This Easy Taco Recipe is made with the most flavorful ground beef. Simmered in tomato and lime juice and seasoned with homemade taco seasoning then served with your favorite taco toppings!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – used to cook the ground beef.
- Ground Beef – use extra lean ground beef so it’s not too oily.
- Taco Seasoning – use a store-bought variety or whip up a batch of homemade taco seasoning.
- Tomato Sauce and Lime Juice – adds tons of moisture, tang, and bright flavor to the beef.
- Taco Shells, Rice, Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Pico de Gallo, Salsa, and Sour Cream – for serving, if desired.
How to make
This taco recipe comes together in just 15 minutes!
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet then add in ground beef and taco seasoning. Cook until the beef is no longer pink.
- Stir in tomato sauce and simmer until thickened then add in lime juice.
- Serve as desired and enjoy!
How to serve tacos
The great thing about tacos is they’re SO versatile! Serve them in a soft shell or hard shell and with any or all of your favorite toppings.
- Shredded Lettuce
- Pico de Gallo, Salsa, and Guacamole
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
Tacos are also delicious with added veggies. Try mushrooms, peppers, and onion for some delicious color and texture!
How to season tacos
You can season your taco meat using store-bought taco seasoning or my homemade taco seasoning—which only takes a few minutes to make!
Homemade taco seasoning is made up of chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and dried oregano.
What meat to use
I use ground beef for these tacos but feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead if preferred.
If you’re using ground beef, make sure it’s extra lean (I use 96 percent) so the taco meat isn’t too oily.
Other ways to use taco meat
Tacos aren’t your thing? No worries! You can use this ground beef taco meat in a number of different ways.
- Burrito Bowls. Serve it over rice with beans, corn salsa, pico, lettuce, etc.
- Taco Pizza. Use it in my taco pizza recipe.
- Taquitos. Follow my air fryer chicken taquitos recipe but use ground beef instead of chicken!
- Loaded Queso. Check out my loaded queso recipe.
- Nachos. Try out my loaded chicken nachos with ground beef instead of chicken.
Or you can just eat it with a spoon…yes, it is that good. 😉
What to serve with tacos
- Chips and Salsa or Guacamole
- Mexican Sweet Potato Cheese Fries
- Mexican Street Corn Spoon Bread
- Instant Pot Mexican Corn Dip
How to store
Leftover ground beef taco meat will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
– Jennifer
Easy Taco Recipe with Ground Beef
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef I used 96% lean
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or 1 (1.25 oz packet)
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- See serving suggestions below
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large non stick sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add in ground beef and taco seasoning.
- Cook, breaking up the meat as you go, until the beef is no longer pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato sauce.
- Gently simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes, or until most of the tomato sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Stir in lime juice.
- Taste and re-season, if necessary and enjoy!
Notes
- Hard shell tacos
- Soft shell tacos (flour or corn)
- Rice (to make a burrito bowl)
- Tortilla chips (to make nachos)
- Lettuce (to make a salad)
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Pico de Gallo or salsa
- Sour cream or non fat plain greek yogurt
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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