Last Updated 10-01-2024
BEST GROUND BEEF TACO FILLING — The perfect blend of herbs and spices, along with garlic, jalapeno and onion, make this homemade ground beef taco filling absolute best ever!
Everyone needs a great ground beef taco filling recipe in their collection, and this Best Ground Beef Taco Filling is a long-time family favorite.
Having a good taco filling recipe is an absolute must when you feed hungry teenage boys every day like I do. And my husband is probably the biggest fan of tacos in the family.
Needless to say, when I serve this savory ground beef with our favorite taco toppings for dinner, everyone is happy, including me. I mean, what’s not to love about tacos, right?
We can’t agree on soft or crispy shells around here, so I usually offer both, along with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and salsa. I also like black beans and avocado, but my boys tend to stick with the basics.
If you like to plan ahead, this is a great recipe to double and freeze half for later. Perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have time to cook. It does make a lot as is though, so if you’re feeding less than four, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
And of course, a taco bar is the perfect solution for game day, potlucks, or any occasion where you need to feed a crowd. Just keep the meet warm in a slow cooker and serve it up with a variety of toppings and tortillas.
I’ve tried a lot of taco meat recipes, and this one is by far the most flavorful, thanks to a generous amount of spices, plus fresh jalapeno, garlic and onion.
It has just the right amount of spicy kick for almost everyone, but if you want to go extra spicy, don’t remove all of the seeds from your jalapeno. If you really want to go all out, try serving this in homemade flour tortillas!
If I keep some ground beef in the freezer, I usually have all the ingredients on hand for this recipe. Ground turkey works great too. Sometimes I even do a combination of beef and turkey, depending on what I have on hand.
Having tacos for dinner never gets old–at least according to my family–and this is a great, basic taco meat recipe that everyone should have in their repertoire.
Be sure to save this recipe for the Best Ground Beef Taco Filling to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the Best Ground Beef Taco Filling
- Ground beef
- Produce: onions, jalapeno, garlic
- Spices: chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, onion salt, salt and pepper
- Tomato sauce
Best Ground Beef Taco Filling
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef with onion, garlic and jalapeno, breaking the meat into small pieces, until beef is cooked through, 6-8 minutes; drain grease if needed.
- Stir in all of the spices, along with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for an additional minute or two.
- Stir in the tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Reseason with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Serve with taco shells, tortillas, and your favorite taco toppings.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
liz
can you please tell me what do you mean by a can of tomato sauce? im in australia do you mean tomato paste?
Danelle
We have canned tomato sauce here in the US. It’s similar to tomato paste but not as thick.
Louisa Atsas
I am in Australia too. I would use tomato puree. A can of tomato paste would be too strong.