Just Like Taco Bell Tacos Recipe

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 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.

How to Make the Best Mexican Tacos

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 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.

The Best Meat to Use for Tacos

For these tacos, use an 85% lean ground beef. 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.

see more: 31 Healthy Mexican Recipes To Make In May

Homemade Taco Seasoning

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.

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.

This Taco Meat’s Secret Ingredients

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.

see more: 70 Cinco De Mayo Mexican Recipes

The Next Secret: Bake Your Tacos

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.

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° until the cheese melts and the shells begin to brown.

All the Fixins’

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.

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

4.17 from 37 votes

Print

Just Like Taco Bell Tacos

I like white corn taco shells but yellow corn or even soft shells make a great Taco Bell style taco. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12 tacos

Calories 238 kcal

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
• sliced lettuce, chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, and sour cream

Instructions

1. 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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

4. Garnish the tacos with fixings and serve. 

Nutrition Facts

Just Like Taco Bell Tacos

Amount Per Serving (1 taco)

Calories 238 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 569mg25%

Potassium 280mg8%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 475IU10%

Vitamin C 7.9mg10%

Calcium 163mg16%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.

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