Beef Tacos
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Whip up a family favorite: old-school Tex-Mex beef tacos with crispy shells, juicy seasoned beef, and everyone’s favorite toppings!
Remember those classic Tex-Mex beef tacos from your childhood? The ones with crispy shells, brimming with juicy, seasoned beef, and a variety of toppings that made dinnertime fun, long before Taco Tuesday became a thing? These are those very tacos, only better, and they’ll bring back all those flavorful memories. Building on the classic recipe, I “chef it up” by quickly mixing the ground beef with baking soda before cooking. This little trick ensures the beef turns out extra tender.
When serving, set out optional toppings like shredded lettuce, Mexican-blend cheese, diced tomatoes, and sour cream so everyone can make their own perfect taco. And if your family loves taco night as much as mine, consider making a double batch of the beef filling and stashing half in the freezer. When you’re ready for round two, just thaw and reheat the beef, prep the toppings, and dinner’s on the table!
Table of Contents
“I will never use a pre packaged taco seasoning mix again! My 8 year old who is a picky eater ate five tacos and would have eaten more but we told him he had to save some for his other siblings!”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Tacos
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, mash the beef with the baking soda and salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. This process raises the pH level of the beef, making it more alkaline and resulting in a more tender texture. I use this technique in many recipes, including my beef enchiladas and ultimate chili recipe, to ensure the meat stays juicy and flavorful. (Time-Saving Tip: Use the time that the beef is sitting with the baking soda to chop the onions and garlic and measure out the spices.)
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Add the beef and spices.
Cook, stirring constantly and breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, sugar, and lime juice.
Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat so that no chunks remain, until the liquid has reduced and thickened (the mixture should not be completely dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Using a wide, shallow spoon, divide the filling evenly among taco shells; place two or three tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing the toppings separately.
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Video Tutorial
Beef Tacos
Whip up a family favorite: old-school Tex-Mex beef tacos with crispy shells, juicy seasoned beef, and everyone’s favorite toppings!
Ingredients
For the Beef Filling
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
Shells and Toppings
- 16 Taco Shells (warmed according to package instructions)
- Optional: shredded Mexican blend cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, diced avocados, diced onions, chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mash the beef with the baking soda and salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring constantly and breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, sugar, and lime juice; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat, until the liquid has reduced and thickened (the mixture should not be completely dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Using a wide, shallow spoon, divide the filling evenly among the taco shells; place two or three tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing the toppings separately.
- Note: Nutritional info does not include optional toppings.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 26g
- Sodium: 535mg
- Cholesterol: 74mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Okay so I have tried this baking soda ground beef thing a few times and I feel like it’s making my beef taste weird. I made this without doing it and loved it. But when I do the baking soda thing it’s just not good. I know this is suppose to be a great thing but I seem to be failing at it. I can’t even say if it was more tender because I just didn’t like the taste. I do it just like you say and I mean it’s arm n hammer and it’s fresh so I’m lost. Maybe I have sensitive taste buds. Without it the recipe is so good so I mean I don’t understand. Anyways still giving five stars because this must just be me
Hi Jenn! Made this yesterday and it was so tasty and yummy. I did not have tacos so I replaced with tortilla’s wraps,truly yummy. I did reduce the Chili powder, plus the cayenne pepper to tone down a wee bit for children pallets. They raved about the dish and went for thirds. Truly a five star and will certainly make this over again.
This was delightful for a crowd of both adults and kids. I toned down the chili powder for the more sensitive palates and I didn’t have paprika but it was SO good. I recommend this filling for soft tacos or burritos too!
Would it be enhancing at all to replace the water with beef broth here?
Sure, Andrew – beef broth would work nicely here. I would use low-sodium or cut back on the salt just a bit.
Jen- do you ever make your own hard shells? Would love a tutorial on that! Great recipe
Hi Jill, I can’t say that I have — I’ll add it to my list of potential “how to’s.” to create. Thanks for the suggestion!
I grew up on the retro taco kits and I am not ashamed to say that I still love these American beef tacos. A few years back, I started making my own taco seasoning and making tacos from scratch that way. We don’t have these types of tacos often because my husband isn’t the biggest fan (it may have been the only thing I was capable of making when we first married 😅). As an avid follower, I knew I needed to try these tacos and they did not disappoint. So much more flavor, so tender, and saucy (without being watery). Also love that you can have dinner on the table in an hour or less. The best part was when my husband said that these were the best tacos I’ve made and we should eat this recipe more often! Hooray! Thank you, Jen. ☺️
I usually love your recipes but this was a complete miss for me. It was so incredibly overseasoned (I’m guessing because of the 1/4 cup chili powder) that it was barely edible. I had to rinse off a bunch of the spices to try to salvage dinner. I wouldn’t make this again.
