Ground Beef Tacos

Make a batch of these easy ground beef tacos from scratch for a Mexican feast that the whole family will love. Simple and quick to make, you don’t have to wait til Taco Tuesday to enjoy these!

Tacos are always a family favorite, in fact, Mexican night is always eagerly awaited in our house! This ground beef taco recipe is crazy easy to make and it is bursting with your favorite flavors.

Whether you choose to serve them in soft flour tortillas or crispy taco shells, these are super tasty! In my opinion, this is the best ground beef taco recipe! Load them up with all of your favorite toppings for one delicious feast.

Be sure to try my Salmon Tacos and Shrimp Tacos too!

Why This Recipe Will Be Your New Favorite

Quick and easy: Simple to prep and quick to cook, these tacos are ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes.
Great for a crowd: Perfect for a family night in, this recipe is easily doubled too if you are entertaining.
So delicious! if you are a Mexican food fan, you are going to love the flavors of these tacos! The beef is rich and well seasoned, and one taco is definitely not enough!

Ingredients

Oil: For cooking. I like to use olive oil, but canola or vegetable will also work.
Beef: Use ground beef for this recipe. I prefer using lean ground beef, but opting for a higher fat content can give you a richer flavor.
Onion: Finely chopped and cooked with the beef.
Tomato sauce: This creates a nice saucy beef filling and adds richness and flavor.
Seasonings/spices: The beef taco seasoning is made with a tablespoon of chili powder, as well as salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.
Tortillas: You can make these tacos with soft flour or corn tortillas, or hard taco shells.

How To Make Beef Tacos

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef. Break the beef up with a wooden spoon while cooking. Add chopped onion. Cook the ground beef fully, until browned and no longer pink.
Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Then return to the stove and reduce the heat to low.
Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and taco meat seasoning. Stir together until the meat is coated in the sauce.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add taco meat to tacos shells and add toppings.
Serve with your favorite salad and sides.

TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN

Recipe Notes and Tips for the Best Beef Tacos

Once the meat has browned, drain away excess fat so that the mixture isn’t greasy. You can quickly do this using a fine mesh sieve.
Because the meat is quick to cook, I often chop and prep my toppings first so that they are ready to go.
If you prefer your tacos on the spicy side, add in a little cayenne to the seasoning.

Best Toppings To Add

When it comes to tacos, it’s all about the toppings! You can use as many or as little as you like and mix things up o suit your own tastes. Our favorites are:

Cherry tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Avocado
Red onion
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Pickled jalapenos
Cilantro lime rice
Salsa
Guacamole

close up image of mexican ground beef tacos on a plate

Recipe FAQs

Can you make these beef tacos with other meats?

I love to make these with ground beef, but you can easily make them with ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, or ground bison if you prefer. You can easily make these meat-free too, by using a plant-based option like Beyond Meat. If you mix up the protein, just make sure that it is fully cooked through before serving.

Can you make the taco meat ahead of time?

This taco meat is a great make-ahead option and can also be frozen. Make it up as per the recipe and let it cool before transferring to a covered container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop to serve.

close up image of taco meat on tortilla with toppings

More Tex Mex Recipes

If you loved this mexican ground beef taco recipe, make sure you also try my other Tex Mex recipes:

If you enjoyed this Beef Tacos recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Tacos

Make up a batch of ground beef tacos from scratch for a Mexican feast that the whole family will love. Simple and quick to make, you don't have to wait til Taco Tuesday to enjoy these! Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Taco Meat

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground beef
½ cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup tomato sauce

Taco seasoning

1 Tablespoon chili Powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried Oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon onion Powder

Toppings

1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
⅓ cup red onion, sliced or diced or pickled
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Lime slices
8 tortillas

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Break the beef up with a wooden spoon while cooking. Add chopped onion. Cook the ground beef fully, until browned and no longer pink.
Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Then return to the stove and reduce the heat to low.
Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir together until the meat is coated in the sauce.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add taco meat to tacos shells and add toppings.
Serve with your favorite salad and sides.

Video

Notes

Once the meat has browned, drain away excess fat so that the mixture isn’t greasy. You can quickly do this using a fine mesh sieve.
Because the meat is quick to cook, I often chop and prep my toppings first so that they are ready to go.
If you prefer your tacos on the spicy side, add in a little cayenne to the seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 364 kcal
Carbohydrates: 23 g
Protein: 16 g
Fat: 24 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 54 mg
Sodium: 545 mg
Potassium: 523 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 4 g
Vitamin A: 1668 IU
Vitamin C: 12 mg
Calcium: 131 mg
Iron: 3 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.