• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home Recipe Index

Taco Meat

★★★★★ 5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 4/24/23Updated: 4/25/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

I make this easy, homemade Taco Meat recipe for my family weekly! It’s the perfect blend of spices and ratio of meat to seasoning. Done in less than 20 minutes and so tasty.

Taco meat on a taco with toppings in the background
Contents hide
4 Reasons to Make This Recipe (in Bulk Preferably)
Ingredients
How to Make Taco Meat
Pro Tip
Can You Freeze Taco Meat?
FAQs
Side Dish Ideas
Taco Meat
Did you make this?

4 Reasons to Make This Recipe (in Bulk Preferably)

  1. Easy: Our Homemade Taco Seasoning only takes minutes to make. After that you’ll simply brown up the meat and let it simmer to perfection in the seasoning blend.
  2. Healthier: Making taco seasoning at home minimizes the sodium, sugar, preservatives, and additives that come in store-bought packets.
  3. Versatile: Use it in taco shells, burritos, baked nachos, in quesadillas, or even over a salad. Taco meat can be used in SO many ways.
  4. Easy to double and freeze: Taco meat freezes and thaws beautifully. Because of its versatility, it’s an ideal recipe to stock the freezer with. We’ll show you how.
Ground Beef Tacos

Ingredients

Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer and then grab any remaining ingredients from this list:

  • Ground beef – Grass-fed is always best. Here is how we get quality meat delivered to our doorstep.
  • Diced onion
  • Minced fresh garlic
  • Chicken broth – Here is how to make your own Homemade Chicken Broth.
  • Taco seasoning ingredients:
    • Chili powder
    • Ground cumin
    • Salt and pepper
    • Garlic powder
    • Onion powder
    • Dried oregano
    • Paprika
    • Red pepper flakes
    • Optional: Sugar
ingredients for taco meat

How to Make Taco Meat

I’ve been using this method and seasoning blend for my family for many, many years now. Check out how easy it is…

Combine Seasonings

In a small bowl or Mason jar, combine all of the taco seasonings and whisk or shake them together.

Taco seasoning layered in a small mason jar
taco seasoning in a mason jar

Pro Tip

Triple or quadruple the batch and store the seasoning in a large Mason jar. I almost always have a batch of our Taco Seasoning stored with my other seasonings.

Brown the Ground Meat

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté diced onion, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more.

Add ground beef (or chicken or turkey) and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. Drain off excess grease.

Browning Ground Beef and onion in a cast iron skillet

Add the Seasoning and Broth

Sprinkle the taco seasoning mixture over the meat and stir until coated.

Add in broth OR water and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced some, about 5 minutes.

taco seasoned ground meat in a skillet

Serve It Up!

There are SO many ways to utilize the homemade taco meat you just made. Here are some ideas:

  • Taco Bar – Lay out a variety of ingredients and let everyone assemble their own tacos. We’ll give you loads of topping ideas.
  • Baked Nachos – Sprinkle your taco meat over tortilla chips and top with cheese. After baking you will add toppings galore.
  • Ground Beef Quesadillas – Spread the taco meat and cheddar cheese between two tortillas to make a delicious quesadilla.
Baked nachos being served

Can You Freeze Taco Meat?

Freezing Taco Meat is a great use of your time. In fact, making freezer meals in general is a huge time-saver, money-saver, and sanity-saver!

Freeze For Later: Cook the meat as directed, then let the mixture cool completely. Place it in a freezer bag, seal and freeze. Optional: In separate bags, freeze about 2 cups of shredded cheese and soft tortillas along with the meat, to complete your kit.

Prepare For Later: Let all ingredients thaw in the refrigerator. Warm the meat in the microwave and serve as directed. (Note: You can also use the defrost setting on the microwave to thaw the taco meat.)

FAQs

Can you use different types of meat?

Yes, you can use other types of ground meat, such as ground chicken or ground turkey. Each type of meat will have a slightly different flavor, but the seasoning can be adjusted to suit your taste preferences.

Can you make taco meat ahead of time?

Yep. I do this all the time. It’s a perfect meal for nights everyone eats at a different time. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months. Just reheat when you want to serve it.

Side Dish Ideas

No matter how you decide to serve up your taco meat, here are some delicious Mexican-inspired side dishes to go with it.

chips and guac

Chips and Guacamole

Avocado Salsa

pickled red onions in a mason jar

Easy Pickled Red Onions

Texas Caviar Dip

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Taco meat in a soft taco
★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Taco Meat

Spice up your mealtime with delicious homemade taco meat. Our easy-to-make recipe will have your taste buds dancing with its perfect blend of spices and ground beef. Done in less than 20 minutes!

Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 3 minutesCook: 17 minutesTotal: 20 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

Taco Seasoning Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less for sensitive palates)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Taco Meat Ingredients 

  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 small white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3–4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef (sub: ground turkey)
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, and optional sugar until well combined.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3-4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more.
  3. Add the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula as it browns. Drain off excess grease.
  4. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of taco seasoning over the meat and stir until coated. Add in 1 cup of chicken/beef/vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced some, about 5 minutes.
  5. Serve however you’d like–in Tacos, Quesadillas, Baked Nachos, Taco Soup, or on a Mexican Chopped Salad.

Freeze For Later: Cook the meat as directed, then let the mixture cool completely. Place it in a freezer bag, seal, and freeze. 

Prepare For Later: Thaw meat in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on the microwave. Warm in a microwave safe bowl or over low heat on the stovetop. Add a little beef or chicken broth if it’s too dry.

Equipment

caraway saute pan

Sauté Pan

Buy Now →

Chefs Knife

Buy Now →

Notes/Tips

  • Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.
  • Taco Seasoning Ratio: Use about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning for every 1 pound of meat. Use more or less depending on your preference.

 

© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: Mexican Method: Stove Top

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.

9 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. AvatarCindy says

    Posted on 4/25/23 at 8:59 am

    This taco meat recipe is the BEST. It’s so easy to make. I almost always double the batch and freeze some for later.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Polly ConnerPolly Conner says

      Posted on 4/25/23 at 9:05 am

      I’m so glad you like it. I make this all the time and use the leftovers for baked nachos. Enjoy!

      Reply

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
dump and go freezer meal email cta

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

Trending Recipes

crock pot taco soup

Crock Pot Taco Soup

chicken nuggets dipped in honey mustard dipping sauce

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Cooked Honey garlic chicken kabobs on a white plate

Honey Garlic Chicken Kabobs

Grilling Recipes

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a wooden cutting board

The Perfect Grilled Steak

The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Finished shot of Cilantro lime chicken marinade - grilled chicken on a plate

Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade

overhead shot of grillled peaches with balsamic drizzle

Jane’s Grilled Peaches

Popular Round-Ups

7 Chicken marinades side by side - 1

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal

100+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

6 mason jars with various overnight oats in them

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

smoothie packs

7 Frozen Smoothie Packs (+ Printable with Shopping List)

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2023 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top