The Greatest Taco Meat You've got Ever Tasted!

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

This recipe is so easy that I initially nearly didn’t publish it. However, I’ve come to appreciate that straightforward recipes are what most of us want as we attempt to steadiness all of our duties whereas feeding our households. What may very well be higher than the tremendous simple recipes I flip to on my busiest days? Plus, for those who hold 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 once 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 prone to be our lunch and/or a part of our dinner no less than as soon as per 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 components again and again. It’s a simple recipe you could take pleasure in in tons of various methods. And, it parts and freezes fantastically, making it even simpler for the youngsters to seize and go now that they’re older.

Elements and Substitutions

The Meat – With wealthy taste and a texture that’s simple to crumble, floor beef makes an awesome 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 a good way to fill out the pan with a bit extra protein and fiber.

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

Taco Seasoning – I hold homemade taco seasoning available for the freshest flavors that I can customise, however you possibly can 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 a bit extra, style once more, and repeat with the spices till it’s excellent. (This solely applies to do-it-yourself seasoning mixes you could customise to your individual tastes. Retailer-bought taco seasoning mixes will seemingly be a lot salty already.)

Best Taco Meat with Black Beans and Corn

Notes on Gear

Large skillet. I’ve been by what looks like one million skillets through the years. Nicely, perhaps not fairly that many. However, I’ve tried just about all the pieces, 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 to be like nice all the best way. It even cleans up like a dream with a sturdy enamel coating.
Colander
Can opener
Meat chopper. It’s a bit one thing further and sure, you possibly can prepare dinner and crumble meat with out it, however boy does it make the job simpler! I’m so glad a buddy launched me to this instrument years in the past.
Wood spoon or spatula
Freezer-safe containers or baggage for portioning

The best way to 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 nicely. 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 prepare 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 need to pour out any extra grease.

Bringing All the things Collectively: Add the beans and corn into the skillet. Let prepare dinner for one more 1-2 minutes, simply lengthy sufficient to heat all the pieces by.

Serving: Once you take away the taco meat from the range, give it a remaining style take a look at. You then simply have to regulate salt and pepper as wanted. Serve heat.

taco beef with corn and black beans in red skillet

Professional Tip

Once you prepare 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 nicely on each side earlier than you begin breaking it up into tiny items.

Certain, you could possibly 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 sometimes 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 (except you might have well being causes which require it). However, for those who select a better fats content material, it’s possible you’ll want to empty the surplus grease after browning the meat.

Preheating the Skillet – This must be one of the vital frequent errors that newer cooks make. They don’t let the pan warmth absolutely earlier than including the components. If these components don’t SIZZLE while 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 definately’ve acquired a sizzling pan, able to prepare 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 in ways in which you simply don’t get for those who sprinkle it on on the finish.

Serving Strategies

Taco night time at our home is usually 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 large 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 hold 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 only some minutes time to heat the taco meat from the freezer.

The best way to Retailer: I retailer the taco meat in an hermetic container or Ziploc within the fridge or freezer. Make sure that to press the air out of the bag earlier than sealing. It’ll hold within the fridge for 3 days, or within the freezer for as much as two months.

The best way to 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

Often Requested Questions

Can I take advantage of floor turkey or floor rooster as a substitute?

Sure, floor turkey will work instead, although the meat will not be as flavorful because of the decrease fats content material. You’re going to need to enhance the quantity of seasonings you utilize. I sometimes go together with about double what the recipe card signifies.

Do I must prepare dinner the beans and corn upfront?

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

Might I add different greens to the combination?

This recipe is a fundamental basis that’s scrumptious simply as written or with no matter variations, add-ins or modifications you want. Personally, I 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 individual. Simply be sure you come again and inform me your favourite solution 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 all the pieces. Style and modify 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.