This Ground Beef Baked Tacos recipe is the perfect taco recipe for any party or gathering! Prepare these baked tacos ahead of time and allow family or guests to add their own toppings.
Weeknight-easy
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to make juicy, flavorful ground beef filling that doesn’t dries out
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: Freezer and air fryer friendly for even more convenience
Do you need to cook tacos for a crowd?
Do away with the taco buffet and try some ground beef baked tacos instead. For each pound of ground beef, you can make 12 of these mini baked tacos in less than 30 minutes.
These baked tacos are perfect for a crowd. No need to have each person stand and scoop out the seasoned taco meat. Just grab a baked taco, select your toppings and enjoy!
Baked tacos are like the perfect blend of taco and quesadilla
If you had asked me one month ago, “whats your favorite taco?”, I probably would NEVER say ground beef. They are sometimes dry and the toppings tend to fall out as you eat. These baked ground beef tacos completely change that for me.
First, cook the ground beef taco meat with simple seasonings and tomato paste. The result is a moist, but not too wet taco meat that is perfect for the baked tacos.
Then, bake the ground beef in a small street taco shell with lots of shredded cheese. Once they are finished you can open them up and add the toppings inside or just layer toppings on top and enjoy with a fork and knife.
What kitchen tools will I need to make these Ground Beef Baked Tacos?
- Frying pan
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Serving Suggestions
There are so many toppings you can add to get as creative as you want with these beef tacos. Some of my favorite taco toppings are shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes or pico de gallo, fresh avocado or guacamole, and cojita cheese. I also always serve my tacos with a batch of pickled red onions!
Make a simple dipping sauce for the tacos by blending sour cream, lime juice and cilantro. Or add some extra protein by making a simple spicy sauce with greek yogurt and hot sauce. You can even serve with a small bowl of taco sauce or enchilada sauce for dipping.
I like to serve these oven baked tacos with a simple salad and my copycat chipotle vinaigrette. You can also serve them with some cilantro lime rice and seasoned beans.
For another easy taco recipe, try these crockpot chicken tacos or these baked chicken tacos.
What ingredients will I need to make these simple beef tacos?
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make these baked tacos with just a few simple ingredients. Feel free to put your own spin on this recipe!
- Ground beef – I like to us a 90/10 ground beef so that there is still a little fat for flavor, but not too much fat
- Taco seasoning blend – make a homemade taco seasoning with salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper powder. This blend of spices and seasonings is so good that I use it any time I make homemade tacos.
- Tomato paste – add a little tomato paste and water in with the seasoning blend to really make the flavor of the taco meat pop.
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend – I like to use a shredded cheese blend, but you can also use just one cheese like a sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese.
- Street taco size white corn tortillas – the corn tortillas are soft enough to fold in half and then the edges get delightfully crispy when the tacos are baked.
Recipe Variations
If you are a vegetarian, feel free to use some crumbled tofu, vegan refried beans, tempeh in place of the ground beef. For another great vegetarian option, try these black bean baked tacos.
Substitute the ground beef for any ground meat. Ground turkey or ground pork will work best. Use ground chicken to make delicious chicken tacos. If you use ground chicken, add a bit of oil into the pan when you cook it because its very low in fat.
Many people prefer soft flour tortillas of corn tortillas, those will work just fine for this recipe. Look for the smaller size flour tortillas that are between 5 and 6 inches in diameter.
Add extra spice to these tacos by layering sliced jalapeños or pickled jalapeños in with the ground beef and cheese before baking.
How To Make
Step 1: Prepare taco meat
First, preheat the oven to 425F. Then, combine salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper powder in a small bowl.
Next, mix tomato paste and water in a separate bowl and set to the side. Then, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef to the pan.
Then, allow the ground beef to brown for 5 minutes and break it into crumbles as it browns. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the spice mixture and tomato paste and water to the pan.
Finally, stir in the tomato paste and seasonings and saute the ground beef mixture until completely cooked about 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Assemble the baked beef tacos
Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay 6 corn taco shells on the prepared baking sheet and cover with shredded cheese. You will need to do this twice to make all 12 of the baked tacos.
Next, place 2 tbsp of taco meat on one side of each taco (see image above for how to place meat mixture on the taco shell).
Step 3: Bake the tacos
Then, place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, remove the tacos from the oven and fold each in half and press down lightly to ensure the tacos stay folded. Then, return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Enjoy!
Finally, remove the baked tacos from the oven and repeat steps 8-12 to make the next 6 tacos. Allow the tacos to cool slightly, add toppings and enjoy!
Make extra crispy tacos
If you are a fan of hard tacos or like to use hard taco shells, you can make these baked tacos extra crispy and crunchy. After you fold the tacos in half, but before you bake them again, spray the outside with some spray oil.
Bake again as instructed. Then, increase the oven heat to a broil. Allow the tacos to cook for just another minute so that the outer shell gets nice and crispy.
Storage, Reheating and Freezing
To keep the tacos warm as you are serving them, transfer them to a baking dish and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Allow the tacos to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven or air fryer at 250F until just warmed through – about 15 minutes.
You can also freeze these baked tacos to save them for longer. Wrap in foil first and then place in a plastic freezer friendly bag. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Check Out These Other Delicious Taco Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Ground Beef Baked Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 12 street taco size white corn tortillas about 5.5″ in diameter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Combine salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper powder in a small bowl
- Mix tomato paste and water in a separate bowl and set to the side
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the ground beef to the pan
- Allow the ground beef to brown for 5 minutes and break it into crumbles as it browns
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the spice mixture and tomato paste and water to the pan
- Mix in the tomato paste and seasonings and saute until completely cooked about 2-3 minutes
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay 6 corn taco shells on the baking sheet and cover with shredded cheese – You will need to do this twice to make all of the baked tacos
- Place 2 tbsp of taco meat on one side of each taco (see picture above)
- Add the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 minutes
- Remove the tacos from the oven and fold each in half and press down lightly to ensure the tacos stay folded
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 5 minutes
- Remove the baked tacos from the oven and repeat steps 8-12 to make the next 6 tacos
- Allow the tacos to cool slightly, add toppings and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Allow tacos to cool completely. Wrap in tinfoil in sets of three. Place in an airtight freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from frozen:
- For a crispy shell – open tinfoil packet of tacos and bake on tinfoil at 250F for 15 minutes in an oven or toaster oven.
- For a soft shell – place on a plate covered with a wet paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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