Ground Beef Taco
Ground Beef Taco – These are our favorite easy weeknight ground beef tacos. Packed with flavor and done in 30 minutes!
Do you add taco seasoning before or after cooking ground beef?
You add the seasoning after the ground beef is cooked and drained the ground beef. This makes sure you don’t lose any seasoning when you drain the meat!
How much taco seasoning should I use for 1 pound of beef?
About 2 Tablespoons of seasoning in total for 1 lb of meat! This is also the same amount as 1 packet of taco seasoning if you want to make this recipe easier. But make sure you check the spice level of the taco seasoning you are getting. Some of them (specifically the Trader Joe’s one) are very spicy!
Do you need to add water to taco meat?
You need some sort of liquid to make sure the meat mixture is moist. Some people use water, but I love using tomato sauce for extra flavor!
What to serve with these ground beef tacos?
These tacos are great on their own. Or just served with some chips on the side that you can dunk in the extra refried bean sauce!
But you could also serve the ground beef over roasted sweet potatoes instead of in taco shells.
Ground Beef Taco
These are our favorite easy weeknight ground beef tacos. Packed with flavor and done in 30 minutes!

Ingredients:
For the refried bean mixture:
- 1 16 oz can refried beans
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 cup Chunky Salsa
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup taco sauce
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
- 1 lime, juiced
For the taco meat:
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Toppings:
- 12-16 soft/hard taco shells
- sour cream
- cheese
- lettuce
- salsa
- cilantro
Directions:
For the refried bean mixture:
In a medium saucepan, combine refried beans, tomatoes, salsa, cheddar cheese, taco sauce, and chilies. Stir over medium heat until thoroughly combined, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the juice of 1 lime. Simmer and cover until ready to serve.
For the meat:
Brown ground beef and onion until beef is no longer pink and onion is translucent. Drain excess fat and return to the stove on low heat. Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and green chiles. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
Heat taco shells according to package directions.
Assemble tacos:
Spoon meat filling into taco shells. Top with bean mixture, lettuce, cheese, fresh cilantro, and/or sour cream.