-by-step instructions
For the full ingredient amount and full instructions on how to make taco meat see the recipe card below.
Cook the taco meat: Our preferred way to cook taco meat is in a cast-iron skillet. Add the meat and then add in some flour and mash and brown the meat.
Season the taco meat: Once the meat is almost cooked we’ll add in the seasonings and water.
Let the taco meat simmer: After adding all the seasonings we let the meat simmer with the seasonings and continue to fully cook.
Taste and season if needed: When the meat is done I’ll taste test to see if it needs more salt or any other seasonings. Sometimes I’ll add more paprika to give it a more red and orange color.
Recipe tips and variations
- The taco meat seasoning is our homemade taco seasoning mix but you could easily use a taco seasoning packet if you prefer.
- Our favorite tool for mashing up taco meat is our potato masher.
- Ground taco meat freezes well after cooking just allow it took cool enough to place into a freezer safe container.
- Taco meat is perfect for meal prep and even recipes like taco salad, taco pasta, taco macaroni and cheese, taco lasagna, and even taco soup!
Storage and reheating tips
- Refrigerate: Store any leftover taco meat in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: To freeze leftover taco meat place it in an airtight freezer safe container or ziploc bag and squeeze out all the air. Freeze for 3-4 months.
- Reheat: We like to reheat taco meat on the stovetop with a little bit of water in a skillet and cook it on medium heat until warm. In a pinch you can also use the microwave.
How to serve
We love serving taco meat in soft taco shells, hard taco shells, flour tortillas or even over tortilla chips like nachos. Our favorite taco toppings are Pico de Gallo, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, taco sauce, and Mexican black beans.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you can’t use all of the taco meat you can freeze it in any freezer-safe container, though we prefer silicone bags or even Ziploc to prevent air from getting in. Push out as much as you can and you can enjoy it for up to 4 months for the best quality.
To make spicy taco meat you can add either crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne powder. Carefully add spices, you can always add more but you can’t take it out.
Absolutely! Some suggestions would be peppers, onions, corn, tomatoes, or chopped leafy greens. You can also add beans as well.
Yes, you can. We prefer to leave it for flavor but you can just add about 1/3-1/2 cup more water to keep it hydrated.
what to serve with taco meat
Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1-2 teaspoons paprika more if you want it red in color
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more or less to taste
- 3/4 – 1 1/2 cups water use less or more water if you drain the meat.
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet on medium heat cook the ground beef with the flour. Use a potato masher to mash the ground beef.
- Once the meat is no longer pink add in the seasonings and water. If you've drained the fat, add in 1/3-1/2 cup more water.
- Bring the taco meat to a boil and reduce the heat to low heat. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Serve as desired.
Video
Nutrition
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I think I ate most of this before I even served it up. Two thumbs up, great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed!! Thanks! 😀
This is my new go to for Taco Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, etc….
What fat % do you use?
We go with 80-85%.
This is very similar to mine except you’ll want to add 2 TBSP tomato paste and the secret ingredient Arbol Chilue Powder. Be sure to cook dry ingredients and tomato paste for one minute. Use beef or chicken broth, about 1/2 cup. That is the BEST.
Love your additions! I’ll definitely give it a try! 😀
I use it all the time now and whenever we have tacos
Thank you so much for trying and loving my recipe!! 🙂