The Greatest Taco Meat You have Ever Tasted!

Floor beef is seasoned generously with Mexican spices and tossed with black beans and corn to create what we at our home think about “The Greatest Taco Meat”. It’s excellent for tacos, salads, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, you identify it. Or, simply served scorching from the pan with loads of shredded cheese (when you’re my nieces).

This recipe is so easy that I initially nearly didn’t put up it. However, I’ve come to appreciate that straightforward recipes are what most of us want as we attempt to steadiness all of our obligations whereas feeding our households. What might be higher than the tremendous straightforward recipes I flip to on my busiest days? Plus, when you maintain some homemade taco seasoning available, this meal can actually be on the desk in minutes.

Taco Meat

This taco meat recipe was my saving grace yr after yr after we acquired again into the routine of faculty and different actions. My boys declared that it was “The Greatest Taco Meat, Ever!” and so it was more likely to be our lunch and/or a part of our dinner no less than as soon as every week.

There are such a lot of methods to serve it that my household by no means will get bored of getting the identical core substances time and again. It’s a simple recipe you can take pleasure in in tons of various methods. And, it parts and freezes fantastically, making it even simpler for the children to seize and go now that they’re older.

Elements and Substitutions

The Meat – With wealthy taste and a texture that’s straightforward to crumble, floor beef makes an ideal basis for taco meat. You possibly can swap for floor turkey, however I like to recommend bumping up the seasonings a bit to compensate.

The Beans – Black beans are a wonderful supply of fiber. And for a mother who typically was couponing and on a funds, beans are an effective way to fill out the pan with somewhat extra protein and fiber.

The Corn – Corn provides a delicate sweetness that makes the entire thing work. The taco meat isn’t candy, however the corn retains it lighter than what you’d get when you simply stuffed the pan with floor beef.

Taco Seasoning – I maintain homemade taco seasoning available for the freshest flavors that I can customise, however you’ll be able to simply swap for a store-bought seasoning packet.

Salt & Pepper – Get within the behavior of adjusting to style with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and also you’ll be glad you probably did. Begin with a small quantity, style, add somewhat extra, style once more, and repeat with the spices till it’s excellent. (This solely applies to do-it-yourself seasoning mixes you can customise to your personal tastes. Retailer-bought taco seasoning mixes will seemingly be a lot salty already.)

Best Taco Meat with Black Beans and Corn

Notes on Tools

Large skillet. I’ve been by way of what seems like one million skillets over time. Properly, possibly not fairly that many. However, I’ve tried just about every thing, and over the previous few years I’ve fallen in love with this enamel forged iron skillet. It goes from the stovetop to the oven after which the desk, and it appears nice all the way in which. It even cleans up like a dream with a sturdy enamel coating.
Colander
Can opener
Meat chopper. It’s somewhat one thing additional and sure, you’ll be able to cook dinner and crumble meat with out it, however boy does it make the job simpler! I’m so glad a pal launched me to this instrument years in the past.
Wood spoon or spatula
Freezer-safe containers or luggage for portioning

How one can Make The Greatest Taco Meat

Warming the Pan: I warmth a big skillet over medium warmth on the range.

Draining the Greens: Drain the beans right into a colander within the sink. Rinse properly. Drain the corn into the identical colander with the beans.

Cooking the Beef: Add the meat to the new pan and let it sear earlier than crumbling it into tiny items. Let it cook dinner for a couple of minutes, sprinkling with the taco seasoning, as soon as the meat is about half browned.

seasoning ground beef in an enamel skillet

Draining the Grease: As soon as the meat has completed cooking, you’ll wish to pour out any extra grease.

Bringing Every thing Collectively: Add the beans and corn into the skillet. Let cook dinner for one more 1-2 minutes, simply lengthy sufficient to heat every thing by way of.

Serving: While you take away the taco meat from the range, give it a remaining style check. Then you definately simply have to regulate salt and pepper as wanted. Serve heat.

taco beef with corn and black beans in red skillet

Skilled Tip

While you cook dinner floor beef, or turkey, rooster, or sausage, there’s a step that lots of people skip over: Lay the slab of floor meat onto the pan and sear it like a steak. Critically. Sear it properly on each side earlier than you begin breaking it up into tiny items.

