Taco Meat Recipe (quick and easy)

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This easy homemade taco meat recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Whether you use ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork, it turns out flavorful and delicious! It’s quick to make, seasoned just right and guaranteed to make taco night a family favorite!

Make this taco meat using my homemade taco seasoning recipe!

Taco meat on a wooden spoon sitting on top of more taco meat in a pan.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe:

Quick and Easy –This taco meat comes together in no time, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you need dinner on the table fast.
Flavorful and Juicy –The combination of taco seasoning and chucky salsa, makes this taco meat flavorful, juicy and an amazing addition to your taco Tuesday or family taco night.
Use any ground meat – This recipe works with any ground meat, so use whatever ground meat you have in the refrigerator.
Leftovers and meal prep – Taco meat reheats well, so it’s perfect for quick lunches, meal prep, or an easy next day dinner. I love keeping leftovers in the fridge because it makes throwing a meal together so easy. My favorite way to use it is piling it on top of nachos, on top of a salad, tacos, wraps, or on top of these potato slices.

Q&A:

How do I season taco meat without a seasoning packet?

No packet? No problem! Here is how to make taco seasoning at home. I prefer homemade taco seasoning to the store-bought packets.

Can this taco meat be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! This taco meat can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

Equipment Needed:

Large Pan

Ingredients (Full recipe located in recipe card below):

Taco meat recipe ingredients in various dishes on a white marble surface: ground beef, taco seasoning, chunky salsa, and water.

Ground Beef – I use grass fed 80/20 ground beef. You can also use ground chicken, ground pork, or ground turkey if you prefer.
Taco Seasoning – You can make your own taco seasoning blend or you can use a package of your favorite store-bought taco seasoning (I prefer to make my own).
Salsa – Chunky style salsa works best in this recipe.
Water – The water in this recipe can be adjust as needed.

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned.

Ground beef in a pan ready to be cooked.

Add the taco seasoning, salsa, and water. Stir until well blended.

Taco seasoning and chunky salsa on top of browned ground beef and water in a pan.

Browned ground beef, taco seasoning, chunky salsa, and water stirred in a pan until well blended.

Let the taco meat simmer, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until taco sauce slightly thickens.

Taco meat being lifted up by a wooden spoon out of a pan.

What To Serve With Taco Meat:

There are so many delicious ways to serve this taco meat! Serve it in tacos, over nachos, on top of taco salad, or rolled up in burritos. It’s also perfect for dips, taco casserole or on top of air fryer homemade garlic bread.

Taco meat on a wooden spoon sitting on top of more taco meat.

Recipe Variations And Substitutions:

Spicy taco meat: Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Taco meat with beans: Stir in a can of drained black or pinto beans to make it heartier.

Storage And Reheating Instructions:

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
To reheat: Place the taco meat in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated thoroughly. To reheat in the microwave, place the taco meat into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 25 seconds at a time until heated thoroughly.
To freeze: Place cooled taco meat into freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Pro Tips:

Customize: Add salt to taste, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to spice it up.
Make a big batch: This recipe can be scaled up for a bigger batch.
Cooking oil: I used 80/20 ground beef but if you are using a leaner ground meat, you can add a little cooking oil to the heated skillet before adding the ground meat to avoid sticking.

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