Description
This Best Ground Beef Taco Recipe offers a quick and flavorful way to enjoy classic tacos at home. Ground beef is seasoned with a blend of chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and other spices, simmered in tomato sauce, and served in lightly fried corn tortillas for a crispy texture. Perfect for a delicious weeknight dinner, these tacos can be topped with your favorite fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 lb ground beef (70-80% lean)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp granulated onion
- ½ cup tomato sauce
Tortillas & Frying
- 8 white corn tortillas
- ½ cup oil (avocado or vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Cook Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef apart as it cooks. Continue cooking until the beef is fully browned and no longer pink.
- Drain Excess Grease: Carefully drain any excess grease from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and reduce the heat to low.
- Season: Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, dried Mexican oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and tomato sauce to the beef. Stir well so that the meat is evenly coated in the seasoning and sauce.
- Simmer: Allow the meat mixture to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, letting the flavors meld together and the sauce thicken slightly.
- Fry Tortillas: Pour ½ cup of oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Test the oil by dipping a tortilla into it; if it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is hot enough. Carefully lay each tortilla in the hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds on each side, just enough to add color and some crispness without making them too crunchy.
- Shape Tortillas: Remove the fried tortillas and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil. While still warm, carefully fold each tortilla over to create a taco shape using tongs or two forks.
- Fill Tacos: Spoon the seasoned ground beef mixture into each tortilla shell and add your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, or sour cream, as desired.
Notes
- For leaner tacos, use ground beef with 90% lean; however, reduce added oil accordingly.
- White corn tortillas provide the authentic texture and flavor, but you can substitute with yellow corn tortillas if preferred.
- Be careful not to over-fry the tortillas to keep them pliable for folding.
- Leftover taco meat can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: ground beef tacos, taco recipe, Mexican tacos, fried tortillas, quick dinner, easy taco recipe
