Flavorful, tender, and juicy crockpot taco meat. This taco meat simmers all day in the crockpot, making it perfect for a super simple weeknight dinner or feeding a party crowd. Don’t worry about leftovers because the taco meat freezes for future tacos!
Because it’s so easy to make, taco meat is not a recipe I would think to make in the slow cooker. However, making a batch of taco meat from scratch in the crockpot brings this easy healthy dinner recipe to a whole new level.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Family-friendly dinner. Everybody loves taco meat, and you can feel good about it because this favorite taco recipe is made with clean ingredients.
- No browning is required. All you have to do is add everything into the slow cooker and go about your day. Dinner cooks while you take care of other things.
- Tender and flavorful. Taco meat that simmers for hours in the crockpot turns out tender, juicy and delicious.
- Makes a large batch of taco meat. This taco filling is great for meal prep or to store in the freezer. You can also put it on the menu when you need to feed a party crowd.
Ingredients
- Bread and milk (panade) – This will add moisture to the ground beef keeping it juicy and tender throughout the slow cooking process. You can use any leftover bread slices you have available.
- Ground Beef – I recommend using lean 97/3 or 95/5 organic ground beef. Ground beef with a higher fat content will add more grease and fat to the tacos. If you use 80/20 ground beef, then browning the meat first to drain the fat would be helpful.
- Salt and pepper – this helps to season the beef before adding it into the slow cooker, but you’ll also season at the end for extra flavor.
- Onions and garlic – This duo adds flavor to the taco meat.
- Olive oil – You will stir the oil into the aromatics before cooking them in the microwave. Any cooking oil will work in this recipe.
- Chili powder, cumin, and coriander – are a basic taco seasoning blend that gives a nice balanced flavor to the taco meat.
- Tomato sauce – mixing the tomato sauce with the seasonings, garlic, and onions create a delicious homemade taco sauce.
- Cider vinegar and brown sugar – this combo balances out the other spices and flavors in this recipe.
- Black beans (optional) – this bulks up the taco meat so you can get more bang for your buck. It also adds fiber and extra protein to the recipe.
FAQS
It’s not necessary, but many slow cooker recipes call for browning the meat because it adds a deeper flavor. In my experience, it depends on the recipe. When the recipe includes a lot of seasoning or sauce like in this taco meat recipe, or even in this beef chili recipe, there will still be a lot of flavors even when you add the beef in raw.
Keep in mind, browning the meat also allows you to drain the fat before adding it to the crockpot.
For ground beef to stay tender and moist while cooking in the crockpot it will need some liquid. This can be in the form of sauce, broth, water, or other liquid.
In this taco meat recipe made in the slow cooker, the liquid is the tomato sauce. However, the ground beef also stays juicy and moist because of the bread and milk panade that we use.
Cooking Tips
If you want, you can brown the meat. Typically, I’m one to take the extra steps to assure a successful slow cooker recipe. In this case, it’s not necessary to brown the beef first, especially if you’re using lean ground beef. However, if you’re using ground beef with a higher fat content then you can brown the meat to drain the juices
Don’t skip “blooming” the aromatics. Adding onions and garlic raw to a slow cooker recipe causes them to steam or boil, resulting in bland flavor. It’s essential to cook aromatics before adding them into the slow cooker to get that deep onion and garlic flavor. You can do this on the stovetop or in the microwave, as I show you in this recipe.
You can skip the onions and garlic. I know I just said not to ignore the aromatics, but if you forgot to grab onions or garlic, then it’ll still be tasty if you leave them out. Instead, add two teaspoons of both onion powder and garlic powder to the seasoning mix.
Don’t skip the panade. It’s easy for ground beef to dry out in the slow cooker after cooking for an extended period. The bread and milk paste helps the meat stay tender and juicy. A panade is one of my secret weapons in many ground beef or turkey recipes like turkey meatballs, beef chili, and cheeseburger meatloaf.
Make the taco meat gluten-free. If you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, swap out the bread for gluten-free bread, breadcrumbs, or croutons.
