Mexican food...How to season ground beef for tacos?

Question

My husband and I love Mexican food and would like to know how to cook and season the ground beef for tacos like they do in the restaurants. Nothing like Taco Bell seasoning. We do NOT like Tex-Mex. We like the real thing. Gracias!!!

Answer 1

Taco Seasoning

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp oregano

fresh garlic or garlic salt, to taste

chili powder, to taste

1/2 can tomato sauce

onion salt, to taste

Mix the above ingredients.  Mix with one pound fried hamburger.

Good luck.  A splash of tobasco is good too!

Answer 2

this is the recipe i use and its yummy!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Taco-Season...

Answer 3

Real ground chile power (not the mix, but like pure ancho chile powder), mexican oregano, groun cumin, garlic, onion, salt. If you want it thick, add a little water and some masa as a thickener.

Answer 4

Bring your gardeners in and ask them to help you!

Answer 5

jalapanos, cayan pepper, cumin  and a smidge of garlic

Answer 6

My grandma in Mexico would put ground cumin and garlic salt with ground pepper and fresh white diced onion.  Thats it!

you can serve it with fresh clinatro.

Answer 7

Less simple

Ground beef

(I prefer ground chuck)

Salt

Chili powder

Paprika

Cumin

Garlic powder or 2 cloves

Bell pepper

Onion

Instructions for taco recipe:

Let's take 2 pounds of ground beef in 2 quart sauce pan add 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of chili power, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 2 tablespoons of paprika. Enough water to cover meat.

Bring to a boil. Simmer over medium low heat about an hour. I will check in about 15 minutes take a potato masher break up the meat a little don't want it to cook up in lumps.

Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times. Also make sure we don't run dry of water. Add water if needed. Hour over already!

OK, add 1/2 medium chopped onion, 1/2 medium chopped bell pepper, continue cooking 20 or 30 more minutes.

SIMPLE ONE

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup ketchup

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

2/3 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with onion; drain fat.

Stir in ketchup, taco seasoning, and cold water. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Answer 8

Mmm :)  My mother in law is Mexican.  This is how she does it!

Ground beef

Onion powder

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder **lots**

Teeny bit of Cumin

Paprika

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Sometimes cook onions & tomatoes in the beef

Also, she frys the tortilla's.  Get a pack of corn tortillas **not the flour ones** and fry them, use a tong I shape them in a taco shape.  ** It took me many times before I got this right! **

Practice makes perfect!  Im still working on perfection.  lol  But tacos made this way are way YUMMIER.  Havefun!

Answer 9

if you want it authentic you cannot use ground beef. they do not even eat ground beef in tacos in mexico! you need to use steak!!!! chop it up in small pieces, season with salt and put in corn tortillas, squeeze lime juice on top of the meat. put chopped onion and cilantro on each taco. now thats real mexican tacos! you will never ask for ground beef again!

Answer 10

salt, pepper and cumino. chili powder if you want it spicy.

Answer 11

There are so many seasoning mixes and packets that you might be able to find you you actually like. I am from Mexico, but different states and regions season and cook their food VERY differently. I can tell you I was shocked as a kid at Taco Bell food and Tex/Mex food. I was raised in both Mexico Texas; but the mix of these cuisines that was created is very... yucky??? Anyways, I am from the northern border and the way my Mom would do it is like this:

BEFORE you put the meat in, pan fry some minced onion, garlic, and cilantro. Not for too long or they will turn too brown, just until they're a teenie bit golden so their tastes combine and infuse the oil in the pan so the meat can absorb it more easily. Once you get a nice smell going, toss in the ground beef and mix it thoroughly. You can put in as much or as little of the ingredients as you like (we never used measuring instruments so you kinda get a homey feel because you make it JUST like you want it to taste). Once the beef starts to cook, season it with some pepper, salt to seal in some taste, oregano, and cumin (you can sometimes add some tartness with red chili powder if the mood strikes you). Also, you could pan fry a thinly sliced serrano pepper (minus seeds and scrubbed to take the spice out, these are supposed to be more about taste than hotness) and let them all cook until the beef is fully cooked and brown and the juices are mostly gone. Or small cubed and pre-cooked potatoes can make for a tasty packed lunch if you mix it in; but that's more like a picadillo than a typical taco filling.

Once you get the taste that feels like you want to eat it straight from the pan (my Mom hated that we'd sneak in spoonfuls of the meat) you can set it aside and begin to heat the tortillas. For true authentic Mexican food: DO NOT use flour tortillas!!! People confuse this and this is why I detest places like Taco Bell, etc. Flour tortillas as intended for a heavy meal, like breakfast so you get extra nutrition in your system (although their nutrition is hotly debated in America these days; go figure). Anyway, they are best with eggs, chorizo, beans, and potatoes... or whatever typical breakfast foods you like. Lunch and dinner are more appropriate for the corn tortillas. They are good with just about anything!!! Have you tried getting some Mexican cheese, cut into cubes and quickly pan fried with pre-cooked chorizo, onions, cilantro, pepper slices, and tomtatoes? Delicious and light!!!

Sorry, I got off topic!!! For the tortillas, you can just heat them for a "dry" taco or you can take some oil and fry them on each side a little (being careful not to let them get hard or you'll end up with tostadas) and roll them up. It's super greasy, I know, but it's still pretty good if you can manage to master the technique. I still haven't after all these years!!! So sad...

Well, I hope I didn't bore or even disgust you!!! Good luck with your tacos!!!

Answer 12

Lowry's taco seasoning -yum

Answer 13

Garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and if you want fresh chopped bell peppers.

Answer 14

Well, my husband IS mexican...this is how we cook ground beef for tacos (you are talking about soft corn tortillas, right? Hard taco shells are NOT mexican)

Cook salted ground beef in a skillet til it loses its pink color.  Add a handful of finely chopped onion, and cook until brown.  Add a small diced tomato, a pinch of cumin, a diced serrano chile, and a minced clove of garlic.  Add a cup of water, lower heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  

Top with chopped cilantro, and serve with lime wedges to squirt over tacos before eating.

The problem with the "tex mex/ taco bell" seasoning is that it uses TONS of cumin.  Mexicans only put a teeny TINY amount of cumin in one BIG recipe.

Answer 15

chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, fresh garlic smashed like butter, fresh onion/cilantro/bell pepper chopped dime size crackled pepper, salt, tomatoes (scoop out insides and discard), Hot CHILIES if you are into that hot stuff (I'm not...anymore)

It's not typical, but I add a little bit of tomato sauce to moisten it in the pan, we all tweak recipes to our liking

Brown meat (beef steak, chicken, ground beef, pork chops[sliver/dice/shred]) discard fat, add all ingredients above, stir fry until well mixed, scoop into taco shell, top with shredded cheese, thinly cut lettuce, tiny pieces of tomato, and guacamole sauce or tiny pieces of avocado.

Ay, Ay, Ay...is it tacos yet?

Answer 16

cumin,salt,pepper,chili powder,garlic powder,chipotle powder