Ground Beef Tacos
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod
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!
Servings: 4
Calories: 301kcal
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 or flour tortillas, can make crispy tortillas, see note
- Lettuce, finely chopped
- 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 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
To make the crispy tortillas: Add avocado oil or vegetable oil to a small skillet until it is 1/2 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 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.
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