There are few dishes as satisfying and versatile as tacos. Whether you prefer them soft or crispy, the options are endless. But the key to any great taco is the meat filling. You can take your taco night to the next level by using restaurant style taco meat. This simple yet flavorful meat can be used in a variety of dishes, from tacos to burritos to nachos. In this article, we'll share the secrets to making the best restaurant style taco meat at home. We'll cover everything from choosing the right ground beef to adding the perfect blend of spices. So grab your skillet and get ready to make some amazing taco meat.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
RESTAURANT-STYLE TACO MEAT SEASONING
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
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
TACO MEAT - RESTAURANT STYLE
No browned or fried ground beef here. This is cooked in water. YES, in water. Resulting in that nicely steamed, soft texture you get in most Mexican restaurants.
Provided by ReeLani
Categories Meat
Time 1h10m
Yield 1 pan
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Put the ground chuck in a large pot or Dutch oven and add seasonings.
- Add just enough water to cover the meat, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about an hour.
- Every 15 minutes or so break up the meat with a large spoon or a potato masher so that it isn't lumpy. Be sure always to keep just enough water to cover the meat.
- After an hour add the onion and bell pepper and simmer another 20 minutes. The meat should be very finely textured at this point.
- Remove from the heat, pour into a strainer over a large bowl, and let the meat sit in the strainer for 10 or 15 minutes to make sure all grease drains away, pressing it a few times.
- After the meat has drained as much as possible, place the bowl of liquid (which you want to keep) and grease in the freezer for a while. When grease separates and hardens on top, take a spoon and remove all of it. Retain about a cup of the degreased liquid.
- Place reserved liquid in a pan and bring to a boil. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of corn starch in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to the liquid, simmering 4 or 5 more minutes. Add reserved meat into the pan and mix liquid well into meat.
- Serve in taco shells or tortillas, or mix into a taco salad or casserole.
- Leftovers freeze well.
RESTAURANT-STYLE TACO MEAT RECIPE - (4.2/5)
Provided by ErinLayton
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine all the spices in a bowl. Start browning the ground beef, breaking up with a spatula as you go. Stir in the seasoning and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 20 minutes until most of the liquid is gone. Serve in tacos, nachos, burritos, etc.
RESTAURANT STYLE TACO MEAT SEASONING
I loathe store bought taco seasoning. The flavor of it is so overpowering that you can hardly taste anything else on your taco! I found this recipe and adapted it a bit to suit my own tastes. I'm posting it on here mostly to be able to find it whenever I want to make it again. **NOTE: sometimes i substitute 1 tsp of store-bought taco seasoning in place of 1 tsp chili powder. you can't pick the flavor of the store-bought stuff out and it helps bring the flavors together a bit**
Provided by Melanie2590
Categories Meat
Time 25m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In small bowl, mix all dry ingredients. set aside.
- brown meat in a skillet. when done, drain off fat.
- return skillet to burner. sprinkle on seasoning mix and add tomato paste and bouillon. add water and stir well to coat meat.
- let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the majority of the water cooks off.
Tips:
- Choose the right ground beef: For the best flavor, use 80/20 ground beef. This means that it contains 80% lean meat and 20% fat. This will give your taco meat a juicy and flavorful texture.
- Brown the beef properly: Don't crowd the beef in the pan or it will steam instead of brown. Cook the beef over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it is browned all over.
- Season the beef well: Taco seasoning is essential for giving your taco meat its signature flavor. You can use a store-bought taco seasoning mix or make your own. Be sure to season the beef generously.
- Add moisture: If the taco meat is looking dry, add a little bit of water, broth, or salsa. This will help keep the meat moist and flavorful.
- Let the meat rest: Once the taco meat is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help the juices redistribute throughout the meat, making it more flavorful.
Conclusion:
Making restaurant-style taco meat at home is easy and rewarding. By following these tips, you can create a delicious and flavorful taco meat that your family and friends will love. So next time you're craving tacos, don't go out to a restaurant - make them at home with this easy recipe!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love