Great Mexican for all—taco Tuesday will never be the same. Once you have the best taco meat, make the best tacos or excellent nachos, or use it in many other ways.
Introduction
The best beef tacos require the best ground beef taco meat—and it doesn't come in an envelope or ever dry homemade taco seasoning—you need some tomato and aromatics to get the best flavor. There is nothing like taco Tuesday or a full plate of nachos.
This is a modified and simplified Cooks Illustrated recipe that tastes better than any ground beef taco meat you've ever eaten.
You will never open commercial taco seasoning packets again. You can make tacos in less than 25 minutes for weeknight dinners or parties in about the same work and use what you already have in your pantry. Just follow the easy step-by-step instructions.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- Chop a medium onion.
- Add the meat and the onion to a large non-reactive skillet over medium-high heat. While the meat and onion are cooking, prep garlic, and measure spices.
- Cook until the burger has no pink which is usually 8-10 minutes. Push the meat aside in the center of the pan and add the garlic and cook 1 minute to bloom the garlic. Drain excess grease.
- Add the spices and tomato sauce. Turn the heat to medium and simmer another 5 minutes until the sauce is incorporated.
- Serve as tacos, nachos, or any way you like.
🐄Ingredients
The Meat
This recipe uses standard 80/20 ground beef. Lean ground beef tends to be a bit dry—the fat will add taste and moisture. The fat is mainly rendered during cooking and drained before adding the spices.
Since the spices are intense in this recipe, if you use another ground meat like turkey or chicken, most people will not know unless told.
Spicing
This is about a 3/10 spicy when using one teaspoon of cumin and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne. Adjust to your taste. Go to 2 teaspoons of cumin, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne will get you to 6/10.
I suggest using fresh onion and garlic if you can for this recipe. If you must, use onion powder, about 1 tablespoon for a medium to a large onion. And ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for the 4 cloves of garlic.
Tomatoes
Excellent taco meat needs some tomato taste, and a good quality tomato sauce is the best choice. Crushed or diced tomatoes could be used. Some recipes will use salsa, but you must account for the spicing.
The cheaper generic sauce tends to be very acid-tasting, and you might need a teaspoon or two of sugar to counter that.
🍽️How to Serve
For tacos, use the hard taco shells, but usually, soft tacos are made with corn tortillas or soft flour tortillas. With corn tortillas, I like to give them a short sear in hot oil to add a slight browning and soften for easier serving.
Everybody will have their favorite taco toppings. I'm a fan of shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese mixture. Add a good dab of sour cream along with some salsa or pico de Gallo.
If I have them on hand, chopped tomatoes or shredded lettuce, slices of avocado, and sliced green onions are good additions.
Cilantro is frequently added, but some people (my wife and I) will find cilantro tastes like licorice.
Mexican rice, guacamole, refried beans, and black beans are favorites. The usual chips and salsa are also a great side dish, especially Pineapple Mango Salsa.
Cast-iron is "reactive," and heating an acid like tomatoes will lead to the metal reacting with the food. A non-reactive skillet like non-stick or stainless steel is the better choice.
In addition to my usual tacos or nachos, taco meat makes great burritos, taco salads, Crock Pot Taco Soup, or even Easy Taco Casserole
❄️Storage
It is an easy recipe to adjust to the amount you want, but I frequently do 3 pounds, but it stores well.
It is good in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for 3 to 4 months.
🇲🇽Mexican Recipes
Mexican Shredded Chicken in a Crock Pot
Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Note: Images are from several days, so the pans may vary.
This is what you need, plus your meat, fresh garlic, and onion. Garlic powder and onion powder can be substituted.
Chop a medium onion.
Add the meat and the onion to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
While the meat and onion are cooking, prep the garlic and measure the spices.
Cook until the burger has no pink, usually 8-10 minutes. Push the meat aside in the pan, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute to bloom the garlic. Drain the fatty drainage well.
Add the spices and tomato sauce. Turn the heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes until the sauce is incorporated.
Serve in tacos, nachos, or on a salad.
