The Best Taco Meat You've Ever Tasted!

Taco Meat
Ingredients and Substitutions
Notes on Equipment
How to Make The Best Taco Meat
Expert Tip
Serving Suggestions
Make Ahead & Storage
More Taco Night Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.)

Best Taco Meat with Black Beans and Corn

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.

seasoning ground beef in an enamel skillet

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.

taco beef with corn and black beans in red skillet

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.

graphic showing ingredients for homemade taco seasoning

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

Can I use ground turkey or ground chicken instead?

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.

Do I need to cook the beans and corn in advance?

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.

Could I add other vegetables to the mix?

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!

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.

Don’t hesitate to add more spices, if needed. The key to all the flavor in this taco meat is the generous amount of Mexican spices.