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Taco Meat

Taco meat with browned ground beef coated in a rich spiced sauce—quick, bold, and ready to spoon into tacos or burritos. Simmered until thick and clinging to the crumbles for an easy, storable filling.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Taco meat
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 3 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown and drain the beef
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks for 5-7 minutes, until browned. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons.
Build the spiced sauce
  1. Lower the heat slightly and stir in the water, taco seasoning, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper until well combined and smooth.
Simmer until thick and coated
  1. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
Season and finish
  1. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste to balance the flavor.
Serve and store
  1. Use the taco meat immediately in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or other Mexican dishes. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

For best texture, don’t skip draining: leaving 1-2 tablespoons of fat helps the sauce cling to the crumbles. Refrigerate cooked taco meat in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water if it thickens too much. For a lighter option, use 93% lean ground beef or swap to ground turkey with the same spices (final salt may need adjustment).