Great Mexican for all. The best taco meat you will ever eat for tacos or nachos. And you made it from scratch with these easy step by step photo instructions.
Publishing Note: This is the first in a series of a repost of older underappreciated recipes. I want to highlight some great recipes that are my personal favorites. I’m buffing up the photo editing and wording some.This taco meat visits my house at least monthly. Please give it a try.
This is a “clean up” of one of my very first posts. I have changed methods, so it is time for an update. This is a greatly modified and simplified Cooks Illustrated recipe that tastes better than any ground beef taco meat you ever had. Use it in tacos, nachos, or on a salad.
You will never open an envelope of taco mix again. For about the same work and just using what you already have in your pantry, you can do this in less than 25 minutes.
My Rating
An easy 5. I have done it over and over. And it is very hard to stop eating and save the leftovers for tomorrow.
Recipe Notes on spicy taco meat:
This is about a 6/10 spicy when using 2 teaspoons of cumin and the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. Adjust to your taste. The part about the fat content of the meat is important. An 80% burger has a lot of fat that should be drained and draining here is getting rid of spices and flavor. Please use 85% or 90%.
Adjust to your taste. The part about the fat content of the meat is important. An 80% burger has a lot of fat that should be drained and draining here is getting rid of spices and flavor. Please use 85% or 90%.
Near the end of this recipe, a touch of brown sugar and vinegar are added. This adds some complexity to the taste profile. I admit to skipping it about half the time.
Lastly, make a lot more than you think you want. The last cooking for the two of use was 4 pounds. It is good in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and freezes well.
This is what you need plus your meat, salt, and pepper. A note about the ground beef. With this method, there is no point to drain extra fat off. Buy a lower fat ground beef (85% or better)
Place oil in a 12-inch pan over medium heat. Chop onion and cook until browning (about 4 minutes). While onion is cooking prep garlic and measure spices. Add garlic and dry spices. Cook one more minute stirring continuously to “bloom” the spices and garlic.
Add ground beef, break up and stir in spices. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook until well browned. About 10 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes more.
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Spicy Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef - 85% or better
- 1 onion - large diced
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic - about 6 cloves crushed
Spices
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1-2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Last Step
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions
- Place oil in a 12-inch pan over medium heat. Chop onion and cook until browning (about 4 minutes). While onion is cooking prep garlic and measure spices. Add garlic and dry spices. Cook one more minute stirring continuously to "bloom" the spices and garlic.
- Add ground beef, break up and stir in spices. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook until well browned. About 10 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Recipe Notes
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Orginally Published November 22, 2013
I'm DrDan and welcome to my blog. You will find delicious easy everyday recipes mostly for smaller households. Please look around and enjoy your visit. 
Charlene
May 5, 2019 at 1:05 amThis looks really good – especially in the picture of nachos – could you tell me what to do to make the nachos in the picture please?
DrDan
May 5, 2019 at 10:47 amHi Charlene,
We make nachos way too often. Spread nacho chips over a plate. One layer only but with some overlap. A heavy sprinkle of taco meat (warm it a little if it is left overs). A good cover of cheese. You can add a second smaller layer in the center if you want but be sure these is cheese on the first layer before you do.
Then microwave for about 60-70 seconds. Then all other toppings.
Some people like to do it in an oven. Too slow for hungry me and the chips seem to get limp.
Dan
Charlene
May 6, 2019 at 3:07 amThank you – will try!
Debbie
September 5, 2018 at 4:06 pmThis was delicious. First time making taco meat without the envelop but definitely not the last. Thanks for the recipe.
Chris
July 4, 2018 at 1:59 pmAs a neophyte wannabe cook, I found the recipe easy to follow and . . . it turned out well.
Packed taco shells with the spicy meat and even my food fussy wife said it was good! Thank you for a simple recipe that someone as inexperienced as me (or is it I) can cook and have it turn out well. And, thank you so much Dr. Dan for this wonderful website!
Loli
January 30, 2018 at 6:48 pmExcuse my ignorance…but what is ATK?
DrDan
January 30, 2018 at 6:50 pmAmerican Test Kitchen which is part of Cooks Illustrated.
I just made this for dinner tonight.
