The Best Beef Taco Meat + Ways to Use It

The only beef taco meat recipe you’ll ever need! This simple taco meat comes together in about twenty minutes, making it the perfect weeknight SOS protein. Enjoy it in burrito bowls, tacos, burritos, and more!

If you love Mexican-inspired recipes, be sure to also check out Mexican-Inspired Turkey Burgers with Chili Lime Mayo, Black Bean, Carrot Rice, and Kale Crispy Tacos, and Mole Chicken Bowls.

Beef Taco Meat

I came up with this protein-packed beef taco meat recipe before work one morning. I had purchased a pound of ancestral beef blend- a combination of beef liver, beef heart, and ground beef- from a local regenerative beef farm at the farmer’s market the weekend previous and, with just 30 minutes to figure out what to pack for lunch that day, I placed it in a skillet along with some onions, garlic, spices, and salsa. The resulting taco meat was so full of flavour, I immediately wrote down the exact ingredients and amounts used in my recipe notebook to share as a blog post.

This taco meat certainly isn’t just for tacos, either. I love using it in a burrito bowl with sweet potato, cabbage, cheese, sour cream, and avocado. Of course, it also works in burritos, pasta bakes, or on nachos or Mexican pizza. Flavour, nutrition, and versatility are three areas where this taco meat really shines!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: This beef taco meat is easy to make, even on the busiest of weeknights. It comes together in about 20 minutes!
• 10 ingredients or less: It has ten ingredients, not including the salt. And most of those ingredients are spices!
• Kid-friendly: School-aged kids love the flavours in this meat.
• Healthy: This beef taco meat is packed with almost 30 grams of protein per serving, as well as iron, selenium, zinc, and choline. Did you know that choline benefits the brain and nervous system, as it regulates memory, mood, and muscle control?
• Big batch: This recipe makes enough to feed a family of 4-6 with enough left over for some of you to pack for lunch the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this simple recipe, you’ll need the following:

• Ground beef (organic, regenerative, and grass-fed, if possible)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Spices: Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and hot red pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• Salsa

Step By Step Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, mashing and stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned.
2. Add the spices and salt and stir to incorporate.
3. Add the salsa. Turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Ways To Serve Beef Taco Meat

There are a few options for how to enjoy your taco meat. Of course, you can enjoy it in tacos or burritos.

• I have been enjoying a burrito bowl with the meat, roasted sweet potatoes, purple cabbage, cheese, avocado, and sour cream on repeat.
• Make a taco salad: Serve cooled taco meat over shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red cabbage, pumpkin seeds, avocado, pickled jalapeños, and grated cheese. Top with a southwestern vinaigrette made up of ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon of cumin, and ½ tablespoon of maple syrup.
• Make a beef taco pasta bake: Toss the taco meat with one pound of pasta, cooked two minutes less than the recommended cooking time and drained. Add 1 cup more salsa. Place in a 9×13-inch baking dish and top with 1 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

More Beef Recipes

• Spicy Beef Vegetable Tortellini Soup
• Moroccan Meatball Bowls
• Barbecue Meatball Bowls with Avocado Goddess Sauce

I hope you love this beef taco meat! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

Enjoy!

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