Taco Bell Meat 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.

These tacos are a nod to one of America’s favorite Mexican fast food chains (and my husband’s)—Taco Bell. I’m not much of a fast food fan, but Taco Bell tacos are pretty much the cat’s meow when it comes to drive-thru Mexican food. I have lots of recipes that satisfy our regular taco cravings, like my grilled steak tacos, blackened fish tacos with creamy avocado sauce, and my carnitas (to name just a few). But these Taco Bell tribute tacos satisfy a totally different type of craving, right up there with greasy, cheesy pepperoni pizza.

Years ago I ditched my own ground beef taco recipe in favor of my MIL’s (one that is eerily similar to our beloved Taco Bell version). She shared all her secrets with me, and these are so good, they could very well curb your drive-thru habit too.

Taco Bell Crunchwrap Copycat

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:

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? After you try this easy DIY taco seasoning, you’ll ditch the packet forever.

Taco seasoning is pretty salty on its own so don’t be alarmed if you take a taste and feel it’s too much.

Easy Ground Beef Taco Meat Recipe

Brown the beef. I recommend using 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. 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.

Sauté the onion and garlic. Once the meat is in smaller bits, stir in the onions and garlic and continue to cook.

Add the special seasonings. Adding the taco spices to the ground beef toward the end of browning allows them to cook for a minute or two to seal flavor into the meat and also awakens the flavors of the spices as they heat.

Cheesy Double Beef Burrito (taco Bell Copycat)

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 the assembling of the tacos should not be skipped and totally worth completing this extra step.

Toast your tacos. Use a sheet pan or a casserole dish to snuggle your corn tortillas together upright, then spoon the taco meat into them and sprinkle them with shredded cheese. Toast in the oven or a toaster oven at 400°F just until the cheese melts and the shells begin to brown.

Add the fixings. Now it’s time to dress these babies up. Sour cream, shredded iceberg lettuce, avocado, diced tomatoes, and onion are my picks for classic toppings. 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––add red onion and cilantro, and pico de gallo if you like.

Copycat Taco Bell Beef Recipe

For this taco meat recipe, use 85% lean ground beef. You don’t want anything too lean, otherwise, you’re liable to wind up with dry taco meat.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #eats.

Serving: 1 taco | Calories: 238 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 45 mg | Sodium: 569 mg | Potassium: 280 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 475 IU | Vitamin C: 7.9 mg | Calcium: 163 mg | Iron: 1.7 mg

Taco Bell Seasoning Recipe

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As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.This Taco Bell meat recipe tastes just like the real deal. The texture and flavor is spot-on plus it’s SO easy to make!

Have you ever wondered what makes Taco Bell seasoned meat taste so dang good? It’s not just the savoring seasonings and flavors, it’s also the texture. Granted, not everyone likes Taco Bell’s beef (I am sure we will get some comments below from T-Bell haters) and to you I will say, “to each their own”. I, for one, actually really like the taste and texture of Taco Bell meat. It has an almost “umami” flavor and isn’t dry and crumbly like other ground beef taco meats. You can put it in the shell and it actually stays there with the other ingredients. It’s just better.

Easy 3 Ingredient Taco Bell Meat Recipe

I finally decided I needed to figure out the secret to making this seasoned beef. Mostly because I have a daughter than simply REFUSES to eat tacos unless it is the same texture as Taco Bell meat, but also because it’s delicious and it makes homemade tacos better. I love that this seasoned beef recipe has the same flavors and textures as Taco Bell meat but without all the added ingredients and preservatives. My ULTRA picky daughter approves and she will actually eat homemade tacos now. Give it a try and see for yourself!

Keep in mind, these are the ingredients for this particular recipe. While taco bell uses ingredients like maltodextrin, guanylate, dextrose, and sodium phosphates as preservatives and flavor enhancers, we don’t use any of that. Our goal was to get the taste and texture without adding all the extra, unnecessary stuff. Here’s what you need to make Taco Bell Meat at home:

Mixing the water (or broth) with the ground beef mixture really is the secret to getting the right texture. It makes the meat easy to break down with a spatula. Let it simmer until cooked through and then start breaking it apart and stirring it until you reach that fine texture that Taco Bell seasoned meat it known for. If you’re still not satisfied with the texture, you can use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to further break down any remaining clumps while stirring.

With Lawsuit Over, Taco Bell's Mystery Meat Is A Mystery No Longer

Once you get the meat down, the rest is easy! Get your favorite hard shells (or soft tortilla shells), add some meat, then top with shredded iceberg lettuce and cheese. You can also make “supreme” tacos by adding sour cream and tomatoes (without the $1.00+ up-charge). If you are using hard shell, be sure to bake or air-fry them for a few minutes to get that perfectly crispy shell.

You can also easily cook the Taco Bell meat in the Instant Pot. Place 2/3 cup water in the Instant Pot and then add the meat mixture. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, then allow for a 10 minute natural release. Quick release and use a metal spatula to break up the meat. Switch the Instant Pot setting to “sauté” and sauté until the meat mixture thickens.

Taco Bell meat is made with ground beef, water, seasoning… and a bunch of other “flavorings” and preservatives. See the image below for a full list of ingredients in Taco Bell seasoned beef:

Copycat Taco Bell Recipes

Actually, Taco Bell meat is NOT gluten free. However, our recipe for Taco Bell meat can gluten free as long as you use GF taco seasoning (which is easy to find nowadays).

Making a taco bar and want to add more taco meat options to the table? Try one (or all) of these taco filling options:

This Taco Bell meat recipe tastes just like the real deal. The texture and flavor is spot-on plus it's SO easy to make!

Beef Meximelt Recipe (taco Bell Copycat) + Wonkywonderful

Calories: 149 kcal Carbohydrates: 1 g Protein: 10 g Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 40 mg Sodium: 103 mg Potassium: 153 mg Fiber: 0.2 g Sugar: 0.1 g Vitamin A: 73 IU Vitamin C: 0.4 mg Calcium: 11 mg Iron: 1 mg

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.Use this Taco Bell Meat recipe to learn how to make taco meat taste just like takeout. Then you can recreate all your favorite menu