I have a simple ground beef taco recipe that comes together in about 15 minutes.
These are our go‑to seasoned ground beef tacos for busy weeknights. You can cook the beef in about 15 minutes or make it ahead—either way you’ll want tacos or nachos every night.
I grew up eating ground beef tacos nearly every week. If you were a 90s kid, these probably showed up in your weekly rotation too—seasoning packets, soft tortillas and hard shells, shredded lettuce, tomato and sour cream.
Those grocery-store seasoning packets are heavy on cumin and salt. Over time I found I didn’t love that one-note cumin flavor, so I started making my own blend. It’s simple, balanced, and gives the tacos a fresher, more nuanced flavor.
I’ve been seasoning ground beef and using the same basic blend for tacos and enchiladas for years. These days I don’t measure much when I make it for family dinners, but the recipe below lists the amounts so you can recreate it easily.
Simple and flexible
This is an extremely basic recipe: ground beef and seasonings. Some families prefer saucier taco meat (old boxed mixes often created a saucy result when combined with water). I prefer a slightly drier, crumbled seasoned beef—think flavorful and not soupy. It’s more like a crumbled chorizo in texture and holds up well in tacos, on nachos, or in salads.
When I make this at home the toppings and add-ins vary. Sometimes I dice a sweet onion and bell pepper and sauté them first, which stretches the meat and adds juiciness. I often swap in ground turkey or mix turkey with beef when I want to stretch the recipe. It’s not meant to be authentic—just the way we like it.
Perfect for weeknights and leftovers
This seasoned beef freezes well and keeps for a few days in the fridge. It’s excellent on taco salads—leftover beef on a bed of lettuce with avocado, pico de gallo and a few crumbled chips is a favorite lunch. Because it’s not overly saucy, it works well wrapped in lettuce leaves and for filling quesadillas, nachos or mini stuffed peppers.
I’ve shared our weeknight chicken taco recipe before, and this beef version is just as easy and used often. If we have leftover shredded pork, beef, shrimp or cod, we’ll make tacos with those too.
How to serve and top
The recipe below keeps things uncomplicated. You can sauté minced garlic, diced onion and bell pepper before adding the beef if you like. I usually top tacos with a quick pico de gallo and cilantro, plus grated sharp white cheddar, diced avocado and sometimes quick pickled onions.
And honestly—I never get tired of tacos.
Weeknight Ground Beef Tacos
Our Favorite Ground Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound 85% to 93% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Quick pico
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
- pinch of salt and pepper
For serving
- corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- hard shells or tortilla chips, if desired
- sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- avocado, diced
- fresh cilantro
- quick pickled onions
Instructions
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Heat a skillet over medium heat. With ground beef you rarely need oil because of the fat content; if desired, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Once hot, add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
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Cook, stirring and breaking the beef apart, until it begins to brown. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir to distribute the spices and cook until the beef is fully browned.
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If you prefer saucier taco meat, see the saucier method below. You can also add 1 tablespoon of stock or a splash of tomato sauce to increase moisture.
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Serve the seasoned beef in warmed tortillas, hard shells, over nachos, or on a salad. Top with quick pico de gallo, cilantro, grated white cheddar, diced avocado and pickled onions if you like.
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To add peppers and onions: heat the skillet over medium and add 1–2 teaspoons olive oil. Sauté 1 diced onion, 1 diced bell pepper and a few minced garlic cloves with a pinch of salt until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add and brown the beef as directed above.
For a saucier ground beef
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Make a slurry: combine ½ cup cold water or stock with 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (or masa/wheat flour) in a shaker or jar and shake until smooth. With the skillet on low, slowly stream in the slurry while stirring. Cook over low, stirring often, about 10 minutes until thickened and saucy.
Quick pico
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Toss quartered cherry tomatoes, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Taco exhaustion doesn’t exist—make them often and enjoy.