Spice up your weeknight dinner with these delicious and simple ground beef tacos. Ready in just 30 minutes, these tacos are a family favorite and perfect for a busy night. Top with your choice of fixings, and serve with refried beans or cilantro lime rice.
Set up a taco bar and let your friends and family customize their tacos. For a complete fiesta, serve these with Mexican shrimp cocktails and chicken enchilada soup.
Why You’ll Want To Make These Again and Again
Whether you like crispy taco shells, soft flour tortillas, or corn tortillas, dinner does not get much easier or more delicious. These tacos can be dressed and on the table in less than twenty minutes, making them the ideal weeknight meal.
With just a handful of spices, even your teenager can get these made for dinner. If you are always in a hurry, make a double portion of the ground beef mixture and freeze half for up to two months for another delicious taco meal. Customize the toppings to suit your taste.
How To Make Ground Beef Tacos
Making ground beef tacos is as simple as browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is about halfway browned, add a little chopped onion. Then add the spices, salt, pepper, and a little bit of beef or chicken broth and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Finally, scoop the beef mixture into your shells and top with lettuce, sun-ripened tomatoes, shredded cheese, jalapeno rings, and whatever your little heart desires.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Carefully blacken the edges of the corn tortillas right over an open flame on a gas stove using tongs.
- The shells should not be stuffed until ready to eat, as they may become soggy and cold.
- Drizzle your tacos with ranch, chipotle ranch, or fire-roasted salsa for extra flavor.
- Store all leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, although tacos are always best eaten as soon as they are prepared.
Use Homemade Taco Seasoning
Homemade Taco Seasoning is quick and easy to make, with so much flavor compared to those dry taco seasoning packets that have been sitting on the shelves for months.
Many of the herbs and spices in this recipe may already be in your pantry or spice cupboard. Mix a triple or quadruple batch of homemade taco seasoning. Store in an airtight container for up to six months.
When making tacos, use 2 1/2 tablespoons for each pound of ground beef. You can also use it in soups, fajitas, taco pasta salad, and taco salad and as a dry rub for chicken, beef, or pork. It tastes much better than the taco seasoning packets and is easy to mix up and store.
Taco Toppings
The possibilities are endless, but here are a few of my favorites. Ideally, set up a taco bar and let your family and friends select which toppings they like the best.
- chopped iceberg lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- cheddar cheese
- pickled jalapenos
- thinly sliced red onion
- chopped or torn cilantro
- guacamole
- sour cream
- salsa
- thinly sliced jalapenos
- black olives
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute ground turkey, chicken, or even pork for the ground beef.
You can prepare taco meat up to a day in advance and reheat it in the microwave. If it gets dry, add a little beef broth, or water.
It is best to store the ground beef taco mixture separately. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use freshly warmed taco shells and freshly chopped toppings.
More Taco Recipes
Ground Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 pinches ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons beef or chicken broth see notes
- 8 taco shells either crunchy or soft
- Chopped lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Shredded cheese cheddar, cheddar Jack, Monterey Jack
- Pickled Jalapenos
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef breaking it up as it cooks. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion. Cook until the beef is brown and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cayenne pepper, and beef broth. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Divide the beef mixture evenly between the taco shells. Top with desired toppings. Serve promptly.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey, chicken, or even pork for the ground beef.
- Carefully blacken the edges of the corn tortillas right over an open flame on a gas stove using tongs.
- Taco meat can be prepared up to a day in advance and reheated in the microwave. If it gets dry, add a little beef broth or tomato sauce.
- The shells should not be stuffed until ready to eat, as they may become soggy and cold.
- For a little extra flavor, drizzle your tacos with ranch, chipotle ranch, or fire-roasted salsa.
- Store all leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, although tacos are always best eaten as soon as they are prepared.
Nutrition
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Stephanie B
So nice when I can put together a delicious dinner in half-an-hour! We are taco freaks in my house and this recipe is at the top of our list. I must take your suggestion and make these for a taco bar next time we have a casual party.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! I am so glad that you love the ground beef tacos. We love them too!
Melissa
I love making tacos for the family! So fun and easy to personalize to everyones tastes as I let them top them themselves! I’ve never tried with ground chicken or turkey though but that sounds like a good lower cal alternative option! I bet with that combo of spices no one would even be able to tell I switched it! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Beth Pierce
Sounds like a plan! Enjoy!
Ben
You really can’t beat a recipe this easy and delicious. This is going to be on permanent rotation in my dinner schedule.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ben! So glad that you liked the ground beef tacos!
Robert Burns
Some of my all-time favorites
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Robert!
Joann Wyant
Love me some tacos 🌮. I like to take either the taco shell (hard) or tortilla chips and crush them up a bit and make like a salad, so good. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Definitely going to make some of the taco seasoning.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Joann! Enjoy!
Sonia
Thanks for sharing such a fantastic recipe! Mixing chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper sounds excellent. Plus, storing it in an airtight container for up to six months seems like a convenient way to have it readily available. It tastes fantastic in tacos, soups, fajitas, Taco Pasta Salad, and even as a dry rub for chicken, beef, or pork. It’s always good to know that you’re using fresh, homemade ingredients rather than packaged seasoning. Thanks for the tip!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sonia! The pleasure is all mine!
Catherine Shane Cabuhat
I love these beef tacos! I will save this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Fransic verso
These tacos look so yummy. I did tacos before but wasn’t as good looking as this. Maybe I will try it again. Thank you for sharing!
Barbie Ritzman
I am excited about this amazing taco recipe, as tacos are one of my favorite foods. So yummy, thanks
Ivana Mearns
Delicious. A true flavor bomb, so many very tasty spices, together with beef, all I can say is this taco recipe is the best!
Dana
This ground beef taco recipe was great! It was quick and delicious and it was a hit with the kids!
Bryan Carey
Ground beef is my most common meat choice when I make or order tacos. What really makes a taco standout in the crowd is the spices and seasoning, of which your recipe includes many.
Julie
Hi Beth! I’m a big fan of tacos, and I always love trying new recipes. This one is definitely going to be added to my rotation. I love that it’s so easy to make, and that it can be customized to suit everyone’s taste. I’m also a big fan of the fact that the author includes tips for making the best ground beef tacos. These are definitely going to come in handy the next time I make tacos!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Julie! So glad that you like the tips in the recipe!
Stephanie
Great ground beef taco recipe! Everyone loved them. This is my new go-to recipe. I now know how to char the edges of the corn tortillas on the gas stovetop.
Hayley Dhanecha
We love tacos, so easy and quick to put together. Can’t wait to try your recipe, especially want to try your taco seasoning. Thank you.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Hayley!
Maggie
I love tacos. They are my favorite go to meal. This recipe looks easy enough. Gonna give it a try!