What Ground Beef Is Best For Tacos?

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Ground beef tacos are by far some of the most delicious, easy-to-do meals. They are not too fancy, nor impressive, yet so comfortable and delightful to eat that probably everybody has a crush on them.

It’s hard to get tired of tacos, especially if using the proper ingredients and know how to select and combine tastes.

Besides the juicy ground beef, which is the original ingredient, in this case, people love to serve these snacks with thin sliced lettuce and perfumed chopped tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, or sour cream.

Furthermore, some green onions and soft shell flour tortillas will always compliment the taste of your ground beef.

However, what is the top meat to use in tacos? Learn more about ground beef, as well as the spices and ingredients that should accompany it in top tacos.

What Is The Best Ground Beef For Taco Meat?

What Is The Best Ground Beef For Taco Meat?
J G Melon

The juicy taste of tacos is in the quality of the ground meat you use. I totally recommend beef due to its consistency and pure flavor. Make sure the meat is somewhere between 85% and 93% lean.

This means the meat should have at least 7% fat, yet I would advise for a fatter piece. The thing you should remember is that as tasty as red meat is, nutritionists, suggest the intake of this food type to be a balanced one (1).

If you feel like there is too little texture, you can also add some extra grease before putting the ingredients all together.

Most of the original tacos recipes use lean ground beef, as this type of meat will successfully absorb all the additional ingredients and spices.

For instance, the ground beef has an excellent, special moisture content that will beautifully mix with the salsa and green chilies for instance. Good-quality beef is a must, so try to find a trustworthy meat source.

You can go for the whole piece of meat and grind it at home, or you can ask your butcher to give you the freshest ground beef they have.

How To Cook Ground Beef For Tacos?

What Is The Best Ground Beef For Taco Meat?
J G Melon

Usually, the ground beef for tacos does not need too many skills to be delicious. You just need to follow some easy steps and add special ingredients for a delightful final flavor.

Firstly, the ground beef needs some additional attention. Put the whole amount of meat into a pan, then start cooking it until it is completely browned. Drain the grease.

After you got rid of the fat, put the pan on the heat again, lower the temperature, then add some homemade taco seasoning. In the end, take some nice tomato juice and spread it all over while mixing everything together.

The tomato sauce will add the final flavor and thicken the ground beef sauce. Furthermore, the spices will feel nicer, and the flavor richer. Tomatoes are so nice in tacos that you won’t go back to adding water in seasoning again. Here’s a nice video option for making taco sauce.

Finally, a trick that I like to use to enhance the aroma is to fry a finely chopped onion and add it to the composition.

Can You Use Other Types of Meat Instead of Beef?

Can You Use Other Types of Meat Instead of Beef
Credit: @diegosstl

Of course, you can! Let’s say that you have some allergies, or you simply do not want to cook beef. This recipe works fabulously with turkey (2) or chicken as well.

The tomato salsa will add the proper moisture, while some beans can offer a creamy texture. With the help of some olive oil addition, you probably won’t feel like something is missing from the original recipe.

However, if you really want your mix to taste more like ground beef, I would suggest you add at least 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon.

This is such a nice trick to make the turkey tacos taste like the real deal. Just give it a try and enjoy a beefy flavor that will wake up all your senses. However, remember that bouillon was salty, so be careful with the salt.

After combining the meat with beans and salsa, taste everything and see if it needs any more seasoning.

Main Spices To Add In Taco Ground Beef

Main Spices To Add In Taco Ground Beef
J G Melon

If you are looking for the best advice one could offer when talking about tacos, here is mine. Don’t use store-bought mix seasoning. Instead, try to make your own, as it is simple, fun, and healthier. Here are my favorite ingredients and spices for the top kick for homemade tacos:

Onion

Just a small yellow onion will add sweetness and flavor. You can mix some onion powder too. Add the powder only at the end of the process when combining all the seasonings.

Garlic

Put around 4-6 garlic cloves for a rich flavor, or add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Refried Beans

There is no taco without beans. These high protein vegetables add creaminess to the beef sauce. Some great substitutes are black or pinto beans, so try not to skip them.

Salsa

You can use mild or medium salsa in your tacos. This special ingredient adds liquid to the final blend, as well as a lot of flavors. Adjust the final taste with some cayenne if you like things a little bit spicier.

Chopped green chiles

This simple ingredient will add so much character to the ground beef. It is just that subtle tang that will change everything. If you enjoy spicy flavors, don’t hesitate to use the hot green chiles, and so you will get some spicy tacos.

Paprika Cumin

Chili Powder

Oregano

Cayenne Pepper

Reasons Why People Love Ground Beef Tacos

Reasons Why People Love Ground Beef Tacos
J G Melon

Suppose you have experimented with tacos and different recipes. In that case, you might already know why they are so popular, and we are craving them. Well, if you are new to cooking Mexican recipes, here is why you need to try the ground beef (3) tacos:

They are delicious

Tacos are full of flavor, and they are that kind of dish that makes you swoon over. That small tortilla is packed with lots of flavors, from the juicy ground beef to the garlic, sauteed onions, and the mix of spices that help elevate the taco meat.

Furthermore, the original recipes have refried beans and salsa on the beef, so the final result is a creamy, savory, comfort food.

They are Easy and Quick To Make

There is no rocket science in cooking the tastiest ground beef tacos. The recipe is easy to do, even for the most inexperienced cookers. It will take you approximately 15 minutes to make a full stash of tacos that you can share with your family and friends.

Tip: When preparing the tacos, try to line them with cheese, then bake them again to crips the shells more. This crispy layer will create a barrier, so the final meal won’t be too soggy.

They Make the Perfect Party Snack

Because of their small size and their rich flavor that fills the room immediately, ground beef tacos are great for serving a crowd. So whether you decide to bring all the family together, or you want to celebrate someone’s birthday, this dish will be a success.

You can make a whole platter of tacos and leave it on the table. This way, everyone can grab one and enjoy the addictive flavor with ease.

Here is how fun these party tacos can look.

They are Easy To Transport

Ground beef tacos are easy to take at a picnic or when you are having a night out in the neighborhood. All you need is a large tray to transport the tacos.

They are Easy To Eat

Another great advantage of the ground beef tacos is their tortilla shell, which keeps the meat along with all the other ingredients and spices inside. Once eating this snack, there are few chances for the meat to fall out with every bite. Thus, you won’t miss any flavor.

They are Great to Customize

What are your favorite ingredients to make tacos? You don’t have to stick to the original recipes if you enjoy more jalapenos or don’t normally eat ground meat.

You can make vegetarian tacos, or prepare them with less spicy ingredients, or without refried beans. Add cheese only if you like to.

They can be Prepared Ahead

The ground beef mixture can be made days ahead of the serving time. All you need to do is warm them up. You can also prepare the toppings before and store them in nice airtight containers, leaving them in the refrigerator.

When the serving time comes, simply arrange the ingredients like in this video, then start baking them.

They are Freezer Friendly

Most of the ground beef taco recipes are easy to make double or triple. Furthermore, you can freeze them and take them out as soon as you are in the mood for a taco night. Make sure you are scaling up the amounts correctly, so you won’t miss anything.

Last Thoughts

Before wrapping this up, I want to say one last thing. The beef used for tacos is essential. However, there is no such thing as a good taco without the perfect corn tortilla. The white or yellow corn tortillas will embrace the ground beef sauce and the other ingredients, giving them that crispy finish touch.

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