Beef Tacos Homemade Seasoning (Print Version)
Seasoned ground beef tucked into warm tortillas, topped with fresh ingredients for a vibrant meal.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
→ Seasoning Mix
02 - 1 tablespoon chili powder
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
09 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Liquid
11 - 1/2 cup water
12 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
→ Tacos
13 - 8 small corn or flour tortillas
→ Optional Toppings
14 - 1 cup shredded lettuce
15 - 1 cup diced tomatoes
16 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
17 - 1/4 cup diced red onion
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
19 - 1 avocado, sliced
20 - Sour cream and salsa
# Preparation Steps:
01 - Combine chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned throughout, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Sprinkle the prepared seasoning mixture evenly over the browned beef. Stir well to coat the meat completely with spices.
04 - Pour in water and add tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until the sauce thickens and coats the beef. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
05 - Heat tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, microwave between damp paper towels for 20 seconds, or warm directly over an open flame until pliable and lightly charred.
06 - Spoon the seasoned beef mixture into each warmed tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, red onion, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and salsa as desired.
07 - Arrange tacos on a serving platter and serve while hot. Offer additional toppings on the side for guests to customize.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The homemade spice mix takes five minutes but transforms ground beef into something that actually tastes like a taco truck stopped by your kitchen
- Everything comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can have a real meal even on chaos nights
02 -
- The water step is not optional, because it transforms dry, crumbly meat into seasoned beef that actually stays inside your tortilla instead of falling all over your plate
- Taste the meat before you serve it, because spice blends lose potency over time and nobody wants sad, underseasoned tacos after all this effort
03 -
- Mix up a quadruple batch of the seasoning blend and keep it in a jar, because the hardest part of taco Tuesday is measuring seven different spices on a weeknight
- Use a potato masher to break up the beef in the pan, because it creates that perfectly crumbly texture faster than any spoon or spatula ever could