Best 6 Lean Spicy Taco Meat Recipes

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When it comes to taco night, everyone looks forward to a delicious, flavorful, and satisfying meal. However, traditional taco meat recipes often contain high amounts of fat and calories, making them less ideal for those seeking a leaner and healthier option. Fear not, taco enthusiasts! It is possible to create a lean spicy taco meat that is bursting with flavor without compromising on taste or satisfaction. This article will guide you through selecting the right ingredients, preparing the meat, and incorporating zesty spices to achieve a perfect balance of lean protein, bold flavors, and a satisfying taco experience.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

SPICY TACO MEAT



Spicy Taco Meat image

My husband and I love Tex-Mex food with all the fixings. Cooking the meat in the slow cooker makes prepping the toppings a breeze. We love to serve this at parties, with the filling in the slow cooker to stay warm and the various toppings in bowls so the guests can build their own! -Rebecca Yankovich, Springfield, Virginia

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 6h20m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 boneless beef chuck roast (4 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer or 1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 ounces) pickled jalapeno peppers, undrained
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Corn tortillas (6 inches), crumbled Cotija cheese, lime wedges, fresh cilantro leaves, sliced radishes and sour cream, optional

Steps:

  • Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown meat. Transfer meat to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Add beer to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; pour over meat. In a large bowl, combine jalapenos, onion, garlic powder and chili powder; pour over meat. Cook, covered, on low until tender, 6-8 hours., Remove roast; shred with 2 forks. Strain cooking juices. Reserve vegetables and 2 cups juices; discard remaining juices. Skim fat from reserved juices. Return beef and reserved vegetables and cooking juices to slow cooker; heat through. If desired, serve with optional ingredients.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 307 calories, Fat 21g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 98mg cholesterol, Sodium 829mg sodium, Carbohydrate 10g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 31g protein.

SPICY TACO MEAT



Spicy Taco Meat image

This is my tried and true for either soft or hard shell taco filling. It's nice and spicy, tangy with a fair amount of tomato flavor. Tweaked from Cook's Illustrated.

Provided by greysangel

Categories     Meat

Time 35m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder (Penzey's medium hot)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
black pepper

Steps:

  • Heat oil over med. heat for 2 minute
  • Add onion and cook until softened - approx 4 minute
  • Add garlic and spices.
  • Cook until fragrant approximately 1 minute.
  • Add beef & cook 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar & vinegar.
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered approx 20 min and stir until no more chunks remain and until it is the "wet" consistency you want.
  • Season with pepper and salt if needed.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.7, Fat 15.9, SaturatedFat 5.3, Cholesterol 74, Sodium 499, Carbohydrate 7.7, Fiber 2.3, Sugar 3.6, Protein 25.5

SPICY GROUND BEEF TACOS



Spicy Ground Beef Tacos image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 35m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
12 hard taco shells
Shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese and/or pickled jalapenos, for topping

Steps:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano and garlic powder; cook, stirring, until the onion is coated, about 1 minute.
  • Add the beef, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, hot sauce and 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the juices are slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Meanwhile, warm the taco shells as the label directs. Fill with the beef mixture and top with lettuce, cheese and/or pickled jalapenos.

SPICY TURKEY TACOS



Spicy Turkey Tacos image

Great way to use all that leftover turkey! Serve tacos with lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Provided by kim

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Latin American     Mexican

Time 3h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 pound shredded cooked turkey meat
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
1 large jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved
1 (1 ounce) envelope hot taco seasoning mix
2 cups chicken broth, or as needed
6 small flour tortillas, or to taste

Steps:

  • Combine turkey, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker; pour in enough chicken broth to almost cover all the ingredients.
  • Cook on Low for at least 3 hours.
  • Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and cook tortillas until warmed, about 30 seconds per side. Fill tortillas with turkey mixture.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 245.8 calories, Carbohydrate 19.9 g, Cholesterol 57.5 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 24.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 602 mg, Sugar 1.5 g

RESTAURANT-STYLE TACO MEAT SEASONING



Restaurant-Style Taco Meat Seasoning image

This tastes very close to the taco seasoning favored by a very popular fast-food taco restaurant. You can make this at home, and let your family prepare tacos the way they like.

Provided by GVSWIFE

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Latin American     Mexican

Time 40m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 ½ tablespoons corn flour
4 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon beef bouillon granules
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 ⅓ pounds lean ground chuck
1 cup water

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, combine the corn flour, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Stir in the paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and sugar. Blend in the onion, bouillon, and ground red pepper, stirring until all spices are well blended.
  • Crumble the ground chuck into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until browned. Remove from heat, rinse meat with hot water, and drain water and grease from beef.
  • Return meat to skillet, and pour in seasoning. Stir in water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 164.4 calories, Carbohydrate 2.1 g, Cholesterol 43.6 mg, Fat 12.4 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 10.6 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 212.1 mg, Sugar 0.2 g

WW LOW FAT TACO BEEF SKILLET DINNER



Ww Low Fat Taco Beef Skillet Dinner image

Since starting Weight Watchers, I have missed the flavour of Mexican foods. But with calorie-filled toppings and wraps, they're not always diet-friendly. So I came up with this meal- it has the flavours of Mexican food without the majority of the calories and if you have extra points, you can even add a little guacamole or sour cream on top! It's worth using fresh salsa, not the jarred stuff for this recipe- it adds a lovely fresh bright flavour. Using extra lean beef, this recipe has a total of 19 Weight Watchers points by British points calculations.

Provided by Shuzbud

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 30m

Yield 3-4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 large red onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cups beef stock
1 cup long grain white rice
1 lb extra lean ground beef
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups fresh salsa (not from a jar)
fresh coriander (optional topping)

Steps:

  • Finely chop the red onion and green pepper and set aside.
  • Put the beef stock in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Add the rice and cook, covered, until done (for my brand of rice this takes around 25 minutes).
  • Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet start to brown the ground beef for 3 minutes.
  • Add the chopped red onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for a further 7 minutes.
  • Add the frozen corn and cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Add the water and taco spice mix. Turn down the heat and cook until the meat is done and the liquid is almost completely absorbed. This takes 5-10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile check on the rice- it should be nearly done. Remove from the heat when cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
  • When the meat mixture is cooked, stir in the rice.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the salsa. Serve immediately, topped with coriander/ cilantro if desired.

Tips:

  • Choose lean ground beef: This will help reduce the fat and calories in your taco meat.
  • Use a variety of spices: This will give your taco meat a flavorful and complex taste.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment: There are many different ways to make taco meat, so feel free to try different recipes and ingredients until you find one that you love.
  • Make a big batch: Taco meat can be easily reheated, so it's a great option for meal prep.
  • Serve taco meat with your favorite toppings: This could include cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, and guacamole.

Conclusion:

Lean spicy taco meat is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a fun party appetizer, taco meat is a great option. With so many different recipes to choose from, you're sure to find one that you love. So next time you're in the mood for something tasty and satisfying, give lean spicy taco meat a try!

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