These Ground Beef Tacos are loaded with juicy, flavour-packed beef and piled high with your favourite toppings. Easy to make, endlessly customisable and perfect for Taco Tuesday!
There’s a million and one ways to enjoy tacos, but here I’ll show you how to quickly make taco meat that is super juicy and loaded with flavour. Follow me.
The BEST Ground Beef Tacos!
For me, ground beef tacos are an absolute classic. For so long, my experience of beef tacos was a trip to the local supermarket, picking up a taco kit and off I went. I mean, convenience-wise, yes, they’re pretty good. But they leave a lot of room for improvement.
Here’s why you’re going to LOVE these homemade tacos:
- Seriously juicy and packed with flavour. No dry, bland taco meat around these parts.
- Ready in less than 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights and Taco Tuesdays alike.
- Made with simple ingredients. Nothing fancy, just honest ingredients that work beautifully together.
- Endlessly customisable. Pile them high with all your favourite toppings and make them your own.
- Guaranteed to become a family favourite. Once you’ve tried homemade tacos, there’s no going back!
Ground Beef Taco Meat
What sets these Ground Beef Tacos apart from the rest is the filling itself. A combination of homemade seasoning, tomato paste, beef stock and a little cornstarch creates a rich, flavour-packed mixture that’s perfectly juicy and clings beautifully to the tortillas.
Alongside the beef itself, here are the four ingredients that really make all the difference:
- Homemade Spice Mix – I highly recommend whipping up a batch of your own ground beef taco seasoning. I find store-bought spice mixes differ a huge amount, so you never really get the same result twice (unless you use the same variety, of course). If you’ve only got a sachet of store-bought seasoning, these will still be delicious; don’t worry.
- Tomato Puree/Paste – A little tomato paste adds a lovely depth of flavour and gives the filling a richer, more savoury finish.
- Beef Stock/Water – This is one of the keys to ultra-juicy taco meat. It keeps the beef from drying out and helps all those delicious flavours mingle together.
- Cornstarch/Cornflour – this is my secret ingredient. It thickens the liquid so it wraps around the beef and keeps it ultra juicy.
Process shots: fry beef and seasoning (photo 1), fry tomato paste (photo 2), stir in liquid and cornflour (photo 3), simmer to thicken (photo 4).
Ground Beef
I usually get ground beef that is around 10-12% fat. I find that it has more flavour than extra lean beef (>5%), but also doesn’t turn the taco meat too fatty/oily. If you only have fatty beef (say 20%), just drain away excess fat after it’s fried.
How to Serve Ground Beef Tacos
One of the best things about Ground Beef Tacos is how easy they are to customise. I recommend serving everything separately and letting everyone build their own tacos. Not only is it more fun, but it also means everyone can pile on their favourite toppings and make them exactly how they like them!
My Favourite Ground Beef Taco Toppings
- Cheese
- Shredded Lettuce
- Tomato
- Jalapeno
- Sour Cream
When it comes to what cheese to use, I usually go for a nice sharp cheddar. I’d stay away from mozzarella because it doesn’t pack enough flavour. Pepper Jack/Monterey Jack would also work nicely!
What to serve with Ground Beef Tacos
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these beef tacos shall we?!
How to make Ground Beef Tacos (Full Recipe & Video)
Ground Beef Tacos
Equipment
- Large, Deep Frying Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 10-12 Taco Tortilla Wraps, warmed in the microwave (see notes)
Homemade Seasoning (see notes)
- 2 tsp EACH: Paprika, Cumin
- 1 tsp EACH: Oregano, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
- 1/2 – 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Sugar, Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Taco Beef
- 1lb / 500g Ground/Minced Beef (see notes)
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Water or Beef Stock, or as needed (see notes)
- 1 heaped tbsp Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree in UK)
- 1 tsp Cornstarch/Cornflour, optional (see notes)
- Olive Oil, for frying
Topping ideas
- Cheese, grated (I like Cheddar)
- Lettuce, shredded
- Tomatoes, finely diced
- Jalapeños, thinly sliced
- Sour Cream
- Lime Juice + Coriander/Cilantro, to serve
Instructions
- In a small pot or bowl, combine the taco seasoning, then place to one side.
- Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and break it up with your wooden spoon until completely browned. Stir in the seasoning and fry for a minute or so, then stir in the tomato paste and fry for another minute.
- Add the stock/water, then stir in the cornflour/cornstarch. Simmer and stir until the liquid gets soaked up and the beef is nice and juicy. It shouldn't be watery at all.
- I like to serve them unbuilt because it's more fun to have everyone build their own. Just for reference, I stack mine in the following order: beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, sour cream, then garnish with lime juice and coriander/cilantro. Of course, you can use any toppings in any order, but I do recommend placing the cheese on top of the beef, just so it gets the chance to melt.
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Ground Beef Tacos FAQ
Absolutely! The beef filling reheats beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep. Simply allow it to cool, store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, then gently reheat before serving.
Yep! Once cooled, transfer the beef filling to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot before serving.
Ground Beef Tacos are usually dry because there isn’t enough liquid in the filling. A combination of beef stock, tomato paste and a short simmer helps keep the beef rich, juicy and packed with flavour.
For more taco recipes check out my Steak Tacos, Fish Finger Tacos, Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos, Puff Pastry Tacos, Caesaroni Tacos and Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Easy Tex Mex Recipes
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas
- Chicken Quesadillas
- BBQ Chicken Nachos
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Chicken Fajita Nachos
10 out of 10!! Can’t wait to have them again already, they were absolutely delish!! Thank you Chris ☺️
So pleased to hear, Alex! 🙂 C.
I’d like to make it today, what I can cook and serve beside it?
Hey Ola! Some Potato Wedges and/or Baked Jalapeno Poppers would go great with these. if you’re looking for more of a feast, some BBQ Chicken Nachos would be awesome.
Super yummy, delicious and a filler too. Best Dinner option with friends and family too.
Oh yes! Definitely family approved 🙂
I love how loaded these tacos are. So colourful and lots of flavours.
Thanks Dannii! 🙂
these look delicious! I’ve got a TON of ground beef that needs to be used up. Also, what a great hack on making your own hard taco shells
Oh perfect! These will be awesome for the beef you’ve got!!
My kids loved it! It was so good!
Oh fab! Great to hear 🙂
I made these tacos for dinner last night, and everyone loved them! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
That’s awesome to hear! So glad you all enjoyed 🙂