Beef Tacos
Beef Tacos are a favorite Taco Tuesday dinner for my family! Over the years I’ve tweaked how I’ve made them and this is definitely my favorite way to make tacos. I usually make two pounds of ground beef, so we have some leftovers. I love serving these with some fresh Pico de Gallo and some Pomegranate Guacamole!
Disclosure: Cooking in the Midwest participates in affiliate advertising programs. I may earn a commission when you make qualifying purchases through my website.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 TBSP minced garlic
- 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp each of cumin and dried cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
- White corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp oil
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Taco Toppings (sour cream, taco sauce, Pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce)
Prep Beef Tacos
There isn’t a lot of prep work in making beef tacos. Make sure you have a couple of pounds of ground beef thawed. I like to use two pounds of ground beef so we have plently and have leftovers for the next day.
During this time I like to chop the onion and measure out all of the seasonings ahead of time.
I also prefer to shred Monterey Jack cheese from a block for a creamier consistency.
Make Beef Tacos
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the ground beef to the skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook until the ground beef is browned. Drain as much of the grease from the meat as you can. Add the minced garlic.
Next, season with the taco seasonings. I like to use salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, dried cilantro, and cumin. You could also use a taco seasoning packet, but I prefer this blend of seasonings.
Once the meat is seasoned, add about 1 1/2 cups of beef broth and stir well. Bring this to a quick boil, reduce the heat, and cover with a lid.
This will simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has started to reduce. If the liquid hasn’t reduced, remove the lid and let it continue cooking a little bit longer.
Build Beef Tacos
Once the meat is ready, in a clean skillet add 1-2 tbsp of oil. I usually use olive oil or avocado oil.
Lay out a few of the white corn tortillas in the skillet. Add a small handful of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the tortillas. Next, add a spoonful of the taco meat.
Fold the tortillas over and cook on both sides until golden brown and crispy. This can be a little bit tricky at times, but I usually use a spatula to fold over the sides. Once they are folded use the spatula to gently press down on each taco.
These usually cook for at least a few minutes on each side.
As the tacos get finished cooking, I like to set the cooked tacos on some paper towels to help drain any of the extra grease.
Serve Beef Tacos
Once all of the tacos are made it’s time to eat! I usually serve these with some fresh Pico de Gallo, sour cream, and my favorite Pomegranate Guacamole.
If you like this recipe, check out some of my other favorite dinners for Taco Tuesday!
- Steak and Cheese Tacos
- Beef and Potato Tacos
- Shredded Beef Tacos
- Buffalo Chicken Crunch Wraps
- Cool Ranch Dorito Crunch Wraps
- Easy Salsa Recipe
- Pico de Gallo
- Pomegranate Guacamole
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- I like using white corn tortillas, but you can use your favorite type of tortilla.
- I used shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, but any cheese would be good in this!
- I like topping these with Pico de Gallo, sour cream, and taco sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 TBSP minced garlic
- 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp each of cumin and dried cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
- White corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp oil
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Taco Toppings sour cream, Pico de Gallo, taco sauce, shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Add ground beef and a chopped onion to a skillet over medium high heat. Once beef is cooked through drain the grease grease. Add minced garlic, all seasonings and beef broth.
- Bring to a boil then lower the heat. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced.
- In a separate pan, heat the skillet over medium heat and add some oil to the skillet. Lay out a few of the tortillas and tip them with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Top each one with a spoonful of taco meat. Fold the tortillas over and cook on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
- Lay the tacos out on paper towels to absorb any extra grease. Top tacos with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
These were amazing! Took a little longer to make than what I normally do but it was worth it! Delicious!
So happy to hear you liked them!!
These where amazing!!! i USED oaxaca cheese instead and it tasted amazing. One thing i will say is when you assemble them DO NOT use too much oil and DO NOT press them down hard.
I made this entire meal tonight. Everything came together so quick and easy! I worked on the guac and pico while the beef cooked. I used large flour tortillas instead of the small corn tortillas because that is all i had. It made large tacos so we cut them in half. This was a perfect meal! I will never go back to those boxed, taco kits.
So glad you liked it!
I liked this recipe and it’s a different twist on regular tacos. I will make this recipe again.
Happy to hear that!
I loved this recipe although i had added nacho cheese intead of montery jack. i spread that on the taco before the meat. it was delicious a little spicier but it was better to my taste.
So amazing! Not too spicy just has a little kick. (I’m a wimp) this will be my go to from now on! No more packaged seasoning.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Great seasonings! Nice change from the packaged taco seasoning. Will definitely make it again.
SO good! Family loved them. We will not be making tacos any other way from now on. 😊
Adding this one to the rotation – so good and EASY!! Thanks Luke!!!
So glad you liked them!
I live in California and we have all kinds of delicious tacos here. Growing up, my mom made something that we call cowboy tacos. Not at all like the Mexican tacos we get here. By golly, Luke, I do believe this recipe will be replacing those Cowboy tacos. I used granulated onion rather than diced, as I was short on time. I also used Hatch Chile powder.
Made them last night for the kids… everyone LOVED them!!
the spice on the meat was delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
Happy to hear that!
good recipe
These were amazing! I used 1 lb of lean ground beef and keto zero net carb tortillas, and I was able to make 14 tacos. My husband loved them and my picky son ate 4 of them. Will definitely make them again!
I’m in my 80’s and this is the way my mother made them. They are the best. I don’t make them just for myself anymore but my son and his family are coming over for Fathers Day and he requested them. Don’t know who is looking more forward to crispy tacos, him or me.
These were the best. Family loved them, will definitely make again.
Happy to hear that!
Nice
These are so good!!! I used to use Penzeys taco seasoning but this is the only way I make our tacos now.
I’m trying to figure out how to make a big batch of the seasoning to have available to help speed up dinner time.
Happy to hear that!
These tacos were better than any we ever bought!
Happy to hear that!