Ground Beef Tacos
Updated February 24, 2025
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Quick Summary
Ground Beef Tacos- the BEST ground beef taco recipe made with homemade taco seasoning. The taco meat is juicy, full of flavor, and served in crispy taco shells. Top the tacos with your favorite toppings! This easy weeknight meal is a family favorite and takes less than 30 minutes to make!
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Why You’ll Love Ground Beef Tacos
- Quick & Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes, great for busy weeknights!
- Homemade Taco Seasoning: The taco meat is spiced with basic spices you already have in the pantry. The meat is juicy and full of lots of delicious flavor!
- Crispy & Crunchy: The seasoned taco meat is served in a crispy and crunchy golden shell that is lightly dusted with cotija cheese!
- Budget-Friendly: Uses pantry staples for an affordable meal.
- Customizable: Load up with your favorite toppings or switch out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. You can use corn tortillas or flour.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make the beef filling ahead of time and all you have to do is crisp up the tortillas when you are ready to eat.
- Kid-Friendly: A fun and tasty meal the whole family will enjoy.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Ideal for taco nights, parties, or casual dinners. An easy crowd pleasing meal.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some ingredient notes before you get started.
- Ground Beef– we recommend using a 80/20 ground beef for taco meat (80% lean, 20% fat). It has the best flavor and is super juicy. You will drain off excess grease. Of course, you can easily swap ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Spices– the taco seasoning is made with spices you probably already have in your pantry: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.
- Water– add a little water to the meat and spices to help it create a sauce that will keep the taco meat juicy. If you want to use tomato sauce instead of water, you can, it will give the meat a richer tomato flavor.
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos
- Brown the ground beef. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Break it apart with a wooden spoon or meat masher as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add spices. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.
- Add water and simmer. Pour in the water and let simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken and the flavors time to meld together.
How to Make Crispy Taco Shells
You can serve the ground taco meat in fresh corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or store-bought crispy taco shells, but we like to make homemade crispy taco shells. They are easy to make and SO good!
- Heat oil. Add avocado oil or vegetable oil to a small skillet until it is ½ inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 350 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels and place by the skillet.
- Fry. When the oil is hot, carefully place a tortilla in the hot oil and cook until it is blistering but still soft, about 10 to 15 seconds. Using tongs, turn the tortilla over and immediately fold to form a taco shell. Once the tortilla is holding its shape, turn until crisp and golden all over, about 15 to 30 seconds longer.
- Sprinkle with cheese and salt. Transfer to the prepared plate and while the taco shells are still hot, sprinkle with cotija cheese (or freshly grated Parmesan) and a little salt on the inside and outside of the taco shell.
- Continue frying. Finish frying the taco shells. If the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot, turn down the temperature and wait a bit.
- Cool. Let the shells cool slightly before filling them to keep them crunchy.
Taco Toppings
The best part is the TOPPINGS! Let everyone build their own tacos with lots of fun toppings!
- Lettuce– finely chopped!
- Cheese– You can use shredded Mexican cheese blend, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or a mix of cheeses!
- Quick Pickled Onions– easy to make and SO good. I always have a jar in the fridge.
- Pico de gallo– so fresh! You can also add plain diced tomatoes.
- Guacamole– you can’t go wrong with guacamole. Diced avocados are also good.
- Sour Cream– a classic taco topping. You can also use plain Greek yogurt for extra protein.
- Black Olives
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Sliced jalapeños– candied jalapeños are good too!
- Salsa– our homemade blender salsa is the best!
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing or Jalapeño Ranch– you can drizzle a little dressing over the tacos for an extra boost of flavor.
Assembling the Tacos
- Add the meat. Fill the crispy tortilla shells (or tortillas of your choice) with the warm taco meat.
- Add toppings. Top with lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole or avocado, pickled red onions, and whatever other toppings you like. I love that this taco recipe is customizable. Everyone can build their favorite taco.
- Serve. Serve immediately so the taco shells don’t get soggy!
What to Serve with Tacos
Pair your tacos with side dishes that complement the bold flavors:
- Mexican Rice
- Easy Refried Beans
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Best Bean Dip
- Chips & Salsa
- Grilled Corn Salad
- Black Bean Salad
Storing Tips
- Beef Filling: Store any leftover ground beef filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Taco Shells: If you have leftover taco shells, store them in a ziplock bag or airtight container to keep them fresh. Crispy shells should be eaten within a day or two for the best crunch.
- Toppings: Store any leftover toppings like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, or cheese in separate containers in the fridge to keep them fresh.
- Freezing Taco Meat: Cool the meat completely. Place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, pull it out of the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Taco Recipes
- Turkey Tacos
- Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos
- Easy Chicken Tacos
- Easy Vegetarian Tacos
- Grilled Steak Tacos
- Black Bean Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos
Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
Ground beef tacos are a quick, easy, and incredibly satisfying meal that everyone can customize to their liking. Whether you’re hosting Taco Tuesday or just craving something delicious for dinner, these tacos hit the spot every time.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup water
For serving:
- 8 corn tortillas (can use flour)
- Lettuce, finely chopped
- Cotija cheese or freshly grated Parmesan, for sprinkling on shells
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese
- Pickled Red Onions
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole or avocado
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- To make the taco meat: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Pour in the water and let simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Turn off heat and set aside.
- To make the crispy tortillas: Add avocado oil or vegetable oil to a small skillet until it is ½ inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot (350 degrees), this will take about 5 to 7 minutes. Line a plate with paper towels and place by the skillet. When the oil is hot, carefully place a tortilla in the hot oil and cook until it is blistering but still soft, about 10 to 15 seconds. Using tongs, turn tortilla over and then immediately fold to form a taco shell. Once the tortilla is holding its shape, turn until crisp and golden all over, 15 to 30 seconds longer.Transfer to the prepared plate and sprinkle with cotija cheese (or Parmesan) and a little salt on the inside and outside of the taco shell. Make sure you sprinkle the cheese on when the tortillas are hot so it will stick. Continue frying the tortillas. If the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot, turn down the temperature and wait a bit.
- To assemble the tacos: Fill the tortillas with the warm taco meat and top with lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole or avocado, sour cream or your favorite taco toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
Store leftover taco meat in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the meat for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 716mg, Potassium: 562mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 852IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 4mg
Have you tried this recipe?
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I wanted the Potato Soup recipe but the tacos come up. I have a 10 lb bag of potatoes and soup sounds good today.
Here is our classic potato soup recipe: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/potato-soup/
Do you use corn or flour tortilla for frying?
We prefer corn.
Do you have a favorite corn tortilla brand? I tried frying them but they never got crispy or held shape. Also, another tortilla question, ha! I have your bean and cheese burritos on the menu but we only use tortilla land uncooked ones from costco- I saw that you prefer them too but they aren’t 8″ – more like 5-6″ so I’m wondering if there are burrito sized uncooked ones somewhere?
We usually buy corn tortillas at the Mexican market by our house. We buy the Tortilla Land tortillas at Costco. I think they are close to 8-inches.
The best ground beef tacos I have ever made. The seasoning on the ground beef was delicious quick to make a true winner.
A classic recipe, but this is the BEST one:)