Forget the drive-thru, this is how to make a beef tacos recipe that tastes just like Taco Bell tacos for an easy Taco Tuesday dinner at home any night of the week.
You Quiero Taco Bell Tacos
“So, where did you have lunch today?”
It’s pretty much the same question I ask my husband every day. I mean, there’s only so much stimulating conversation to be had when documenting our day to day after all these years of marriage. And pretty much every day for the past 20 years he has the same answer. “Taco Bell.” If he was a guy who was into tattoos, it’s likely he’d have, “Yo quiero Taco Bell” emblazoned somewhere on his body.
And I have to say, I can’t blame the man for loving his tacos, because say what you will about fast food—I’m not much of a fan—but Taco Bell tacos are pretty much the cat’s meow when it comes to drive-thru Mexican food.
I blame my mother-in-law for creating my man’s Taco Bell taco obsession. Because my MIL makes the best homemade beef tacos ever, and while it took me a while to realize it, one of the reasons they are so good is because they taste eerily similar to the beloved Taco ala Bell.
Years ago I ditched my own ground beef taco recipe in favor of hers, and today I’m finally sharing the secrets to these homemade tacos that make them taste so good they could very well curb your drive thru habit too.
Ground Beef Taco Ingredients
My MIL’s ground beef tacos are revered in the family, and probably the most often requested dinner for family gatherings, next to her Curry Turkey Pot Pie (my birthday favorite!) or Hamburger Soup. She takes her ground beef tacos seriously, and while this recipe is super easy to make, there are several key ingredients and techniques that make it special, and so frigging delicious:
- Ground beef
- White onion
- Garlic
- Tomato juice
- Yellow corn meal
- Taco shells
- Shredded cheese
- Taco seasoning
Fortunes have been made on packaging taco seasoning, but it’s so simple to make from your spice drawer, why not make it from scratch?
You’ll need:
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Garlic salt
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Taco seasoning is pretty salty on its own so don’t be alarmed if you take a taste and feel it’s too much.
What’s the Best Ground Beef for Tacos?
For this taco meat recipe, use an 85% lean ground beef. You don’t want anything too lean, otherwise you’re liable to wind up with dry taco meat.
see more: 31 Healthy Mexican Recipes To Make In May
How to Make Tacos
As you brown the beef, use a flat edged wooded spatula to really chop up the beef into small pieces. I find this easiest to do once the meat has begun to brown, breaking down easier than when raw. Once the meat is in smaller bits, stir in the onions and garlic and continue to cook.
My MIL says the flavor in these tacos comes from browning the beef really well, building crisped bits on the bottom of the pan. Watch it though, so the beef doesn’t burn or char.
The taco spices are added to the ground beef toward the end of browning and cooked for a minute or two to sear into the flavor of the meat and awaken the flavor of the spices as they heat.
So far the ingredients for these tacos are pretty standard, but here is where we change up the expectation. Tomato juice is added to the ground beef and spices to deglaze the pan and pull up all those browned bits, plus adds moisture for the super special ingredient that my mother in law adds to make these tacos taste most like Taco Bell: Ground cornmeal.
I know, right? Cornmeal makes perfect sense as a taco meat ingredient. It tightens up the beef mixture after the tomato juice is added, and adds another layer of maize/corn essence combining with the Mexican flavors. If the mix feels too thick, add a bit more tomato juice (V-8 works too), or even water to thin and cook the cornmeal.
Two of the hallmarks of a bad taco are 1) a cold taco shell and 2) cheese that still carries the chill of the fridge. That’s why the last step of my MIL’s delicious tacos is in the assembling of the tacos should not be skipped and totally worth completing this extra step.
see more: 70 Cinco De Mayo Mexican Recipes
Use a baking sheet or a casserole dish to snuggle yellow or white corn taco shells together upright, then spoon the taco meat into the shells and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake in the oven or a toaster oven at 400°F until the cheese melts and the shells begin to brown.
Finally. It’s time to dress these babies up.
My husband always complains there’s never enough sour cream and I always crave avocado.
Everyone has their favorite toppings. And since you’re making them yourself, now is the time to load them up the way you like ’em.
see more: 31 Healthy Mexican Recipes to Make Now
Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead?
Technically, yes. But if you’re truly looking to make copycat Taco Bell tacos, ground beef is the way to go.
Can I Use Store-Bought Taco Seasoning?
Again, you technically can. But your homemade taco recipe won’t taste just like Taco Bell’s.
Tips for Making the Best Tacos
To break down the taco meat really finely, use a potato masher or a meat masher. Or, use your spatula and take your time breaking up the ground beef.
After you’ve stirred in the tomato juice and cornmeal, you’ll need to let the taco filling bubble away for a good 10 to 15 minutes. If you try to serve your ground beef tacos right away, the filling will be too soupy.
Make your life easier by putting all the taco toppings into serving dishes and let your family top their tacos as they see fit.
