By The recipe Sunday was the seasoned taco meat the household uses for the rotation taco night. Browned ground beef with a homemade taco-seasoning blend — cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt — that costs about a quarter of the packet equivalent.
The recipe is below.
Seasoned Taco Meat
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2/3 cup water or low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Season. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to coat the meat evenly in the spices.
- Simmer. Add the water or broth and tomato paste. Stir to combine, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the meat is saucy but not watery.
- Taste and serve. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve in taco shells or warm tortillas with your choice of toppings—shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, or whatever you have on hand.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 320mg