📝Full Recipe
The Best Ground Beef Taco Meat in 25 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion-medium diced - Use powered if needed
- 2-4 cloves garlic-crushed - Use powdered if needed
Spices
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1-2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
- Chop a medium onion.
- Add the meat and the onion to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- While the meat and onion are cooking, prep the garlic, and measure the spices.
- Cook until the burger has no pink, usually 8-10 minutes. Push the meat aside in the pan, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute to bloom the garlic. Drain the fatty drainage well.
- Add the spices and tomato sauce. Turn the heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes until the sauce is incorporated.
- Serve in tacos, nachos, or on a salad.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Adjust to the amount you want in the serving area of this recipe card.
- 80/20 ground beef gives the best results.
- You may use ground turkey or chicken. Of course, there will be a slight taste difference but the spices in this meat will dominate.
- I suggest making a large amount and freezing it.
- This is about a 3/10 spicy when using 1 teaspoon of cumin and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne. Adjust to your taste.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and freezes well for 3-4 months
My Old Method
The previous version of this recipe. Fussier with only a slightly different taste.- Cook onion in 2 teaspoons of oil until clearing.
- Add the garlic and dry spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Add the meat, break up and cook until no pink. Use lower-fat meat to decrease drainage.
- Drain.
- Add tomato sauce. 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Cook for about another 5 minutes until incorporated.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published May 6, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Mary
Dr Dan!
Made it exactly as written. BEST EVER!! I have many packets of so-called taco seasoning to unload. Every recipe of yours I’ve tried as written is stellar! Thank you, God Bless!
Mary
INGE KOHL
Hate to say this, but I agree with Mary. Way too spicy to enjoy. At first I thought the computer hadn't calculated it correctly when I cut the recipe in half, but I just checked and it was correct, unless you meant to write tsp instead of TBSP for the chili powder. Had to add water to the pan and then drain it to get the extra spiciness out twice. Then I added more onion and garlic powder and oregano. It was still a little too spicy.
Mary
I'm sorry, but I just didn't enjoy this recipe. I thought it was too heavy handed in the chili powder. I thought the chili powder ran the show and didn't let the other spices shine at all.
Thank you for sharing!
Charlene
This 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
Hi 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
Thank you - will try!
Don Jose
When the taco filling is just about ready add about a quarter cup of chicken stock. The boiling stock steams the ground beef mixture, much softer, more tender. Stir around until the stock has reduced. Just a little mo' bettah.
Taco Tuesday is right around the corner.
Debbie
This was delicious. First time making taco meat without the envelop but definitely not the last. Thanks for the recipe.
Chris
As 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
Excuse my ignorance...but what is ATK?
DrDan
American Test Kitchen which is part of Cooks Illustrated.
I just made this for dinner tonight.
Dan
joan
Made this last night -- perfect!
DrDan
Thanks Joan, it is one of my favorites.
Dan
Nancy
I 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
Thanks Nancy,
I just did 3 pounds yesterday. I really need leftovers right now. I doubt we will freeze any.
Dan
SandyToes
Hi 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
Thanks 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
I 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
Thanks for the note. I always do 2-4 pounds and freeze frequently.
DrDan
Inspired by eRecipeCards
It'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
I really can't do mix anymore after this.
Steve
I like this, I’m gonna try it, I usually make it with potato pieces(Picadillo), but I learned to make Gorditas and this will work very nicely in stuffing them thank you
Dr Dan
This is one of my favorites. So easy and good. I personally believe that taco meat is a requirement for life.
umbrellalady
I 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!
Leslie
I have lived in Arizona for my entire life and don’t remember any cooks I knew to be fussy about taco meat. Always s&p, garlic, and red chili powder or flakes...adjusted for heat to suit your family. Never used cumin or cilantro. We generally relied on the salsa and toppings for much of the flavor. Only in the last 10-12 years have I seen a multitude of recipes for taco meat. I’ve tried many, and will, likewise, try yours as I generally like your recipes. I don’t know where you live but if you can find it, you MUST try “El Pato” Mexican tomato sauce. Just a hint of acidity and added heat and you’ll never use anything else.