The best taco meat—saucy, flavorful, and made with a simple homemade taco seasoning. A family-friendly recipe perfect for Taco Tuesday.
I discovered this “favorite taco meat” recipe on a food storage blog about a year ago and immediately loved the idea of using homemade taco seasoning. Store-bought packets can be overpriced and often include additives like MSG. Making your own seasoning is cheaper, cleaner, and tastes better.
The homemade taco seasoning used here is quick to mix and transforms ordinary ground meat into something sweet, saucy, and smoky from the cumin. Since trying this version, I haven’t made taco meat any other way. It’s easy, satisfying, and versatile—seriously, try it.
This recipe quickly became a weekly staple at our house—hello, Taco Tuesday. Use the meat in tacos, soft or hard shells, quesadillas, or over a salad. It holds up well to different formats and toppings, so feel free to customize with your favorite fixings. It might become your new family favorite, too.
Best Taco Meat EVER!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (see instructions)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
Instructions
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Brown the ground beef or turkey in a skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Drain excess grease if using beef, then return the meat to the pan.
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Stir in the tomato sauce, homemade taco seasoning, brown sugar, and sour cream. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to blend flavors and thicken the sauce.
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Serve the taco meat in tortillas or taco shells and top with your favorite fixings—lettuce, cheese, salsa, avocado, or sour cream.
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*Pictures updated 8/13/17.