33 taco meat recipes

Make-ahead taco meat with ground beef, onion, cumin, and tomato sauce. A freezer-friendly batch base for taco nights, burritos, nachos, and quick weeknight bowls.

Crispy Mexican style dumplings, like super-mini burritos.

This recipe uses ready-made taco shells, but soft tortillas are good too.

Using fresh Tamarind pods make your own fresh homemade tamarind paste. You can use it in Indian cooking, Thai, Jamaican and Mexican. Add a spoonful to flavor curry, soups or even into meat taco mixes. In India it is used for a soft drink. Sort of like iced tea with an interesting tang or zing.

TVP burritos give you the heft of seasoned taco meat with zero meat. Textured vegetable protein soaks up taco spices and simmers with kidney beans for a high-protein, budget-friendly vegan filling.

Smoky, hearty lentil tacos loaded with chipotle sour cream, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. A low-fat vegetarian taco night that even meat lovers will devour.

Tofu tacos with crumbled tofu, brown rice, green pepper, and taco seasoning in warm corn tortillas. A quick vegetarian taco filling with familiar Mexican flavors and no meat.

Spiced TVP taco filling simmered with tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and herbs. A high-protein, plant-based meat substitute for tacos, wraps, and burritos in under 45 minutes.

Simple taco filling made with lean ground beef and homemade taco seasoning. Skip the store-bought packets and control the spices yourself. Makes enough saucy meat for 8 to 10 tacos.

Easy homemade taco beef with ground beef, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Ditch the seasoning packets and make flavorful taco meat from scratch in 35 minutes. Use for tacos, burritos, or salads.

Taco lentils simmer green lentils until tender, then bake them in a smoky pureed ancho chile and tomato sauce spiced with cumin and chili. A high-protein, high-fiber vegan stand-in for taco meat.

Vegan Mexican lentil casserole with brown rice, taco seasoning, and tomato paste baked until thick and hearty. High-protein, budget-friendly, and packed with Southwestern flavor without any meat or dairy.

Grilled emu burgers seasoned with taco spices and topped with cheddar, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. A lean, red-meat alternative with bold Mexican-inspired flavor.

Taco chicken grill marinates oven-baked chicken in a tangy taco-spiced barbecue sauce with molasses and tomato, then finishes over coals with melted Monterey Jack. Two-stage cooking for fall-off-the-bone tender meat with a smoky crust.

Charred poblano peppers meet sautéed red onions, fresh mint, and a splash of balsamic in this bold relish that brings smoky heat to grilled meats, tacos, and sandwiches.

Pickled red onions Yucatán-style with cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. The bright-pink condiment that makes tacos, grilled meat, and avocado toast taste better.