Mexican Ground Beef is so flavorful and easy to make! Elevate your taco meat and make delicious restaurant-style beef tacos. Bonus! This recipe is gluten-free, low carb, keto-friendly, and has no added sugar.
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You'll ❤️ This Seasoned Ground Beef for Tacos
"One of my favorite ways to "upgrade" taco meat from the basic seasoning packet taco meat recipe - but it's still super easy. I make my own taco seasoning mix but you could buy it from the store if your prefer." -Kori
Absolutely Delicious
I think you'll enjoy this Mexican ground beef recipe the next time you make tacos. I've always made my taco meat from a seasoning packet but felt it needed something more to the flavor.
Enter this recipe. I threw in a few extra ingredients to come up with, what I think, is absolutely delicious taco meat. 🙂
Easy
Granted, making taco meat with just a simple store-bought packet, ground beef, and water is the easiest - but why not elevate the flavor with minimal effort?
Just add diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, my taco seasoning mix, and additional salt and pepper to taste?
Healthy
Mexican ground beef taco meat is a healthy homemade recipe your whole family can enjoy!
- Making the taco filling and seasoning mix from scratch instead of from a means you know what you are serving your family.
- This recipe is gluten free, low carb, and keto.
- Want to reduce the fat content? Use a lower fat or lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Drain the fat after browning.
How To Serve
Serving this Mexican ground beef recipe is quite simple. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Fantastic in our Mexican Ground Beef and Potatoes!
- Make a taco! Serve in a corn tortilla or flour tortilla (regular, low carb, or keto tortilla), wrapped in lettuce, and top with your favorite taco fillings
- Make a Taco Chaffle and top with this taco meat and all of your favorite taco toppings.
- Serve with a side of beans, rice, and a fresh green salad.
- Make Air Fryer Nachos or the keto version Pork Rind Nachos.
- Make easy burritos by adding meat and grated cheese with a little salsa in a burrito sized flour tortilla. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees F until warm.
- Make a taco salad with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, cheese, and any other salad ingredient you might like (corn chips, crumbled tortillas?) and drizzle with our Avocado Dressing 🙂 It's seriously good dressing.
- Got spicy lovers? Make sure they have a favorite hot sauce and some sliced jalapenos to the meat.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make Mexican Ground Beef:
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
- Ground Chuck - use ground beef with an 80/20 fat percentage for best flavor. You can use any kind of ground beef (chuck, round, or sirloin), chicken, or turkey.
- Onion - I used yellow onion but you can use what you have on hand.
- Garlic - use fresh minced garlic
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- Healthy Copycat Taco Seasoning or Store-Bought Packet - my taco seasoning mix is very easy to make and healthy. I highly recommend that you make it plus extra for use later! It keeps for months in an airtight container.
- Water
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Equipment
Equipment and tools needed to make this recipe:
- 10 to 12" skillet
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Spoon
Variations
Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to this recipe:
- For more spice add hot diced tomatoes and chilies, diced green chilies, red pepper flakes, sliced jalapenos, or hot sauce to the meat mixture.
- Add garlic and play around with your seasonings.
- Sneak in some vegetables by adding 1 to 1-1/2 cups of mushrooms, onions, green bell pepper, spincah, or diced zucchini. You could also add corn or drained and rinsed beans too. Add fresh vegetables to the meat while cooking. Add corn or beans after the meat is done and just heat on the stove until warm.
- Use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content meat you use, the more flavor there will be in your meat.
Instructions
Here's how to make Mexican ground beef:
For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.
Brown Meat
Add oil to a large skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onions.
As the meat is cooking, break apart any large chunks of ground beef.
Cook until the meat is browned, no longer pink and onions are soft.
Add Remaining Ingredients
In the same skillet add diced tomatoes, garlic, taco seasoning mix, water, salt, and pepper.
Cook
Bring to a simmer and continue cooking over medium-high heat until all liquid is absorbed.
Serve
Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve as desired, or...
