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Home » Slow Cooker

Crockpot Ground Beef Taco Meat

Published: Apr 9, 2024 · Modified: Sep 12, 2024 by Kristina Tipps · This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission.

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Making taco meat in your crockpot is one of the simplest ways to prepare the foundation of a delicious taco dinner. Tender and hearty ground beef is slow cooked with lots of seasonings to make an irresistible filling for tacos, all in a short time!

crockpot ground beef taco meat cooked in seasonings
Table Of Contents
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Chef's Tips
  • Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Recipe
  • Recipe Reviews

This is the only way we cook ground beef for tacos now. It's so simple, hands-off and delicious. I love that we can throw the ground beef into the crockpot with all the seasonings needed to give it an out-of-the-world flavor with barely lifting a finger. Then I go about my day, nonetheless dreaming of my taco dinner as the warm smell fills the house. I use this homemade taco seasoning blend, which is easy to make in big batches and always have on hand in the pantry.

Cooking ground beef in your crock pot does not take long- just a couple of hours whether you use fresh or frozen beef. It's great for busy weeknights, weekends, vacations and parties. We use the crockpot for all of our Mexican dinner meat fillings, including chicken tacos, shredded steak tacos, and a tasty enchilada chicken stuffing.

Why This Recipe Works

  1. You can use thawed or frozen ground beef in a crockpot, making this very convenient for when you forget to thaw your meat.
  2. While it only takes a few hours to cook thoroughly, you can cook chopped ground beef for longer without worrying that it will become tough. This is great if you'll be away from your crockpot for longer than 4 hours.
  3. The combination of seasonings is extremely flavorful so you won't be left with flavorless taco meat. Most of the spices and herbs are likely to be in your pantry already.
crockpot ground beef tacos pinterest image

Ingredients

Simple ingredients only are needed for this recipe:

  • Ground beef: I use 90% lean but any type works. A bit of water is added in with the beef, or use beef broth for even more flavor.
  • Seasonings: the spice blend is made with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.

Chef's Tips

Don't use your crockpot ground beef taco meat just for traditional tacos! This recipe works as a filling for fried tacos, cheesy quesadillas, air fried beef taquitos, pan-fried beef taquitos, in chilaquiles rojos and in taco soup.

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. Add the ground beef, water (or beef broth), chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt to the slow cooker. Mix well, chopping up the ground beef into small pieces.
  2. Set to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
  3. Stir well when done, chopping up the beef further. Serve inside taco shells with your favorite toppings, such as lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa roja or salsa verde, diced onions, jalapeños, etc.

Crockpot ground beef tacos are delicious served with a side of Spanish rice and Mexican black beans. Both of these recipes are made in the pressure cooker, and are hands-off too!

cooked crockpot ground taco beef

Recipe FAQs

Can I Use Frozen Ground Beef In My Slow Cooker?

Yes, for this recipe you can use frozen ground beef. Place the frozen meat into the slow cooker without the seasonings to start. 30 minutes into cooking you should be able to break up the meat with a wooden spatula. At this time add the seasonings and water or beef broth. Increase cooking time by 1 hour.

How To Store Taco Meat

Keep taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be frozen for up to 6 months in freezer-safe storage bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge or do a quick thaw in the microwave.

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to give it a star rating and let me know what you thought in the comments! And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more delicious recipes!

Recipe

crockpot taco meat image

Crockpot Taco Meat

Kristina Tipps
Slow cooking ground beef in a Mexican-inspired seasoning blend is a simple way to cook your taco meat. It takes a few hours and pantry staple ingredients. Just dump in all your ingredients and let the crockpot do the cooking for you.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 4 hours hours
Total Time 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 153 kcal

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ⅓ cup water or beef broth
  • 1½ tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ tablespoon cumin
  • 1½ teaspoon Spanish paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 8 corn or flour tortillas
  • toppings: cheese, lettuce, salsa, diced tomatoes, etc.

Instructions
 

  • Add the ground beef, water (or beef broth), chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt to the slow cooker. Mix well, chopping up the ground beef into small pieces. *see notes for using frozen beef
  • Set to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
  • Stir well when done, chopping up the beef further. Serve inside taco shells with your favorite toppings. Alternatively, use as the stuffing for burritos, burrito and rice bowls, enchiladas, quesadillas and on tostadas.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 8 tacos, depending on size. Nutritional information is for beef taco meat and seasonings only and does not include tortilla shells or toppings.
Tip 1: Depending on your preferences for flavor and spiciness, add diced jalapeños, habañeros, or other chile peppers to the ground beef while it's slow cooking.
Tip 2: You can use frozen ground beef. Increase the cooking time by 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink. Place the frozen meat into the slow cooker without the seasonings to start. 30 minutes into cooking you should be able to break up the meat with a wooden spatula. At this time you should add the seasonings and water or beef broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 2ozCalories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 10gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 656IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Give a shout out to @tastyovenrecipes or tag #tastyovenrecipes!

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Comments

    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Anonymous

    July 20, 2024 at 1:04 pm

    5 stars
    This worked exactly as written, thanks!

    Reply

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