Best Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
Try the best ground beef tacos recipe made with an easy homemade taco seasoning, all prepared in less than an hour. Made authentic with classic toppings, this is the perfect weeknight meal or entertaining recipe for friends and family. Makes 8 tacos
Servings: 8 tacos
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Diced, Seeded Tomatoes
- Chopped Onions or Scallions
- Pickled Red Onions*
- Chopped Cilantro
- Shredded Lettuce
- Grated Cheese
Tacos
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (¾ cup)
- 1 jalapeno (OPTIONAL) seeded, and chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (1 8-ounce can) tomato sauce
- 8 soft or crispy taco shells
Instructions
- Prepare your taco toppings. Place in bowls, or chop, pickle and slice before making the taco meat, because it comes together so fast.
- Make the tacos: In a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground beef, the chopped onion and chopped jalapeno if using, with the kosher salt. Using a wooden spatula or ground meat chopping tool, break beef into small pieces as the mixture cooks. Cook until onions are soft and translucent and beef is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, and cornstarch and stir to combine evenly with the meat and onions.
- Let mixture simmer in the tomato sauce until sauce is glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and assemble tacos.
- Add about 3 tablespoons taco meat to each shell or tortilla. Add toppings or let guests make their own.
- Cooled taco meat mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen up to 3 months.
- *To make pickled red onions slice ½ a red onion thinly root to tip and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin. Let sit 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
For more information click to my Ground Beef Taco Meat article.
You can warm your tortillas:
To heat corn tortillas, fry in a skillet with a little oil on both sides until tortillas are just softened and warmed.
For flour tortillas, wrap in a clean towel or paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 422mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