Make it a Mexican ground beef taco recipe! Fill your favorite taco shell (flour or corn, crispy or soft) along with grated cheese, and other toppings such as shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, sliced black olives, green onions, and so on! Enjoy!
Top Tips
- For best flavor use a ground beef with an 80/20 fat percentage (20% fat content).
- While you will lose some of the flavor, you can drain the fat in the ground beef to reduce extra fat if desired.
- Double or triple the taco beef and freeze some for future meals! It keeps really well in the freezer.
FAQs
What ground beef is best for tacos?
Simply put, the higher the fat content the more moisture and flavor you will have in your tacos. We used an 80/20 ground chuck but you could also use ground sirloin, ground round.
There are multiple kinds of ground beef in the grocery store with varying degrees of fat. The type you choose will depend on your personal preferences and nutritional requirements (low fat vs keto for example).
Can you make this ground beef taco meat recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can make Mexican ground beef ahead of time. Simply make the recipe, let it cool down, then refrigerate in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Reheat in your microwave or don't the stovetop until it reaches the desired temperature.
How long will beef taco meat keep?
The cooked taco meat will keep up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.
Can you freeze taco meat?
Yes, you can freeze beef taco meat! Make multiple batches and freeze some for later.
Store in a freezer-proof airtight container or plastic bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in your microwave or on your stovetop.
✔️ Related Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious Mexican-inspired recipes for dinner give these a try!
Mexican Recipes with Ground Beef
Here are some of my most popular Mexican recipes using ground beef:
- Mexican Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe
- Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Carne Enchiladas - calls for steak or ground beef. These are REALLY tasty.
- Zucchini Taco Boats
- Creamy Beef Taco Soup - uses ground beef. Top 5 most popular recipes on our site!
- Zucchini Ground Beef Taco Casserole - cheesy and flavorful - total comfort food! :
- Air Fryer Nachos (Loaded Nachos with Ground Beef) - super fast and easy! Use this taco meat.
Easy Mexican Recipes
Looking for more delicious Mexican-inspired recipes? Here are a few I think you will love:
- Birria Tacos with Consommé - uses chuck roast
- Crockpot Birria De Res - a most delicious stew using chuck roast
- Green Enchiladas with Chicken
- The Best Low Carb Keto Shrimp Tacos
- Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) - - the #1 recipe on my site!
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Fajitas Bake
⭐ Let's Connect
If you tried this Mexican Ground Beef Recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me and others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
📋 Recipe
Mexican Ground Beef Recipe
Delicious Mexican-style ground beef is full of flavor and will take your tacos to the next level! This recipe is gluten fee, low carb, keto, and has no added sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds ground chuck (80/20)
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 (10 ounce can) diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 recipe Healthy Taco Seasoning or 1 store-bought packet
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup water
- Optional tacos: corn or flour tortilla taco shells, grated cheese, and any favorite taco toppings (see suggestions in Notes below)
Instructions
Seasoned Ground Beef
- Add oil to a large skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onions.
- As the meat is cooking, break apart any large chunks of ground beef.
- Cook until the meat is browned, no longer pink and onions are soft.
- In the same skillet add diced tomatoes, garlic, taco seasoning mix, water, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer and continue cooking over medium-high heat until all liquid is absorbed.
Ground Beef Tacos
- Warm your favorite corn or flour taco shells if desired
- Fill tortillas with seasoned ground beef, cheese, shredded lettuce, and your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 322 Total Fat: 24.8gSaturated Fat: 8.9gCholesterol: 80.5mgSodium: 651.8mgCarbohydrates: 3.9gNet Carbohydrates: 2.3gFiber: 1.6gSugar: 1.2gProtein: 20.2g
Mexican ground beef is simple and easy to make for the most delicious tacos! Mexican-style ground beef taco meat is full of flavor and will take your Taco Tuesday to the next level. 🙂 This healthy recipe is gluten free, low carb, keto, and has no added sugar. #Tacos #GroundBeefRecipe #TacoTuesday #MexicanRecipe #TacoMeat #EasyDinner #Keto #LowCarb #Beef #Dinner #EasyRecipe #groundbeeftacorecipe
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