Ground beef tacos can be a quick and easy weeknight meal that can be made in under 30 minutes. The only real cooking required is cooking the ground beef on the stovetop.
Tacos are great for big gatherings, plus they’re kid-friendly! I usually put out an extra bowl with only chopped tomatoes (without the onions and cilantro) for the kids. They love building their own tacos, which means less work for me and an all around win.
Costco Ground Beef
I buy my ground beef from Costco in bulk and freeze so I have it available anytime I need it. Of course, you can get your ground beef anywhere for this taco recipe, but Costco carries their Kirkland Signature Organic Ground Beef.
Compared to regular ground beef, Costco’s organic ground beef is made from cows raised without antibiotics and contains no added growth hormones. Costcontessa has a great review of Costco’s organic ground beef.
You can also sub the ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey if desired!
Herdez Guacamole Salsa
Let me tell you, this Herdez Guacamole Salsa is truly the star of the dish. It’s especially perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have time or energy to make your own creamy sauce from scratch.
This Herdez Guacamole Salsa is sold at Costco in a 3 pack (each bottle is 26.3 oz) which may seem like a lot, but in our home it goes fast!
This sauce is more tangy than creamy, and has a watery consistency. Note the medium salsa does pack some heat, so if you are sensitive to spice, go for a milder version. I also like to add this to burgers, quesadillas, or just enjoy with tortilla chips!
Ground Beef Taco Seasoning
You can use pre-made taco seasoning packets, but it’s actually so simple to make the seasoning yourself, as it consists of very common seasonings that you likely already have in your pantry.
I made my ground beef taco seasoning with:
- salt
- black pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- oregano
- onion powder
- paprika
Once the seasoning is mixed into the meat, I like to add tomato paste and a few tablespoons of water to keep the meat moist. If you prefer a dry, more crumbly texture for your taco meat then you can omit the water.
The Tortillas
I used hard shell tacos for this recipe, but any type of tortilla (corn, flour, wheat, etc.) will work great – just make sure you use a 6 inch tortilla. You can also use butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce in place of tortillas or taco shells to make it low-carb!
Alternatively, you can add the ground beef mixture and toppings over a bed of lettuce to make a taco salad, or add to a bowl of rice for a burrito bowl.
Other taco toppings you can add:
- Sour cream
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced jalapenos
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pickled red onions (click to see my recipe)
Ground Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 2 green onion stalks thinly sliced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 cup cheese, shredded (You can use any preferred cheese like Mexican blend, cheddar, etc.)
- 1/2 cup Herdez guacamole salsa (You can sub with sour cream or any other creamy topping)
- 8-10 taco shells
FOR THE SEASONING
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
FOR THE TOMATO ONION TOPPING
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1/4 medium onion diced
- 5-6 sprigs fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 limes cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
- Heat ground beef in a medium skillet. Once the beef has just started to brown, add chopped green onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, and seasoning blend. Mix until the entire beef mixture has fully browned and all the seasoning has been evenly combined. Add in 2 tbsp of water to keep the meat moist. If you prefer a dry, crumbly meat mixture, then you can skip the water. Take the cooked meat mixture off the heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Cover with a lid and set aside.
- Chop and add all the ingredients for the tomato onion topping into a medium bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Dice the avocado and add to a bowl. Set aside. Add shredded cheese to individual bowls and set aside. You can also add your lime wedges to a bowl and set aside.
- Lay out all the ingredients (taco shells, ground beef mixture, toppings, and sauce). You can pre-assemble each taco yourself before serving OR let everyone build their own tacos.
To build your tacos:
- Add about 2-3 tbsp of ground beef mixture to the bottom of your taco shells. Top with a heaping tablespoon of cheese over the meat. The cheese will melt slightly when it touches the hot meat.
- Top with a heaping tbsp of the tomato onion topping then drizzle as much guacamole salsa as desired. Add a squeeze of lime over everything and enjoy!