What to Serve With Tacos to Make a Meal
- Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
- Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde
- Chopped Mexican Kale Salad
- Mango Margarita With Chile Salt And Lime
- Chunky Citrus Guacamole
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats
Just Like Taco Bell Tacos
Forget the drive-thru, this is how to make a beef tacos recipe that tastes just like Taco Bell tacos for an easy Taco Tuesday dinner at home any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1/2 white onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 1/4 cup yellow corn meal
- 12 taco shells
- 2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded
Optional Toppings:
- sliced lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- avocado
- onion
- sour cream
Instructions
-
Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium high heat and cook until browned, about 10 minutes, breaking into small pieces as it browns.
-
Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the beef is well browned and the onion is translucent.
-
Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, and black pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
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Stir in the tomato juice and cornmeal and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the juice has cooked down and the cornmeal softens, stirring occasionally. Add more tomato juice or water if the mixture clumps.
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Place the taco shells on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and spoon about 1/3 cup taco meat into each shell and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Broil in a toaster oven or oven until the cheese melts.
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Garnish the tacos with fixings and serve.
Recipe Notes
- I like white corn taco shells, but yellow corn or even soft shells make a great Taco Bell style taco.
More Taco Recipes You’ll Want to Make Too
- Breakfast Tacos Recipe
- Blackened Fish Tacos With Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Grilled Steak Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos With Garlic Avocado Crema
- Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos
- Stewed Chicken Tacos
- Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe
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Sabrina says
would never have guessed that secret ingredient and cooking tweak, de-glaze and extra baking, I’ve always wanted to know how T Bell tacos were made, so thank you for cracking the code
Heidi says
Thanks Sabrina, and while this may not be the exact Taco Bell recipe, they sure taste a lot like them. Hope you give them a try :) p.s. baking the shells with the cheese and meat makes them extra delish.
Reagan says
We love an easy taco night at our house so I will be trying these soon!
Heidi says
I think you’ll love them too Reagan. Thanks for the comment.
MarianneB says
Thanks, they look easy and delicious! But, I do have a quick question please—-what kind of knife is that is the photo with the onions? Is that an illusion in the photo or is there some kind of indentation that follows the curve of the blade? I’ve never seen anything like it. If it is in the design, to what purpose? Thanks for your time.
Heidi says
Thank you Marianne! The knife is an 8″ Pro Chef’s Knife from Zwilling. I suppose the ridge is there so the food doesn’t stack when chopped? I love all of the Zwilling knives!
Connie Hoffman says
Ha. That doesn’t look like anything that Taco Bell has. Looks a million times better. Looks more like Taco John’s.
Heidi says
Ha! Thanks Connie, they’re just as addicting though. My daughter ate 5 of them the other day!
Jeannie says
Can’t wait to try this. Can you share your MIL’s recipe for hamburger soup also? Thanks…..love your blog.
Heidi says
Thanks Jeannie, I added the link where I mentioned it at the top of the post. Hope you give it a try.
Hofterzielbeek says
I’m dying to eat some Mexican food. Surely gonna try it today. Thanks for the recipe.
Heidi says
Hope you give them a try!
Meliza says
Made these tonight – my husband couldn’t get over how good they were! Definitely a repeat!
Situ says
Yum! Gonna make a veggie version this. Do you think cornmeal will be needed if we use tofu or soy crumbles instead of beef?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Yes Situ! I would still use the cornmeal with Tofu
Heidi says
Awesome Situ. I haven’t tried it with meat substitutes so I can’t say for sure, but in my head I am thinking it would work just fine and add even more flavor because of the low flavor of meat substitutes. Let us know how it works!
Tom says
what brand of taco shells do you recommend?
Rachel says
I’ve been making tacos since I was a kid and have tweaked my own recipe several times over the years, can’t wait to try out this recipe! After reading the recipe it sounds amazing and I’m eager to see how they compare with my own. My question is my husband and I actually prefer a soft flour shell and I was wondering if you would recommend the baking process with these or just prewarm the shells as I do now?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thanks Rachel!! I can’t wait to hear. I just pre warm them a little
Kae says
Hi-what type or brand taco shells do you use. I’ve tried different brand and most are decent but have not found one that tastes good. Taco Bell shells are good, but the ones they sell in stores are not the same recipe of what they sell in restaurants.
Any recommendations? Thank you for the recipe.
Heidi says
I like white corn tortillas the best, but really, I haven’t been too particular about it.
Kae says
Hi-the 2 cups of tomato juice, that is 16 oz, correct? Wanted to make these next few days, and 16 oz seems a bit of a large quantity. Thanks you for the recipe. Will try for sure.
Jen says
That was awesome! Totally tastes and has the same mouth feel as a taco bell taco!! Thank you! You made my son really happy! :). (And the rest of us). We’ll definitely do this again and again!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thank you so much!
Habibah says
Gonna make this in a few days for my school food technology project
Hopefully it tastes good
How many servings would you say it makes-
I know it says 8 tacos but how many servings
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Sounds great! I would say 4 servings