Positive, you would simply begin breaking the bottom meat aside instantly when it goes into the pan, however this robs you of a lot texture and taste, and infrequently finally ends up boiling and steaming the meat as a result of it finally ends up crowding the underside of the pan. Sear it first. It’s value the additional couple of minutes!

Selecting the Meat – I sometimes purchase Costco’s 88/12 combine. Fats equals taste on the subject of cooked meats. So, I don’t advocate selecting the leanest combine you’ll find (until you will have well being causes which require it). However, when you select a better fats content material, you might want to empty the surplus grease after browning the meat.

Preheating the Skillet – This must be some of the frequent errors that newer cooks make. They don’t let the pan warmth totally earlier than including the substances. If these substances don’t SIZZLE whenever you add them to the pan, then it wasn’t prepared. You possibly can verify by flicking a drop of water onto the floor of the pan. If it skitters round and sizzles, then you definitely’ve acquired a scorching pan, able to cook dinner.

Blooming the Spices – I begin seasoning the meat earlier than it’s completed cooking. By including the spices earlier, they get to take a seat within the grease from the meat and bloom within the warmth. This lets their flavors develop and shine by way of in ways in which you simply don’t get when you sprinkle it on on the finish.

Serving Ideas

Taco night time at our home is generally a matter of what’s already within the fridge, however a pot of spanish rice subsequent to this turns it into an actual meal. I additionally actually like this cilantro lime rice.

However, anytime I’m making Mexican meals at our home, the one factor I by no means skip is the enormous bowl of chips. Pair it with pico de gallo and spicy guacamole, and it’s a win-win state of affairs. Each take about 5 minutes to make and each are higher than something from the shop.

graphic showing ingredients for homemade taco seasoning

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: I maintain this taco meat within the freezer just about on a regular basis, portioned into ½ cup servings. I can have lunch or dinner on the desk with just a few minutes time to heat the taco meat from the freezer.

How one can Retailer: I retailer the taco meat in an hermetic container or Ziploc within the fridge or freezer. Be certain that to press the air out of the bag earlier than sealing. It’ll maintain within the fridge for 3 days, or within the freezer for as much as two months.

How one can Reheat: We normally simply heat particular person parts in a skillet on the range or a microwave-safe dish within the microwave. Add a splash of water for finest outcomes to refresh the moisture.

Extra Taco Evening Concepts

Continuously Requested Questions

Can I take advantage of floor turkey or floor rooster as an alternative?

Sure, floor turkey will work as an alternative, although the meat is probably not as flavorful because of the decrease fats content material. You’re going to wish to enhance the quantity of seasonings you utilize. I sometimes go along with about double what the recipe card signifies.

Do I must cook dinner the beans and corn upfront?

Nope! Simply drain and rinse them, and you’ll add them straight to the pan. The identical works for thawed, frozen corn. You’re probably not cooking these substances, simply bringing them as much as temperature and tossing them with the meat to ensure they get coated with the seasonings.

Might I add different greens to the combination?

This recipe is a primary basis that’s scrumptious simply as written or with no matter variations, add-ins or modifications you want. Personally, I really like so as to add in diced onions and jalapenos whereas browning the bottom beef, or perhaps a handful of spinach on the finish to wilt. I’m an enormous supporter of you taking this and making it your personal. Simply remember to come again and inform me your favourite option to put together it!

Prepare dinner and crumble the bottom beef, sprinkling with the spices because it begins to crumble. Drain any extra grease and add the beans and corn. Stir to mix.
Proceed cooking for 1-2 minutes, simply to heat every thing. Style and regulate spices as wanted. Serve instantly or let cool and portion into freezer-safe containers.

Don’t hesitate so as to add extra spices, if wanted. The important thing to all the flavour on this taco meat is the beneficiant quantity of Mexican spices.