For a relaxed and easy weeknight dinner, give these easy beef tacos a try! They feature homemade taco meat with a simple homemade seasoning, loaded into crispy homemade taco shells. Serve with your favourite salsas, healthy sides and toppings for the ultimate crowd pleaser in less than 20 minutes.
If you are looking for a fast and easy dinner that even the fussiest eaters will love, homemade tacos are always a winner! With puffy, crispy homemade shells and all of your favourite fillings, they are a hit with all ages.
Homemade beef tacos are so much better than the fast-food version, especially when you use homemade taco seasoning instead of store bought. Top them with homemade salsa, guacamole or any of your favourite sides and serve them buffet-style so that everyone can add the toppings they want!
Why you’ll love this recipe;
- Quick and easy – Using ready-made seasoning means a dinner that is on the table in less than 20 minutes!
- Skip store bought seasoning and make your own in minutes using familiar pantry spices. It’s economical, tastes amazing and you can make a huge batch to keep in the pantry. Making your own also allows you to control the heat and salt to suit your tastes.
- Adaptable – customise this recipe to add your favourite sauces and sides. It’s a great way to introduce kids to different veggies, textures and flavours.
- Make a double batch of meat – leftover taco meat can be added to so many recipes in a flash on a busy night. Keep a batch in the fridge or freezer to be used for baked potatoes, nachos, homemade pizza and more!
- The MOST amazing homemade taco shells – you won’t believe how easy and full of flavour they are. You’ll never want to buy store bought again!
- Stovetop and pressure cooker instructions included.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Beef mince/ground beef – while beef mince isn’t an ingredient in an authentic taco recipe, it’s a convenient and popular way to serve tacos in Australia. And it makes such a cheap, easy and tasty option. Use regular or lean beef mince depending on your preference. You can also swap for turkey, chicken or pork mince.
- Chipotle sauce and tomato paste – makes the sauce thicker and add a rich depth to the taco meat. You can also add a little salsa or taco sauce, if preferred. Chipotle sauce is a lovely rich, smoky chilli sauce that can be found in most supermarkets.
- Homemade taco seasoning – can be made ahead in batches and stored in an airtight container in the pantry to be on hand for any taco night.
- Corn tortillas – are fried to create a flavour packed taco shell that is soft and crispy at the same time. I used ‘One Night in Mexico’ corn tortillas, but you could also use Mission, Old El Paso or any other brand of corn tortilla. Or, use ready-made taco shells, soft flour tortillas, low carb wraps or even lettuce cups for a lower carb option.
- Mexican cheese – while you can use any type of all-purpose cheese, a shredded Mexican blend is recommended. Containing a blend of cheeses such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, Asadero and/or Queso quesadilla, it will add such a great flavour to your tacos. And they may also contain paprika, spices or chilli for extra flavour. I use Woolworths Mexican inspired cheese, but any will work.
- Oil – to fry the tortillas. A mild tasting oil with a high smoke point like canola or vegetable is best.
Step by step guide
Step 1; Make the spice blend;
In a small bowl, stir together the Mexican spices until combined and set aside. **To save time, this step can be done ahead of time and the spices stored in the pantry in an airtight container.
Step 2; Make the taco meat;
Cook the onion and garlic with a little olive oil until soft. Add the beef mince and brown. Drain any excess liquid from the pan before adding the seasoning.
Add the taco seasoning (3 tablespoons), tomato paste and chipotle sauce and stir until combined and heated through.
Step 3; Fry the tortilla shells;
Fill a large frying pan with oil (1-2 cm deep) and heat. Working one at a time, fry the tortillas on one side until puffed and lightly golden and then flip and cook on the other side (this should only take around 30 seconds-1 minute per tortilla).
Remove the tortilla from the heat and, using tongs, gently fold each tortilla in half. Rest on a paper towel to drain (while still folded in half) while you cook the other tortillas.
Step 4; Assemble the tacos;
Fill each of the warm taco shells with the seasoned taco meat and then top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and your choice of toppings.
Taco topping ideas
The toppings you add to your tacos are only limited to your imagination! Add your favourite crunchy fresh veggies, canned veggies, salsas, sauces and cheeses. Here are some suggestions;
- Shredded cheese; use a Mexican blend, Monterey Jack or tasty cheddar cheese.
- Mexican rice
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Refried beans
- Grilled corn
- Shredded lettuce or spinach
- Diced tomatoes
- Coriander/cilantro
- Salsa or taco sauce
- Pickled jalapenos
- Pico de Gallo
- Chopped avocado
Expert tips
- For the filling – Ground beef can be used on its own, or you can make the meat stretch further by adding a can of lentils or black beans to bulk it out. This option adds extra protein and nutrients and is a cheap and filling option. For an extra veggie hit, add shredded carrot, capsicum, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini or your favourite vegetables.
- Adjust the taco seasoning to suit your preferred tastes. You can adjust the salt levels to suit and either leave the chilli out (or add more for spicy tacos).
- If using store-bought taco shells, they will be chewy (not crispy) when first removed from the packet. Pop them into the oven and heat them according to the packet instructions before assembling the tacos. Rather than pre-heating your oven, store bought taco shells can be crisped in an air fryer at 180 °C for around 3 minutes.
