0 from 309 votes
Best Taco Meat Recipe
This homemade taco meat recipe starts with ground beef, a delicious homemade taco seasoning, and a little broth. You’ll never go back to using a taco seasoning packet again after seeing how easy it is to make your own taco meat at home with this easy taco meat recipe!
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 307 kcal
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup chicken broth or bone broth
Instructions
- Add salt to both sides of your ground beef. If you’re using a block of meat, cut the block in half and salt both sides of both halves of the block.
- Heat a large skillet or saute pan to medium-high heat. Add your ground beef and cook for two minutes on one side, flip and cook for another two minutes on the other side.
- Break up the ground meat and cook until the meat is completely cooked. If you're using a fattier cut, drain the excess fat from the meat before moving onto the next step.
- Combine all other spices while browning the meat.
- Once the meat is browned, sprinkle the seasoning over the browned ground beef, stir it in, and cook for one more minute to let the flavors sink in.
- Add the broth, reduce the heat down to low, and allow the meat to simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes.
- Once the liquid has simmered away and you're left with just taco meat, turn the heat off and serve immediately while the taco meat is warm!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Double this taco meat recipe and use it for another meal later on in the week! It’s great in taco meat, taco casserole, and pretty much anything that has taco in the week! We also use it for quick quesadillas and nachos for lunches. Just make sure to use a bigger pan when cooking two pounds of beef!
- Adjust the spices as necessary. If you’re making this for kids or someone who has a sensitive palate, use half the chili powder or half the oregano. You can adjust those two pretty easily without sacrificing taste!
- Make sure to season the ground beef well before cooking. The salt really enhances the flavor of the other spices.
- Split blocks of ground beef in half before cooking. This helps the meat brown evenly and allows you to season all parts of the beef, not just the outsides of a large chunk of beef.
- Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken broth or chicken bone broth work or even beef broth!
- Ground beef – we typically use something with a little fat left like 80/20 because the fat tends to keep the beef more tender and flavorful but if you want less fat, you can use whatever type you’d like. This also would work great with ground turkey if you’d prefer turkey!
- Chili powder – if you’re making this for kids or you don’t want it to be spicy, you can half the chili powder and it still tastes good!
- Oregano – if anyone in your family is sensitive to or doesn’t like oregano, you can also half this and the flavor will still be fine!
Nutrition Information
Serving
4oz
Calories
307kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
2g
(1%)
Protein
21g
(42%)
Fat
23g
(35%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
81mg
(27%)
Sodium
104mg
(4%)
Potassium
405mg
(12%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
0.2g
(0%)
Vitamin A
293IU
(6%)
Vitamin C
0.1mg
(0%)
Calcium
43mg
(4%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 307
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 4oz | |
| Calories | 307kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 104mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 405mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 0.2g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 293IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.