Name: Homemade Taco Meat
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp cumin powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt; 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup onion, diced fine; 1/4 cup red pepper, diced fine

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With plenty of uses for taco meat, you'll be glad to have an easy homemade recipe on hand. With only a step or two more, you'll ditch the packaged seasoning mix and use this ground beef recipe in all your taco and taco inspired recipes, guaranteed.

I love tacos and not just on Tuesdays, although, I do love a themed dinner. It makes life easy. I know Tuesday it’s tacos, Sundays are for the Best Almost Homemade Spaghetti Sauce. I say this, but I’ve yet to actually put this into regular practice. High hopes, right!? We all have them! If you’re like me, you probably reach for the pre-made, packaged taco seasoning, it’s easy. Well, no more! I have a new recipe that is so much better. It takes just a wee bit more time, but it’s so worth the extra effort.

Ditch that salty packaged seasoning and give this Homemade Taco Meat a try. It’s really so good. The flavours are spot on and it even has the addition of onions and peppers. In today’s world, where there are numerous ingredients we can’t even pronounce, having more recipes that are closer to scratch is so important to me. Not to mention you probably already have everything on hand.

So, you might be thinking, ok but Tanya, this makes a pretty big batch of Homemade Taco Meat. No worries, it freezes like a rockstar. So, you can always divide this into equal parts, bag it and toss it in your freezer. Or if you’re up for other ideas besides tacos, check out the list of fun options below.

Other uses for Homemade Taco Meat

Baked potatoes stuffed with taco meat, black beans, corn, cheese, etc. (Potacos, as we call them).
Taco pizza. Watch for my favourite version coming soon.
Taco spaghetti. Spaghetti made with taco meat, cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions. Let your imagination run wild here.
Taco salad. Your favourite taco toppings in salad form.
Taco grilled cheese is exactly as it sounds.
Mexican mac and cheese. Just add taco meat and your favourite toppings to the classic cheesy pasta dish.
Taco Breakfast scramble. Mix some Homemade Taco Meat, tomatoes and onions into your eggs for a new twist in the morning.
Nachos. Pile ’em high with taco meat, tomatoes, black olives, jalapenos, green onions, cheese and then more cheese.

How to make Homemade Taco Meat

It’s really quite simple, besides chopping the peppers and onions, it’s just spices and a bit of tomato sauce. So, here’s the quick run down, start by frying your ground beef. I used 80% lean. While the beef is cooking, chop the onions and peppers nice and fine. Once the beef is cooked through, drain it. You’ll want to do this before you add your spices, so you don’t lose any of the delicious spices. Add the onions, peppers and spices here and cook until the vegetables soften. Add the tomato sauce and let it cook through. That’s it!

Don’t let the ease of this recipe fool you, it’s jam-packed full of flavour. Trust me, Homemade Taco Meat will be a hit the next time you serve tacos or one of the other tasty options that are listed above!

Loved Homemade Taco Meat? Check out these other delicious recipes, I’m sure they’ll be a hit:

If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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