These are SO good! I made the recipe EXACTLY as written, and it did NOT disappoint! Thank you!
This recipe was so good! I made nachos and it was a huge hit. Will definitely be making this again and again!
Nothing but raves from the family!
Absolutely perfect!! Thanks Jenn
Hi Jenn, if I wanted to add more heat, could I sub out 2 tablespoons of the chili powder with 2 tablespoons of chipotle chili powder?
Yes — just keep in mind that it will give it a lot of heat!
Can this recipe be halved? If so, do liquids remain the same? Ty
Yes and yes. 🙂
Hi, unfortunately tom sauce is not one I usually have on hand, would crushed work as well? Or would any other sub work?
I think you could get away with crushed tomatoes but for the best results, I’d go with tomato sauce (plus you can buy an 8 ounce can of it — exactly what you need for the recipe).
These were the best beef tacos I’ve ever made.
I often add sliced (then halved or quartered) zucchini and yellow squash to my taco mixes. It cooks til soft and even kids will happily eat it with these vegetables included.
The beef filling is great
Normally I use the Frontera skillet sauce with mild red chile and cumin that comes in a pouch (I don’t like the powdered mixes). I couldn’t find it at the supermarket this week, so I tried this recipe. It was sensational and it will be my go-to beef taco recipe from now on. No more store-bought taco seasonings!
I will never use a pre packaged taco seasoning mix again! My 8’year old who is a picky eater ate five tacos and would have eaten more but we told him he had to save some for his other siblings! Thanks for livening up one of our favorite meals, tacos!
Made the beef tacos tonight for the first time and followed your recipe exactly. They were delicious and my husband loved them. Will try the enchiladas next. I have tried many of your recipes following the exact recipe and they have all been delicious. Thank you Jenn!
We enjoyed this recipe very much. The combination of spices is just right. I do not like using commercial taco seasoning mixes as they all seem to have bioengineered ingredients that we are trying to avoid.
Fantastic Taco Night Recipe! My husband and daughter loved it. They both said we should make this again.
So much better than the taco seasoning mix! I was glad it made a lot – my 2 teenage boys and their friends devoured this.
I really appreciate the recipes for 6-8 people! We are a party of 6 and this feeds us with room for a friend to join or leftovers. Thank you for another delicious dinner!!
Family says this is really, really good! Note, I used an 11@ nonstick skillet and it was full, especially before the liquid reduced. So use a very large pan. Very flavorful, esp compared to homemade tacos made with packaged taco seasoning. Try this recipe and you won’t be satisfied with the packaged variety.
I made this yesterday as soon as I saw recipe in my email! Similar to the icky envelope taco mix, but soooooo much better!!!! Everyone loved it!
Thank you for this recipe. I find the store bought taco mix salty. This is perfectly seasoned and my entire family agrees that we will use your recipe going forward.
Not sure how to describe the taste… it’s an extremely heavy flavor. Maybe too much chili powder? IDK… unfortunately don’t think I’ll make this again
Any ideas for getting a corn tortilla super crispy??
Hi Sheri, Are you frying your own?
THANK YOU for the baking soda tip — I can’t wait to try it. ❤️
I use baking soda for so many things around the house that I buy the big bulk bags!
I also want to try your seasoning mix. I have been making my own this year and I will never go back to the packaged ones.
Your recipes are always terrific, please keep them coming.
I appreciate you so much! And, I love telling people where I got my recipe when sharing a dish. 😍
❤️
What if you use 93% ground turkey? Would you still use the baking soda? I have put a small amount in beef/lamb ground meat mixture for kafta kebabs.
Hi Sharon, No need to use the baking soda with ground turkey.
Hi Jenn,
I’m eagerly awaiting this recipe! Could you please share the brands of chili powder and taco shells you recommend? I’ve been updating my pantry with your choices. Any tips for choosing ground beef (prepackaged or store-ground)? Thanks a lot!
Hi Oleda, Nothing fancy here – I use McCormick chili powder, Old El Paso stand and stuff shells, and prepackaged ground beef. If you wanted to go all out, you could fry your own taco shells, but I honestly never bother b/c this is meant to be quick and easy!
I love the idea of making up your seasonings yourself. I haven’t tried that. And I know from other recipes you have that the baking soda trick is amazing. We will be having these Friday night!! 😋
I did not make this recipe but I think it is a pretty good one to feed a family. The only
way to eat corn tacos is if you fry the corn tortillos.
Has anyone tried this with Impossible “meat”? Any suggestions on preventing it from being too dry? Thank you!
I learned the baking soda trick from your sloppy joe recipe, and I’ve been using it for our Taco Tuesdays ever since – such a great tip! I love that you always explain why we’re using certain ingredients… it’s really helped up my game when cooking outside your blog. Can’t wait to try this one!
What does the baking soda do for the meat?
Hi Grace, It makes the beef tender.