The Best Homemade Tacos

Tacos Mexicanos

Traditional Mexican beef tacos are served on soft corn tortillas with marinated sliced or shredded beef. Those are fantastic! But that’s not what most Americans envision when they think of traditional tacos.

Recipe for the Best Ground Beef Tacos

Most of us grew up eating ground beef tacos with tons of toppings in a crispy corn shell or a soft flour tortilla. In this recipe, we’ll make a typical taco. However, we are not utilizing a pre-made taco seasoning mix. A tasty homemade taco seasoning is used in this meal.

What Kind of Ground Beef Should You Use for Tacos?

Because you don’t have to drain any fat after cooking lean ground beef is the best beef to use for tacos. There is just enough fat in the beef to make it tasty without making it oily. By skipping the step of draining the fat, this taco dish is quick and straightforward.

Of course, if you have extra fatty ground beef, you can still use it in this recipe. Cook the beef and drain the fat before adding the taco ingredients.

Ingredients

1 lb. 90% to 93% lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
12 taco shells – either hard shells or small 6-inch soft flour tortillas will work
Optional Taco Toppings: shredded cheese shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, taco sauce, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat. Using a wooden spoon, shred the meat. To the meat, add the chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cook for 6-8 minutes, tossing periodically, until the meat is cooked through.
Turn the heat down to medium. Combine the tomato sauce and water in a mixing bowl. To blend, stir everything together. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until part of the liquid has evaporated but the meat mixture is still slightly saucy. Take the pan off the heat.
Warm the taco shells as directed on the packaging.
Fill each taco shell with 2 teaspoons taco meat. Toppings for tacos include shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, taco sauce, sour cream, guacamole, and so on.