This delicious and easy Ground Beef Tacos recipe has a flavorful beef filling inside a crispy fried corn tortilla.
Looking for more Mexican recipes? Try these Pupusas, Chicken Tinga, or Chilaquiles!
Next-level Ground Beef Tacos
We have some version of tacos every week–which is impressive because we rarely repeat meals, because of all the recipe creating I do. The taco meat is made with your own pantry spices, which taste much better than a packet from the store. And my favorite way to level-up traditional ground beef tacos is by pan-frying the corn tortillas to make our own crispy taco shell. It gives these tacos an irresistible crunch and makes them something special. (I also love them with homemade corn tortillas). Serve with Mexican rice, and toppings like pico de gallo and guacamole, and I’m in heaven.
How to make Ground Beef Tacos:
Cook Meat: Combine all of the taco seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Place ground beef in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Cook, crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon or meat chopper until browned. Add spices and stir well. Add black beans and heat on low to keep it warm.
Fry Taco Shells: Pour enough oil in a medium pot or skillet so it’s about 1-inch deep. Heat oil to 325 degrees F. Once hot, use tongs to dip one half of the tortilla into the hot oil, laying it flat, while folding the other end over, but keep it out of the oil. It will create a “U” or “taco shell” shape. Cook for about 1 minute, until golden and crisp, then flip and repeat with the other side of the tortilla. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Serve: Add a big spoonful of ground beef mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salsa or your favorite toppings. Serve with a side of Mexican Rice or Elotes (Mexican Corn) and a glass of Horchata.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The ground beef taco meat can be made up to a few days in advance, stored in the fridge. The taco shells can be fried a day in advance, stored in a brown paper bag at room temperature.
To Freeze: Freeze taco meat in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations:
- Meat: Swap the beef for ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Toppings: We love to use pico de gallo, homemade guacamole (found in my cookbook), pickled onions and sautéed mushrooms.
- Slow cooker ground beef taco meat: Add beef, seasoning, and a cup or two of your favorite salsa in a crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Use a meat chopper or wooden spoon to break up the meat and discard liquid. Stir in black beans.
More Taco Recipes:
- Birria Tacos
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Baked Tacos
- BBQ Chicken Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos
- Walking Tacos
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
- Taco Salad
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Ground Beef Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
Ground Beef Taco Meat:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 15 oz can black beans , rinsed and drained
Tacos:
- 12 corn tortillas
- vegetable oil , for frying
- 2 cups Romaine lettuce , finely shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1-2 roma tomatoes , chopped
- More topping ideas: olives, guacamole, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, jalapeños, pickled onion
Instructions
- Combine taco seasoning spices in a small bowl, and set aside.
- Make the taco meat: Add ground beef to a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Cook, crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add spices and stir well to combine. Stir in black beans. Keep on low heat while you fry the tortillas.
- Crunchy tortilla shells: Fill a medium pot or skillet with enough oil to fill about 1-inch up the sides. Heat oil to 325 degrees F. Once hot, use tongs to dip one half of the tortilla into the oil, laying it flat, while folding the other end over (but out of the oil, to create a “U” or “taco shell” shape. Cook for about 1 minute, until golden and crisp, then flip and repeat with the other side of the tortilla, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Serve: Add a big spoonful of ground beef mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salsa or other desired toppings. Serve with a side of Mexican rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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We originally shared this recipe September 2022. Updated August 2024.
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