Our go-to Beef Taco Recipe with the juiciest ground beef taco meat. Beef tacos are perfect for easy entertaining or busy weeknights and they always get rave reviews!
We love taco parties and usually go between these ground beef tacos or our famous fish tacos. You can prep the taco meat and toppings in advance then everyone builds their own tacos. Talk about stress free entertaining.
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If you are looking to feed a smaller crowd, you can easily cut all of the ingredients in half and the taco meat will cook even faster. You can also make the full batch and freeze leftovers for a future dinner. If you want to really take these to the next level, make sure you try our easy Homemade Hard Taco Shells.
What Makes These the BEST Beef Tacos?
It is all in the ground beef taco meat and this recipe does not disappoint. These beef tacos are:
- EASY
- Only 4 ingredients
- a 1-Pan recipe
- 15 minutes cooking time
What Kind of Ground Beef for Tacos?
You want to use ground beef with a fat content between 80-90% – nothing overly lean or fatty. If you do have a fattier beef on hand, no worries, you can spoon out the excess fat from the pan before adding the tomatoes.
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos:
The beef taco meat comes together in 1 pan in about 15 minutes. You end up with tender juicy and perfectly seasoned beef.
1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat, add the beef and cook 5 minutes, or until no longer pink, skim off excess fat if desired.
2. Add Rotel tomatoes, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp salt. Cook until beef is fully cooked and and most of the tomato liquid has evaporated (7 to 10 minutes).
Taco Toppings for Beef Tacos:
Ground beef tacos are so versatile for any kind of toppings. We love serving these with Mango Salsa (as seen in the photos), but you can make your Taco Tuesdays exciting with these taco toppings:
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Sour cream
- Limes cut into wedges
- Cilantro sprigs
- Sliced jalapeños (fresh or canned)
- Sliced avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced green onion or diced red onion
- Corn Tortillas – or Homemade Hard Taco Shells
How to Toast Tortillas for Tacos:
Soft Corn tortillas should be toasted just before serving to keep them fresh and warm. Toast only as many as you need. Always use dry skillet (no oil required) and do not overheat or tortillas will become dry.
- Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over medium/high heat.
- Place tortillas in a single layer and toast 15-30 seconds on each side just until hot and barely starting to turn golden.
- Remove to a plate and wrap loosely with foil to keep warm.
These beef tacos are so fresh, hearty and satisfying. Try these for your next taco party!
More Taco Recipes for Taco Tuesday:
- Fish Tacos with the best fish taco sauce!
- Korean Beef Bulgogi Tacos – incredible flavor here
- Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw – a restaurant copycat
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos – easy weeknight dinner
Ground Beef Taco Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture:
- 2 lbs ground beef chuck, 10% to 20% fat
- 20 oz Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilis, (Two 10 oz cans with their juice)
- 1 tsp chili powder, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
To Serve Beef Tacos:
- 20 yellow corn tortillas, (small) or Hard Taco Shells
- 1/2 iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2/3 cup sour cream, for topping
- 2 limes , cut into wedges
- 1/4 bunch Cilantro sprigs, to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add 2 lbs ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through (5 minutes). Use a spoon to skim off and discard most of the excess fat, leaving about 2-3 Tbsp in the pan.
- Add 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp salt. Continue to cook until beef is fully cooked and sauce slightly reduced and most of the tomato liquid has evaporated (7 to 10 minutes).
- Before serving, on a dry large non-stick pan over medium/high heat, toast both sides of tortillas just until hot and barely starting to turn golden (15-30 seconds per side). Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- To serve, place a heaping spoonful of beef over each tortilla, top with lettuce, mango salsa, sprigs of cilantro, sour cream and a sprinkle of chili powder if desired. Squeeze fresh lime juice just before eating.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Easiest Taco Night Ever!
Here’s a secret sneaky tip for instant tacos with no cooking required: Use left-over meat from last night’s dinner. Use leftover meatloaf to make beef tacos or repurpose your Crockpot Pulled Chicken leftovers! Break up the meat and warm until just heated through then add them to your taco bar.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’ve been using another recipe with homemade spice blend but wanted to try something different that didn’t contain cumin. I went to your blog because you are my go-to for many recipes. I was skeptical about just using Rotel, but wow this turned out very good! Juicy, flavorful, and different than most basic recipes. Just enough seasoning for me. Thank you for your recipes Natasha!