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This has been my go-to taco meat recipe for years. One night while cooking I realized I didn’t have a taco seasoning packet and figured I could recreate what was in those packets. What came out was better than any packet I had ever used. The taco meat recipe has been tweaked a bit over the years and can be altered to fit your taste. I cook for kids so making it super spicy isn’t an option. If you like it hot, then add some 1 tsp of cayenne to the seasoning mix.
Be sure to use ground beef 80% or leaner. The higher the fat content, the more fat will be rendered. If you use ground chuck or anything fattier you’ll probably want to use a colander fit over a bowl to separate the fat because so much is rendered. Also, breaking up the meat with a meat masher is a total game changer. You’ll save so much time and get more evenly minced meat.
If you’re looking to switch things up for Taco Tuesday, use this taco meat as the base for my taco tater tot casserole!
Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 80-90% lean ground beef
- 1/3 c water
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
Seasoning
- 3 tsp cumin
- 3 tsp ancho chili powder
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Break meat up with a meat masher in a pan over medium heat.
- Once all the pink is cooked out, strain the fat.
- Add the meat back to the pan along with the diced onions. Cook for 15 minutes on low, stirring occassionally.
- Add all the seasoning, stir then add water to the pan and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes.