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Ground beef is seasoned generously with Mexican spices and tossed with black beans and corn to create what we at our house consider “The Best Taco Meat”. It’s perfect for tacos, salads, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, you name it. Or, just served hot from the pan with plenty of shredded cheese (if you’re my nieces).
This recipe is so simple that I initially almost didn’t post it. But, I’ve come to realize that simple recipes are what most of us need as we try to balance all of our responsibilities while feeding our families. What could be better than the super easy recipes I turn to on my busiest days? Plus, if you keep some homemade taco seasoning on hand, this meal can literally be on the table in minutes.
Taco Meat
This taco meat recipe was my saving grace year after year when we got back into the routine of school and other activities. My boys declared that it was “The Best Taco Meat, Ever!” and so it was likely to be our lunch and/or part of our dinner at least once a week.
There are so many ways to serve it that my family never gets bored of having the same core ingredients over and over again. It’s an easy recipe that you can enjoy in tons of different ways. And, it portions and freezes beautifully, making it even easier for the kids to grab and go now that they’re older.
I just made this including the Mexican spice mix.. huge hit with the family. I’ll never use a taco kit again. Love the beans and corn in it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The Meat – With rich flavor and a texture that’s easy to crumble, ground beef makes a great foundation for taco meat. You can swap for ground turkey, but I recommend bumping up the seasonings a bit to compensate.
The Beans – Black beans are a fabulous source of fiber. And for a mom who often was couponing and on a budget, beans are a great way to fill out the pan with a little more protein and fiber.
The Corn – Corn adds a subtle sweetness that makes the whole thing work. The taco meat isn’t sweet, but the corn keeps it lighter than what you’d get if you just filled the pan with ground beef.
Taco Seasoning – I keep homemade taco seasoning on hand for the freshest flavors that I can customize, but you can easily swap for a store-bought seasoning packet.
Salt & Pepper – Get in the habit of adjusting to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and you’ll be glad you did. Start with a small amount, taste, add a little more, taste again, and repeat with the spices until it’s perfect. (This only applies to homemade seasoning mixes that you can customize to your own tastes. Store-bought taco seasoning mixes will likely be plenty salty already.)
Notes on Equipment
- Large skillet. I have been through what feels like a million skillets over the years. Well, maybe not quite that many. But, I’ve tried pretty much everything, and over the past few years I’ve fallen in love with this enamel cast iron skillet. It goes from the stovetop to the oven and then the table, and it looks great all the way. It even cleans up like a dream with a durable enamel coating.
- Colander
- Can opener
- Meat chopper. It’s a little something extra and yes, you can cook and crumble meat without it, but boy does it make the job easier! I’m so glad a friend introduced me to this tool years ago.
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Freezer-safe containers or bags for portioning
How to Make The Best Taco Meat
Warming the Pan: I heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stove.
Draining the Vegetables: Drain the beans into a colander in the sink. Rinse well. Drain the corn into the same colander with the beans.
Cooking the Beef: Add the beef to the hot pan and let it sear before crumbling it into tiny pieces. Let it cook for a few minutes, sprinkling with the taco seasoning, once the meat is about half browned.
Draining the Grease: Once the meat has finished cooking, you’ll want to pour out any excess grease.
Bringing Everything Together: Add the beans and corn into the skillet. Let cook for another 1-2 minutes, just long enough to warm everything through.
Serving: When you remove the taco meat from the stove, give it a final taste test. Then you just have to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Expert Tip
When you cook ground beef, or turkey, chicken, or sausage, there’s a step that a lot of people skip over: Lay the slab of ground meat onto the pan and sear it like a steak. Seriously. Sear it well on both sides before you start breaking it up into tiny pieces.
Sure, you could just start breaking the ground meat apart immediately when it goes into the pan, but this robs you of so much texture and flavor, and often ends up boiling and steaming the meat because it ends up crowding the bottom of the pan. Sear it first. It’s worth the extra few minutes!
Choosing the Meat – I typically buy Costco’s 88/12 mix. Fat equals flavor when it comes to cooked meats. So, I don’t recommend choosing the leanest mix you can find (unless you have health reasons which require it). But, if you choose a higher fat content, you may need to drain the excess grease after browning the meat.
Preheating the Skillet – This has to be one of the most common mistakes that newer cooks make. They don’t let the pan heat fully before adding the ingredients. If those ingredients don’t SIZZLE when you add them to the pan, then it wasn’t ready. You can check by flicking a drop of water onto the surface of the pan. If it skitters around and sizzles, then you’ve got a hot pan, ready to cook.
Blooming the Spices – I start seasoning the meat before it’s finished cooking. By adding the spices earlier, they get to sit in the grease from the meat and bloom in the heat. This lets their flavors develop and shine through in ways that you just don’t get if you sprinkle it on at the end.
Serving Suggestions
Taco night at our house is mostly a matter of what is already in the refrigerator, but a pot of spanish rice next to this turns it into a real meal. I also really like this cilantro lime rice.
But, anytime I am making Mexican food at our house, the one thing I never skip is the giant bowl of chips. Pair it with pico de gallo and spicy guacamole, and it’s a win-win situation. Both take about five minutes to make and both are better than anything from the store.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: I keep this taco meat in the freezer pretty much all the time, portioned into ½ cup servings. I can have lunch or dinner on the table with only a few minutes time to warm the taco meat from the freezer.
How to Store: I store the taco meat in an airtight container or Ziploc in the refrigerator or freezer. Make sure to press the air out of the bag before sealing. It’ll keep in the refrigerator for three days, or in the freezer for up to two months.
How to Reheat: We usually just warm individual portions in a skillet on the stove or a microwave-safe dish in the microwave. Add a splash of water for best results to refresh the moisture.
More Taco Night Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, ground turkey will work as a substitute, though the meat may not be as flavorful as a result of the lower fat content. You’re going to want to increase the amount of seasonings you use. I typically go with about double what the recipe card indicates.
Nope! Just drain and rinse them, and you can add them straight to the pan. The same works for thawed, frozen corn. You’re not really cooking these ingredients, just bringing them up to temperature and tossing them with the meat to make sure they get coated with the seasonings.
This recipe is a basic foundation that’s delicious just as written or with whatever variations, add-ins or modifications you like. Personally, I love to add in diced onions and jalapenos while browning the ground beef, or even a handful of spinach at the end to wilt. I’m a huge supporter of you taking this and making it your own. Just be sure to come back and tell me your favorite way to prepare it!
The Best Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
- ⅓ cup Mexican Spice Mix or taco seasoning
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn drained
- kosher salt only as needed
- freshly ground black pepper only as needed
Optional add-ins:
- ½ cup diced onion sauteed with the beef
- 4-7 ounces chopped green chile added with the beans and corn
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach tossed in at the end just to wilt
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the ground beef, sprinkling with the spices as it begins to crumble. Drain any excess grease and add the beans and corn. Stir to combine.
- Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, just to warm everything. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Serve immediately or let cool and portion into freezer-safe containers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 7/5/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/24/26}
Question: Do the beans seem mushy after freezing?
They aren’t mushy at all. I freeze beans in many recipes. Enjoy!
I love this simple, flavorful recipe Mary! I’m craving tacos now with a big slice of avocado. Hope you had a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year!!!
I can’t wait to try this. We have used lots of different spices and additions, but this one sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing such wonderful ideas.
This looks delicious!! I love when meals are just not simple but delicious as this taco meat!! And you can use it in so many ways! YUm!!
Mary, when first saw this recipe you recommended a meat fork, but now I see it’s not there. Is it no longer available on Amazon?
I’m guessing that might have been on a different recipe. I don’t think I’ve ever used a meat fork for ground beef. That said, I have used and mentioned the “chop stir” for breaking up ground beef, if you aren’t a fan of doing it with a spatula. Here’s a link for one: http://amzn.to/2iGPHC2 I hope that helps!
That does sound good. A little cilantro rice and you have yourself a great burrito. Thanks for sharing!
I made this and it was fantastic! Made the seasoning in your Mexican Spice Mix link and it was far superior to taco seasoning you buy in a store. It was perfect. I didn’t have any spinach but otherwise made the recipe exactly as written and made burritos, adding just shredded cheese before rolling them up. This was so good I’m thinking of making a big batch of the spice mix and giving taco kits as gifts. Thanks for a really great recipe.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the spice mix! I use it constantly.
I just made this including the Mexican spice mix.. huge hit with the family. I’ll never use a taco kit again. Love the beans and corn in it
Have you (or any reader) ever canned this? I’m wondering how the texture of the corn and beans would turn out! All sounds delicious though!
Looks exactly like what I make when I don’t want to make tacos except i put a can of rotel tomatoes and another can of rotel tomatoes with green Chile’s and use a can kidney beans and add the canned corn, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce. Sometimes I use either ground beef or ground turkey, With onion and garlic. I Call it my Mexicali dish and it’s delicious. Sometimes turn it into Mexican Cornbread pizza.
Can’t find your Mexican spice mix link. Can you email it to me please?
These tacos were amazing!
I’m thrilled that you love them, Melissa!
Than you for the great taco recipe Mary! I loved black beans and corn additions! I used a combination of ground caribou and ground beef for this recipe, otherwise followed it exactly …. including the homemade taco seasoning! My family loved it! 🙂
Yay for a great taco night, Cindy!
I also added a can of kidney beans as well as a can of tomatoes (fire roasted/diced). Gorgeous color with the red kidney bean and I don’t often have fresh tomatoes on hand–especially in the winter months. I feel this hearty taco meat recipe makes it so I don’t miss the fresh tomatoes in my tacos or taco salads. With my random additions, I had to play with the spices, too. But it is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Missy!
I tried this 2 night’s ago and it was delicious & easy! I made 2 batches so I could freeze some for busy days. When I heat my taco meat I add a little cheese so it stays together better in the taco shell.
All your spice mixes sound great. I plan on making most of them. They save so much time when trying to get a meal on the table. Thanks!
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Linda!
New to your site….five stars are for the recipes I have made thus far. I am doing taco night ! Have never attempted tacos. How do I heat taco shells and tortillas and keep them warm? I know this is such a simplistic question but I’ve eaten tortillas before that were gummy and I’m having guests for this new endeavor. I have a large chafing container for serving warm food if recommended. Thank you for assisting me with this dinner. I’m excited since I received your “taco night email”!
Hi Jennie! I typically crisp hard shells on a baking tray in the oven. (Directions are typically on the packaging – but 6-7 minutes at 350°F works nicely.) For soft tortillas, I like to char them over the gas flame or in a dry cast iron skillet.
I just cook diced onions and instead of corn, sliced olives makes a great mix with seasonings. Also I fry my shells softer so the meat has to be not too great or wet. I drain and use folded paper towels with tongs to really soak up the grease before seasoning it fyi.
Your version sounds great too, Trey!
This needs to be renamed to something from USA? This has nothing to do with Mexican food whatsoever.
Yuck.
If you want Mexican food, stick with 100% homegrown onions, garlic, various peppers, chilies and mustards, oregano, etc..
Hey Rudy, did I claim this was some kind of authentic anything? It’s simply a delicious taco meat combination that our family and plenty of other people enjoy. If you aren’t even going to try the recipe, it seems a bit silly to take the time to leave your oh-so-lovely opinion. I’m certain that tacos made with homegrown everything are delicious as well, they simply aren’t something most of us are able to make on a regular basis. If you have all of that at your fingertips on a busy weeknight, more power to you.
If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything! Keep your rude comments to yourself!
@Rudy – then pass the recipe by. No one gives 2 craps on what you think it should be called.
The recipe is easy, fast and very good
Thank you Mary for posting a a delicious fast dinner idea.
Meant to hit 5 stars for this recipe. Zero stars for Rudy being rude.
Used taco meat in a salad in a home made taco shell. Made a beautiful presentation and an absolutely delicious dinner. I did add a can of tomatoes with green chilis.
I’m glad to hear that the taco meat turned out well. Happy cooking!