Tacos with Ground Beef Recipe

Two tacos in a hard shell topped with lettuce and tomatoes displayed on a colorful plate on a blue table.

Tacos with Ground Beef Recipe

Our tacos with ground beef recipe is the easiest weeknight dinner you can make. Ready in less than 30 minutes, they're a hit with both kids and adults, making them the perfect go-to meal for busy nights.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican & Southwestern

Keyword ground beef, tacos

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 22

Total Time 27

Servings

Calories 455kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

½ tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Salt we used kosher salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon Oil use a neutral oil with a high smoke point we used canola oil
1 pound Ground Beef we used ground sirloin to keep it lean
8 ounce can Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons Beef Broth
8-10 Taco Shells hard taco shells, flour tortillas, or corn tortillas
Toppings Lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, avocado slices, black beans, corn, sliced jalapenos, black olives, fresh salsa, limes, and hot sauce all make suitable toppings.

Instructions

Make the seasoning mix. Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and black pepper to a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (preferably non-stick) with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the ground beef.
Sprinkle it with the prepared seasoning mix (chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and black pepper).
Stir to combine and arrange the beef in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir well and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until browned. Stir occasionally and break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Stir well to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The meat mixture should be saucy not soupy. If it has too much liquid, uncover and let it simmer for a few minutes until it reaches a thicker consistency. Stir occasionally.
Serve the ground beef with hard or soft taco shells and your favorite toppings.

Notes

Use reduced sodium beef broth and tomato sauce if you are sensitive to salt. You can also cut the amount of salt in the seasoning mix.

Manage the fat content in the meat mixture by choosing different types of ground beef. Typically, the lean-to-fat ratios in ground beef are:

Lean ground beef: Less than 10% fat
Ground sirloin – 90-92% lean to 8-10% fat
Ground round – 85-90% lean to 10-15 % fat
Ground chuck – 80-85% lean to 15-20% fat

Nutrition