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Ground Beef Tacos
Are you searching for an easy and delicious way to spice up taco night? Look no further than these ground beef tacos with homemade taco seasoning. Quick to prepare, packed with flavor, customizable to your preferences not to mention saving money and eliminating additives. In this blog post I will demonstrate how to create them, provide tips for making them even better and answer some common questions regarding this recipe.
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos
Making ground beef tacos with recipe is simple. All requires are few ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time. These are given below:
- Blend together ingredients for homemade taco seasoning in small bowl: chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder onion powder wild marjoram salt and pepper till desired taste is meat.
- Adjust quantities or add additional spices like hot pepper or smoked for extra heat.
- Cook ground beef over medium high heat in large skillet until browned and fully cooked through about 15 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
- Add taco seasoning and stir well. Pour 1/4 cup of water over the mixture and simmer until slightly thickened (roughly 5 minutes). Finally, serve the taco meat on warm tortillas or crispy shells with your preferred toppings.
Tips for Making Ground Beef Tacos
These are some tips to make your ground beef tacos even more delicious and satisfying:
What type of ground beef works best for tacos?
I recommend lean ground beef (85% or 90% lean) for this recipe as it provides enough fat to keep the meat wet yet flavorful without needing to drain excess moisture off before use. You could also substitute turkey or chicken instead.
Are You Wondering About How Much Taco Meat to Serve Per Person?
This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of taco meat, enough for 12 tacos (assuming 1/3 cup per taco). Based on your hunger level and other considerations, an estimate should be 2 to 3 tacos per person.
How to Make Crispy Taco Shells
If you like crunchy tacos, you can make crispy taco shells at home with corn tortillas. Heat some oil in a small skillet over medium high heat and fry each tortilla for few seconds on each side, until golden and bubbly. Then fold it in half and drain on paper towels. You can also bake them in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes or use a microwave safe taco shell maker.
Taco Toppings
The best part of tacos is that you can customize them with whatever toppings you like. My favorites are shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, lime wedges and hot sauce. Try more creative toppings like corn, black beans, pickled onions, jalapeños or coleslaw.
Why I Love This Recipe
There are many reasons why I love this ground beef taco recipe:
- It’s quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
- It’s budget friendly and uses pantry staples I always have.
- It’s versatile and adaptable to different tastes and dietary needs.
- It’s delicious and satisfying, balancing protein, carbs, fat and fiber.
- It’s fun and festive, great for family dinners or entertaining guests.
What to Serve with Tacos
Tacos are complete meal on their own, but if you want to make them even more filling and flavorful, you can serve them with some side dishes. These are some ideas:
Rice: For more flavor, you can make some simple white or brown rice or try Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.
Beans: Beans are classic accompaniment to tacos. You can use canned or cooked black beans, refried beans, charro beans or frijoles borrachos (drunken beans).
Salad: Fresh salad can add crunch and freshness to your taco night. You can make a simple green salad with lettuce and dressing or try some Mexican inspired salads like corn salad, avocado salad or tomato cucumber salad.
Chips and Dip: You can go right with some tortilla chips and dip for your tacos al pastor. You can make your salsa (fresh or cooked), guacamole (chunky or smooth), queso (cheesy or spicy) or pico de gallo (tomato, onion, cilantro).
How to Store Taco Meat
If you have any leftover taco meat, you can store it in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 4 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat it, you can microwave it in microwave safe bowl, stirring occasionally, until hot or heat it in skillet over medium low heat, adding some water if needed to prevent drying out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the taco meat ahead of time and store it as instructed above. You can also make the taco seasoning and store it in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
Can I use store bought taco seasoning?
Yes, you can use store bought taco seasoning instead of making your own, if you prefer. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons taco seasoning for this recipe or more or less to your taste. However, I recommend making your taco seasoning, as it’s cheaper, healthier and more flavorful than the packaged ones.
How can I make this recipe vegetarian or vegan?
You can make this recipe vegetarian or vegan by substituting the ground beef with a plant based alternative, like soy crumbles, lentils, mushrooms, walnuts or cauliflower. You can also use vegan cheese and sour cream or omit them altogether.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed blog post and learned how to make ground beef tacos with homemade taco seasoning. Recipe is one of my favorites and I am sure you’ll love it too. It’s easy, tasty and customizable to your liking. Give it try and let me know what you think in comments below. And remember to share this post with your friends and family who love tacos as much as you do. Happy taco night.
Ingredients
Instructions
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