Dan
joan
May 15, 2017 at 8:26 amMade this last night — perfect!
DrDan
May 15, 2017 at 10:54 pmThanks Joan, it is one of my favorites.
Dan
Nancy
January 18, 2017 at 12:48 pmI will be making this often! Love to freeze small portions for the two of us & have at the ready. This taco meat is so versatile for many, many recipes. We would like this over pasta, too.
DrDan
January 18, 2017 at 1:29 pmThanks Nancy,
I just did 3 pounds yesterday. I really need leftovers right now. I doubt we will freeze any.
Dan
SandyToes
December 2, 2016 at 8:49 pmHi DrDan,
I’m so glad I happened on your site. I was cruising the ‘net one afternoon, looking for a new taco filling, bored out of my skull with the one I’d been making for the last 6 years. I thought your recipe showed more promise than most others, which were just the same-old same-old. And it was serendipity that I had a half cup of leftover tomato sauce standing there in my fridge, mocking me from it’s mason jar, knowing it’s chances of being used were just about zero. The Universe is truly filled with wonders.
I tried the original ATK taco filling back in the early 2000-sies and thought it was bland and boring, with hardly any Mexican flavors, and didn’t taste much like any taco I’d ever eaten. It was reminiscent of one from Chi-Chi’s, arguably the most anglo of all Mexican Restaurants. I chalked it up to Chris Kimball’s stunted Yanqui tastebuds.
What I longed for was the spice combo from my formative years, the 1960’s, in SoCal, when walk-up taco stands abounded and they all served a similar 100% ground beef filling, encased in a hard corn tortilla and wrapped in the same yellow paper. Back when Taco Bell still had the BellBeefer and Del Taco’s Bun Taco wasn’t a secret menu item. Those were the days.
I’m so glad that the folks at ATK seem to have discovered spices and that you took the time to tinker with them. Talk about a blast from the past! Your filling is as close to those classic SoCal tacos as I’ve ever tasted, albeit a little spicier. I like the heat, but my Swedish-English dude wants me to back it down a notch. I’m sure if I cut the cayenne in half to a dash, it’ll be perfecto. Gringos. What can you do?
Anyway, thanks from the bottom of my taco-loving heart, DrDan, and thank you for indulging my little trip down memory lane and for concocting the recipe for my bread-and-butter, everyday tacos. Ground beef was the last filling I needed to perfect. With your recipe, my taco canon is now complete. Know that you’ve got a fangirl in me.
BTW, tonight I served it on Martin’s Potato Rolls. The BellBeefer lives!
DrDan
December 2, 2016 at 9:08 pmThanks for the ramble…
I found the ATK recipe good but just not quite right. Now I’m from Iowa and no taco truck memories for me. But it had that ATK fussiness without the huge reward they promise. But they frequently just don’t quite deliver. I would do taco meat about twice per month and modify that recipe some every time until I felt it was right.
I do admit to skipping the vinegar and brown sugar frequently anymore. It is the spiciness I want.
You might want to check my Kick Tail Taco Soup at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/kick-tail-taco-soup-in-crock-pot/
It is a thick soup/chili based on this recipe.
Dan
Laura R
April 12, 2015 at 5:01 pmI like this method, I am going to try adding in the brown sugar and vinegar next time. A nice quick moist taco meat you can throw on anything. My spouse is an onion hater so I just use onion powder to blend it in better. :)
Also a cooking for two tip, if you don’t want to eat the same thing the next day, taco meat freezes well to eat at a later time.
DrDan
April 12, 2015 at 5:10 pmThanks for the note. I always do 2-4 pounds and freeze frequently.
DrDan
Inspired by eRecipeCards
August 7, 2011 at 8:27 pmIt’s exactly the way i make and serve tacos when it’s just my wife and myself… fast easy and i could indeed eat this often
Dr Dan
May 16, 2011 at 9:20 pmI really can’t do mix anymore after this.
Dr Dan
May 11, 2011 at 8:58 pmThis is one of my favorites. So easy and good. I personally believe that taco meat is a requirement for life.
umbrellalady
May 9, 2011 at 10:33 pmI like your recipe and will be trying it. I have a problem with using taco seasoning mixes and have been looking for an alternative – this just might be it!