I feel like I have finally cracked a code that has plagued me for years. I grew up eating ground beef that was flavored simply with salt, pepper, and chopped onion, which was delicious and it’s own special thing. However, I always loved when I would stay at friends’ houses and their ground ups would pull out the pack of taco seasoning mix for taco night. If you haven’t experienced that particular joy, then this meat is also reminiscent of a Taco Bell style ground beef mix. Flavorful, but not spicy (as 3 out of my 3 kids have attested to that fact) and has that almost soupy consistency that makes for a delightfully moist and drippy in your hands taco.

I’ve tried different combinations for decades, and I even made a big batch of spice mix a few times that would just sit in my pantry, forgotten. I don’t like making spice mixes in bulk. They never seem to stay mixed, and I always forget about them. This recipe is just for one pound of ground beef, but you can easily double it if you’re making 2 pounds. It freezes especially well because of the additional liquid we’re adding in (water, tomato paste, and Worcestershire). This is the best combination of spices to get you that “from a packet” flavor without having to use a packet.

If you need a last bit of encouragement, my two year old ate spoonfuls of just the beef for about 20 minutes while I was making some tortillas and would ask for more even when there was still a big bite of it left in their mouth. The pound of ground beef did not make it through lunch, so next time I will be doubling up! All three kids ate several servings.

Ground Beef Taco Meat

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef 

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic 

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

⅛ teaspoon oregano

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 Tablespoon tomato paste 

2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Heat a large, heavy bottomed skilled or Dutch oven over medium heat. 
2. Add your ground beef to the skillet and take a minute to break your ground beef into small bite sized pieces with a sturdy spatula (I like a straight sided wooden one for this). 
3. Add the rest of your ingredients to your pot and stir to combine. 
4. Continue stirring your beef mixture and chopping it into smaller pieces with your spatula. Cook beef until it is no longer pink and reaches 165℉.
5. Serve with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.