Ground Beef Tacos

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It only takes 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this ground beef taco recipe. Mexican Ground beef tacos are an easy weeknight meal that the entire family loves. Use our homemade taco seasoning for the best flavor, and of course serve them with homemade guacamole and salsa!

3 Ground Beef Tacos on a plate with sour cream, cheese, guacamole and tomatoes


There isn’t a meal we make more often in our house than this ground beef taco recipe. It takes 15 minutes to prepare, we always have the ingredients on hand (including this homemade taco seasoning) and my entire family loves it.

These Mexican ground beef tacos are made with 5 ingredients – including the best homemade taco seasoning. They are an easy, healthy dinner to make when you are short on time and don’t want to fight with your kids to eat a meal.

Serve them with your favorite Mexican recipes like homemade guacamole, easy salsa, cilantro lime rice and refried black beans for true Mexican feast. Or, keep it simple and use store-bought toppings.

3 Ground Beef Tacos on a plate with sour cream, cheese, guacamole and tomatoes

Ground Beef Taco Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

ingredients in this Ground Beef Taco recipe
  • Ground Beef. We typically use 85% lean ground beef, however any variety works well. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey to make this recipe.
  • Homemade Taco Seasoning. I always have a batch of this in a jar in my spice cabinet. My entire family agrees it’s the best (and far better than any store-bought varieties). If you prefer to use store-bought, I suggest making sure you chose an organic variety without fillers/artificial ingredients. Two of our favorites are Siete Foods and Simply Organic.
  • Onion. We usually use sweet white or yellow onions, however red onion tastes great too.
  • Lime Juice. Choose an organic bottled lime juice or use freshly squeezed.
  • Minced Garlic. I buy organic minced garlic in a jar and use that since I don’t ever seem to have time to mince fresh garlic. But you can choose whichever you prefer.
Ground Beef Tacos in the pan after they are fully cooked

How to Make Ground Beef Tacos

These Mexican ground beef tacos are easy to make in 15 minutes! We’ll walk through how to make ground beef tacos step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by cooking the ground beef, onion and garlic covered over medium-high heat until the ground beef begins to brown and is no longer pink in the center, stirring often.

Depending on the fat content of your ground beef, you may want to strain some of the fat off as it cooks. Don’t drain it all, though. It adds flavor and absorbs/distributes the taco seasoning. Also, the meat mixture thickens as it cools slightly.

two photos showing How to Make Ground Beef Tacos - cooking the ground beef, onion and garlic

Once the ground beef begins to brown, add the homemade taco seasoning and stir until it’s evenly distributed.

two photos showing How to Make Ground Beef Tacos - adding taco seasoning

Next, add the lime juice and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, until the mixture is browned, stirring occasionally.

two photos showing How to Make Ground Beef Tacos - adding lime juice

Once the ground beef is browned, transfer it to a serving dish and serve.

Mexican Ground Beef Taco mixture in a pan after being cooked

Serve

Serve these ground beef tacos in your favorite tortillas or taco shells (or use it to make the best homemade nachos, a delicious taco salad or ground beef enchiladas). I recommend a dollop of sour cream and cheese of course, along with some of our favorite Mexican recipes:

3 Mexican Ground Beef Tacos on a plate with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and tomatoes

Store/Freeze

Store leftover ground beef taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

a hand holding a ground beef taco

Ground Beef Tacos Recipe FAQs

Which ground beef is best for tacos?

We usually use grass-fed, organic 85% lean ground beef. Any beef from 80% to 93% lean works well.

How do you keep ground beef moist for tacos?

First, do not drain off all the excess fat at it liquefies. Be sure to leave some in the meat mixture to keep it moist and soak in the taco seasoning. Second, do not over-cook the ground beef or it will become dry. Third, store the ground beef covered while serving.

Do you drain grease when making tacos?

Depending on how lean your meat it, you might want to drain off some of the fat when you’re cooking these ground beef tacos. Just be sure you do not drain off all of it.

How many pounds of beef do you need for tacos?

This recipe is for 1 pound of ground beef, and can be easily scaled to the amount you need. I always make two pounds of ground beef for my family of 8 and we have leftovers.

3 Ground Beef Tacos on a plate with sour cream, cheese, guacamole and tomatoes

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Mexican Ground Beef Tacos Recipe

Laura
It only takes 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this ground beef taco recipe. We make ground beef tacos at least once every week because it’s our family’s favorite meal! Use our homemade taco seasoning for the best flavor.
5 from 7 votes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 151
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Combine ground beef, onion and minced garlic in a non-stick fry pan or cast iron skillet.
  • Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the meat begins to brown and is no longer pink in the center, stirring often.*
  • Once the ground beef begins to brown, add taco seasoning and stir until it’s evenly distributed.
  • Add the lime juice and stir to combine.
  • Cook, uncovered, until the mixture is browned, stirring occasionally.
  • Fill taco shells with meat and toppings, as desired.

Video

Notes

*Depending on the fat content of your ground beef, you may want to strain some of the fat off as it cooks. Don’t drain it all, though. It adds flavor and absorbs/distributes the taco seasoning. Also, the meat mixture thickens as it cools slightly.
Ingredient Substitutions
  • Ground Beef. We typically use 85% lean ground beef, however any variety works well. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey to make this recipe.
  • Homemade Taco Seasoning. I always have a batch of this in a jar in my spice cabinet. If you prefer to use store-bought, I suggest making sure you chose an organic variety without fillers/artificial ingredients. Two of our favorites are Siete Foods and Simply Organic.
  • Onion. We usually use sweet white or yellow onions, however red onion tastes great too.
  • Lime Juice. Choose an organic bottled lime juice or use freshly squeezed.
  • Minced Garlic. I buy minced garlic in a jar since I don’t ever seem to have time to mince fresh garlic. But you can choose whichever you prefer.
Store/freeze
Store leftover ground beef taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 Comments

  1. Looking forward to recipes that don’t require an oven. I live in a retirement home that doesn’t have ovens. I love to cook but it’s very difficult with only a microwave and a bar sink. The refrigerator would be okay in a dorm room but not for someone who likes to cook.

  2. 5 stars
    Made this recipe tonight for dinner. It was absolutely delicious and loved by all four of my kiddos!