- I use lean beef mince which releases less liquid when cooking. If using regular beef mince, drain the excess fat/liquid before adding the seasoning, or your meat will be wet and will make the shells soggy. You can also use a little (1-2 teaspoons) cornflour to thicken the tacos, if needed.
- You can save time by preparing all of the salad ingredients ahead of time and keeping them in a container in the fridge.
FAQs
Homemade taco seasoning contains ground spices like cumin, paprika, chilli, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Homemade seasoning tastes amazing and only takes 2 minutes to make, but you can certainly add store-bought seasoning if you prefer. Tomato paste and chipotle sauce are also added to the meat for a well-rounded flavour.
Keep leftover taco meat in the fridge, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
Yes! Let the meat cool to room temperature first, then add it to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. To thaw, leave it in the fridge overnight or set it on the bench to thaw at room temperature.
You can use leftover taco meat in so many meals! Try it in burritos, nachos, baked potatoes, quesadillas, sloppy joes, taco spaghetti, pizza, pies, stuffed sweet potatoes, chilli or taco soup.
Related recipes
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Homemade Beef Tacos
Ingredients
For the taco meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500 grams beef mince lean or regular
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2-3 tablespoons chipotle sauce
For the homemade taco seasoning
- 3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning find the full recipe instructions here, or mix together 2 tbsp ground cumin, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 ½ tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Keep the rest in an airtight container for next time!
For the taco shells
- 10 corn tortillas or use store bought taco shells or soft tortillas, if preferred.
- canola oil for frying
For serving (choose any or all of the following);
- 2 cups Mexican cheese shredded
- 2 tomatoes diced
- ½ iceberg lettuce shredded
- pickled jalapenos
- tomato salsa try this healthy homemade recipe here, or use store bought salsa.
- guacamole
- coriander
Instructions
- Mix the taco seasoning ingredients together (this seasoning can be made in bulk and the extra stored in a jar or airtight container for up to a year). You will need 3 tablespoons for this recipe. Keep the rest for next time.
Taco meat, stove top
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir until soft. Add the beef mince and stir until browned. Drain any excess liquid from the meat.
- Add the taco seasoning, tomato paste and chipotle sauce and stir until combined. You can also add a teaspoon of cornflour to thicken, if needed. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside while you cook the taco shells.
Taco meat, pressure cooker/Instant Pot
- Select the saute setting on your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and stir until soft. Add the beef mince and stir until browned.
- Add the taco seasoning, tomato paste and chipotle sauce and stir. Secure the lid, and cook for 15 minutes at high pressure. Allow 15 minutes for the pressure to build before the cooking process starts. I don't add any water, as the meat will release liquid while cooking.
- Release the pressure and stir the meat. If the meat has released excess liquid, saute until it has reduced. You can also add a teaspoon of cornflour to thicken, if needed.
For the taco shells
- Fill a large frying pan with oil (1-2 cm deep) and heat. Working one at a time, fry the tortillas on one side until puffed and lightly golden and then flip and cook on the other side (this should only take around30 seconds-1 minute).
- Remove the tortilla from the oil and, using tongs, gently fold each tortilla in half. Rest on a paper towel (while still folded in half) to drain while you cook the other tortillas.
To assemble
- Add the seasoned beef, cheese and your toppings of choice to the crispy taco shells and serve immediately. Top with salsa, guacamole or sour cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- Corn tortillas – are fried to create a flavour packed taco shell that is soft and crispy at the same time. I used ‘One Night in Mexico’ corn tortillas, but you could also use Mission, Old El Paso or any other corn tortilla. Or, use ready-made taco shells, soft flour tortillas, low carb wraps or even lettuce cups for a lower carb option.
- This recipe uses homemade taco seasoning. It tastes amazing and only takes 2 minutes to make. If you prefer, you can certainly use store bought taco seasoning.
- For the filling – Ground beef can be used on its own, or you can make the meat stretch furtherby adding a can of lentils or black beans to bulk it out. This option adds extra protein and nutrients and is a cheap and filling option. For an extra veggie hit, add shredded carrot, capsicum, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini or your favourite vegetables.
- Adjust the taco seasoning to suit your preferred tastes. You can adjust the salt levels to suit and either leave the chilli out (or add more for spicy tacos).
- If using store-bought taco shells, they will be chewy when first removed from the packet. Pop them into the oven and heat them according to the packet instructions before assembling the tacos. Rather than pre-heating your oven, taco shells can be crisped in an air fryer at 180 °C for around 3 minutes.
- I use lean beef mince which releases less liquid when cooking. If using regular beef mince, drain the excess fat/liquid before adding the seasoning, or your meat will be wet and will make the shells soggy.
- Storage; Keep leftover taco meat in the fridge, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing; Add the cooled meat to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. To thaw, leave it in the fridge overnight or set it on the bench to thaw at room temperature.
- Leftover taco meat uses; You can use leftover taco meat in so many meals! Try it in burritos, nachos, baked potatoes, quesadillas, sloppy joes, taco spaghetti, pizza, pies, stuffed sweet potatoes, chilli or taco soup.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the recipe making 10 tacos, with one taco topped with cheese and salad being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sauces.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in December 2021.
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