Ground Beef Tacos • Two Purple Figs

Ground Beef Tacos are one of those juicy, flavorful tacos that you can whip up in minutes! It makes an easy weeknight dinner, tailgating and party favorites.  We make those for taco Tuesdays and we’re sharing all the endless variations to enjoy them step by step and video below. Make them today 🙂

Where can we start when it comes to our TACO LOVE? It’s like tacos are our love language. Super simple like Ground Chicken Tacos, Salmon Tacos and Mahi Mahi Tacos. Or complex in flavor and process like our popular Birria Tacos, Lamb Birria and the perfect Lamb Tacos.

The best part about having  ground beef tacos for dinner is when you have all your prep in advance ready. So each time we make either this recipe or the Ground Beef Nachos or Lamb Tacos, we make extra of the ground meat. It keeps to well in the fridge and it’s perfect to throw in a meal like this!

Similarly we always make extra of our Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe and Queso. Likewise, these keep so well in the fridge! Not to forget our usual Homemade Salsa, Guacamole Recipe. And if you’re feeling adventurous or lucky, you’ll have some Mango Pico De Gallo or make some Black Bean and Corn Salad.

I mean with all that and so many more options, it’s no secret we LOVE our taco nights! For todat’s recipe, here’s the breakdown of ingredients, video, step by step and tips to perfection.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground Beef. We use our same Taco spice mix and everything as this Ground Beef Nachos. In fact this is leftover of the cooked meat, which is a great way to save time when preparing dinner!
• Nachos Cheese Sauce or Queso. We most always have those on hand too! They’re super fridge friendly and can be used endlessly! They’re similar yet different, so depending on your preference you can use either or.
• Guacamole. Yes we have an authentic recipe for guacamole as well which is the simplest basic one, however you can simply add in some diced avocados if you’re rushed.
• Salsa. Our homemade Salsa is another make ahead friendly, but you can absolutely use store bought. If you’re lucky enough, you may have some leftover Mango Pico De Gallo which is amazing to use! 
• Taco Shells. We love showcasing both as you can see, the soft and the hard taco shell. Use corn or flour tortillas, it’r your preference.
• Toppings. Make it spicy with jalapeno slices or pickled jalapenos which add spice and tang. We love some scallions and extra tomatoes diced. We also added some fresh corn which we have leftover from our Corn Ribs. Basically the sky’s the limit here!
• Sour cream. It makes everything taste better in our opinion!
• Lime and Cilantro. The ultimate zest of freshness and bright taste. If you’r enot a cilantro person, swap it with parsley. 

How To Make Ground Beef Tacos

Cook the Beef

1. You’re going to start by cooking the ground beef. We make it the exact same way as we do in our Ground Beef Nachos. 
2. We begin by sauteeing the onions, add in the beef and garlic along with hour homemade taco seasoning. 
3. Cook until ready and you can no longer see pink. 
4. At that point you can add some spice by adding in some minced jalapeños, or leave that out. Finish off with some minced cilantro for a fresh finish. 
5. Now that the beef is ready, you can start assembling the tacos.

Assemble the Tacos

1. Start with your taco shell. You can use hard or soft shells, flour or corn tortillas. Just pick your favorite and it will taste amazing!
2. Choose an oven safe dish or baking sheet and place the shells on top. Then begin by layering the shredded cheese. 
   
3. Now add in the cooked ground beef that was prepared earlier. 
   
4. If you’re using soft tortillas, you’ll be layering the same way as shown above. 
5. Then you’re going to bake off the tacos for just 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted. 
6. Once melted, you’ll start piling your toppings. 

Pile The Toppings for Tacos

You can go as simple or complex as you want here. We love adding cilantro, corn, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, pickled jalapeños, scallions and black olives. 

You can definitely add more exotic Mango Pico De Gallo or Pineapple Salsa. All the toppings above are linked in the ingredients list so you can make them at home or use store bought. If you want a hearty taco topping that’s SO GOOD, use our Black Bean and Corn Salad. 

And there you have made the easiest most delicious ground beef tacos ever!

Tips For Making Ground Beef Tacos

1. It’s a great idea to have the ground beef cooked ahead of time, so always double the amount. You can use it for Ground Beef Nachos and much more!
2. If you want to have homemade toppings, they’re also great to be made in advance. Homemade Salsa,  Guacamole Recipe, Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe, Queso, Mango Pico De Gallo.
3. When cooking the ground beef, make sure you don’t dry it out. Just cook the beef until it turns brown and turn it off right away.
4. Whether you use hard or soft taco shells, make sure you layer them the same way. Start with the cheese, then the meat. You can add more cheese if you’d like over the meat, however we love our Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe.
5. If you prefer to reheat the shells, you can do so in a microwave or air fryer. We absolutely LOVE reheating taco shells in the air fryer more!
6. Keep an eye on the tacos in the oven as the beef is already cooked, we just need the cheese to melt.
7. As soon as it’s out of the oven, begin with the toppings right away and enjoy!

What is the Best Ground Beef for Tacos

You can completely use lean or extra lean, however extra lean is better as you don’t really need the fat for this recipe. We also love making it using ground lamb, check out this Lamb Tacos.

Should you drain the meat?

If you’re using lean beef and you notice theres excess fat, then feel free to drain it.