Ground Beef Tacos are one of our favorite recipes when we’re in a hurry yet want a delicious dish that the whole family with love. The ground beef is perfectly seasoned with classic Mexican flavors, all wrapped up with a warm tortilla and topped with the freshest ingredients.

The Best Ground Beef Tacos Recipe

When a recipe comes together this effortlessly and tastes great, you know that you’ve found a winner. Classic chili, cumin, and garlic flavors are infused into the ground beef, leaving you with flavorful taco meat to be served however you like! Hard shell, soft shell, corn tortilla, or flour tortilla, whatever you chose will be a winner. And don’t skimp on the fresh toppings! This ground beef taco recipe is sure to be a family favorite. 

Love tacos – try these Crispy Chicken Tacos or this Creamy Taco Soup! Or try something really different and make a Smash Burger Taco!

What You Will Need

• ground beef – A mild tasting protein that soaks up all the delicious seasonings. Ground turkey works as well, but because it’s a leaner meat, the consistency won’t be as juicy as the ground beef version.
• tomato paste – Just a bit to make your tacos extra saucy.
• chili powder – A classic Mexican seasoning.
• ground cumin – Adds warmth and smokiness to your tacos.
• onion powder and garlic powder – Both add depth and richness to the authentic taco flavors.
• kosher salt and ground black pepper – Just a bit goes a long way.
• dried oregano leaves – A subtle, sweet herb that adds a tiny amount of mint flavoring.
• water – Just a bit to thin out the sauce as needed.
• shells: Flour, corn, hard taco shells, or soft tortillas; this is totally personal preference. Just be sure to warm them prior to serving for the best taco experience.
• toppings: shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, avocado, and/or taco sauce are our favorites, but feel free to add your favorite toppings, whatever they may be. 

How Much Ground Beef Per Person for Tacos

This recipe, which calls for one pound of ground beef, will serve about eight people. The amount of taco meat per person may vary depending on portion size and appetites, so feel free to double this recipe for a larger crowd or save the leftover taco meat to use in a taco salad or taco stuffed peppers.

How To Make Ground Beef Tacos

Start by bringing a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add the ground beef.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to move the ground beef around the pan until it is broken apart and cooked through. Carefully drain the excess grease before adding any other ingredients.

Next, add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper and oregano. This is our favorite seasoning blend for how to season ground beef for tacos.

Mix all of the seasonings throughout the ground beef until it becomes one uniform color. Add your water as needed, one tablespoon at a time, to thin out out the meat mixture.

For easy assembly, gather the rest of the ingredients into individual bowls to create a sort of taco bar so that your guests can easily customize their tacos to their liking. 

Tacos with ground beef taste delicious whether they’re served in flour, corn, hardshell or soft shell tacos. Put out an assortment for your guests to choose from.

Lastly, add the ground beef mixture to the shell or tortilla of your choosing, add any toppings of your choice, and enjoy!

Love Tacos – try our Taco Soup Recipe!!

Ground Beef Taco Toppings

Ground beef tacos are versatile in that they can be topped with a whole slew of fresh ingredients, making them a hearty and healthy. Here are a few of our favorites.

• shredded lettuce: Romaine is our favorite due to its crunchy mouthfeel, but iceberg lettuce works well too. You could also ditch the taco shell completely and turn these into a lettuce wrap!
• tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are our favorites as they’re meaty texture holds together nicely after they’ve been chopped. Just be sure to remove the seeds as they can water down the taco.
• pico de gallo: A simple blend of chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers, mixed with salt, lime and cilantro. You can find this at your local grocery store in the produce section or whip up a homemade batch.
• olives: Black olives are a bit milder than other olive varieties and provide a subtle saltiness that pairs perfectly with the other taco seasonings.
• sour cream: A taco staple that adds creaminess throughout. Feel free to substitute with a dairy-free variety.
• avocado: similarly to sour cream, avocados bring a mild creaminess to each bite that counterbalances all of the other bold flavors.
• taco sauce: Allows the ability to amp up the spiciness factor.
• shredded cheese: Pick up a Mexican style cheese blend, complete with sharp cheddar, monterery jack, and queso blanco cheeses.
• Black Beans: A quick way to add more protein and a hearty flavor to your tacos.
• fresh cilantro: A simple ingredient that adds an element of freshness to each bite.

Recipe FAQs

• dairy-free: Make this recipe dairy-free by choosing dairy-free cheese and sour cream.
• gluten-free: choose a gluten-free shell like corn tortillas or our favorite, Siete brand tortillas.
• storage: Store the leftover ground beef mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU! 

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Other Taco Recipes You Might Like

• Steak Tacos
• Pork Belly Tacos
• Easy Fish Tacos
• Healthy Breakfast Tacos
• Crockpot Taco Meat
• Easy Shrimp Tacos

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