The secrets to the best ground beef tacos!
You know when you order a taco while eating out, and the texture of the ground beef is soft and fine? There is a simple technique to getting that soft fine texture on the taco meat, and it’s so easy!
One of our favorite go-to dinners is a simple ground beef taco for taco night. For years I’ve been making beef tacos by adding a packet of taco seasoning to a pound of lean ground beef and browning the beef with the seasonings. Changing up the method to this technique really makes a difference in the texture of the ground beef. This recipe is so simple, but the technique really makes the texture of the ground beef so much softer, making the texture more fine and making it taste better too.
What you need for the Best Ground Beef for Tacos:
- 1/2 yellow (or white onion) diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup water
- 1 10oz. can Rotel tomatoes(mild) – blend it with immersion blender
- 1 packet of taco seasoning or chili seasoning…you can make your own too!
The Method for Fine Texture Ground Beef for Tacos:
- In a medium to large skillet with a fitting lid, add a tablespoon or more of olive oil and the finely diced onion into the pan with the heat set to medium high heat. Allow the onion to sauté until translucent.
- In a separate bowl, add the ground beef to the bowl and with a disposable glove on your hand, use your hand to softly break up and smash the ground beef a little to take away the look of just getting out of the meat grinder.
- In a bowl, add the can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles. With an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes and chiles until smooth. (*This step is optional, but preferred.)
- Turn the heat off on the skillet with the onions. Add the meat to the skillet, along with the cup of water and the blended Rotel tomatoes. Stir to combine, Put a lid on the skillet, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the lid, let it simmer until most all the liquid is out. Stir in the packet of Taco seasonings and add any additional salt if desired. Serve warm.
I’m typically not a big fan of onions, but when sautéed, onions completely change. Sauteed onion help the flavor so much for these ground beef tacos. Once you chop, dice and slice the onion up into very small pieces (I love using this ceramic mandolin), you just add it right into the pan where you’ll sautee it until translucent. It gives the beef the best flavor.
What to serve on a Taco Bar:
- finely cooked ground beef (recipe here)
- grated cheese: crumbled cotija cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- chopped cilantro
- salsa (try our easy blender salsa)
- guac or sliced avocado (try our easy guac)
- corn or flour tortillas
- cherry tomatoes
- sour cream
For this beef taco, we also love to serve it with this fresh salsa mix: aka cowboy caviar. We also love fresh diced pineapple. They both add so much flavor.
Best Ground Beef for Tacos
Fine texture ground beef for tacos or chili.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef (97% lean)
- 1 10oz. can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles) (mild flavor option)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 yellow onion diced fine (or white onion)
- 1 packet taco seasoning (use only 1/2 of the season packet if desired)
Instructions
-
In a medium to large skillet with a fitting lid, add a tablespoon or more of olive oil and the finely diced onion into the pan with the heat set to medium high heat. Allow the onion to sauté until translucent.
-
In a separate bowl, add the ground beef to the bowl and with a disposable glove on your hand, use your hand to softly break up and smash the ground beef a little to take away the look of just getting out of the meat grinder.
-
In a bowl, add the can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles. With an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes and chiles until smooth. (*This step is optional, but preferred.)
-
Turn the heat off on the skillet with the onions. Add the meat to the skillet, along with the cup of water and the blended Rotel tomatoes. Stir to combine, Put a lid on the skillet, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the lid, let it simmer until most all the liquid is out. Stir in the packet of Taco seasonings and add any additional salt if desired. Serve warm.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
Tips and Tricks:
- use a very lean ground beef: 97% lean
- dice the onions fine
- blend the can of tomatoes, this way you get the flavor without the chunks
- use a disposable plastic glove to mash up the uncooked ground beef before adding it into the pan with the water. You don’t want to overwork the uncooked ground beef. The less you mash it the better. We are just taking away the look of the just out of the meat grinder.
If you’re planning a night of delicious homemade Mexican food, don’t forget the homemade salsa…it’s a must!
Our favorite Mexican Food Desserts:
Does your family love taco night?