Salt at the end. If you’ve made other healthy slow cooker recipes on my blog, then this isn’t the first time reading this tip. I think it’s one of the essential tips to follow with slow cooker recipes. Most recipes that you cook in the slow cooker will result in bland, muted flavors. Add salt at the end helps to bring the other flavors back to life.
Swap out the seasonings. You can use ¼ cup of homemade taco seasoning or two packets of store-bought taco seasoning in this recipe if you don’t have the other seasonings on hand.
You can also add more heat and a smokey flavor by using one teaspoon of adobo chili powder or a couple of tablespoons of chopped chipotle chilis in adobe sauce.
Add taco sauce or salsa to the meat. Instead of tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, and the seasonings, you can stir in 1-cup of taco sauce or your favorite salsa.
Swap out ground turkey 1:1 to reduce the fat. You might need to reduce the cooking time because the turkey is leaner and can dry out faster. Check out this crockpot turkey tacos recipe for more tips.
Supplies
- Large Mixing bowl
- 6-quart crockpot
- Large spoon or spatula
How to Make Crockpot Taco Meat
- Start by making the bread and milk paste (panade). Place the bread and milk into a large bowl. Then, using a fork, mash together until paste forms.
- Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper into the paste, then use your hands to mix. Place the ground beef into the crockpot.
- In a medium bowl, stir the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano with olive oil. Microwave for 4 – 5 minutes. This step blooms the spices, which adds more flavor to the aromatics.
- Stir the tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and brown sugar together, and then add into the slow cooker with ground beef and the onion and spice mixer.
- Slowly mix, breaking up large chunks of ground beef. You’ll break the meat up more after it cooks. In this step, you just want to mix the ingredients.
- Set the crockpot to cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or high for 3 hours. I prefer to cook this recipe on low to let it simmer longer and develop more flavor.
- After the ground beef cooks use a spoon to break it into smaller pieces. If you’re using it, stir in the black beans.
How to use taco meat?
You can use this crockpot taco meat in all of your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes. Our favorites include:
- Taco bar – serve with taco shells, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and other condiments. You can also include brown rice to make taco burrito bowls.
- Taco in a bag – this is great for a party. Serve all of the condiments listed above but include small bags of Doritos or corn chips for guest to make their taco in a bag.
- Taco salad – If you’re trying to keep dinner low carb, then try taco salad. Or save some to make taco salad in a jar for lunch.
- Enchiladas – Use this taco meat recipe as the filling for these easy beef enchiladas.
- Quesadillas – swap out the chicken for the ground taco meat.
- Taco pizza – add taco sauce, taco meat, and taco cheese to a pizza crust and bake. Serve with all the fixings!
How to Store
Taco meat is the perfect meal to make ahead of time. It keeps in the refrigerator or freezer for a quick dinner during the week.
To meal prep
After you cook the taco filling, store it in glass containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or until hot, and then continue with the recipe.
To freeze
After the taco meat cooks, let it cool slightly and then freeze into recipe-ready portions. I love using Souper Cubes silicone containers to freeze into 1 or 2 cups portions. You can also use freezer containers or bags.
When you’re ready to use, thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight and then warm up on the stove or microwave. You can heat up from frozen, but it will take longer, which runs the risk of drying the meat out.
You can also turn this crockpot taco meat recipe into a freezer kit. Prepare the meat mixture and onion mixture, let both cool, then put it into a freezer bag or container with the rest of the ingredients.
When you’re ready to cook the taco meat, take it out of the freezer, place it in the slow cooker, and continue step 4. You can let it thaw or put it into the slow cooker frozen; adjust your cooking time accordingly. It will need an extra hour or two to cook.
Crockpot Taco Meat
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowls
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Large spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- ¼ cup 1% milk
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil any oil will work
- 2 medium white onions (about 2 cups chopped)
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce 1 cup
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar light or dark
- 1 15 ounce can black beans *optional
Instructions
- Start by making the bread and milk paste (panade). Place the bread and milk into a large bowl. Then, using a fork, mash together until paste forms.
- Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper into the paste, then use your hands to mix. Place the ground beef into the crockpot.
- In a medium bowl, stir the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano with olive oil. Microwave for 4 – 5 minutes. This step blooms the spices, which adds more flavor to the aromatics. Add the onion mixture in with the beef.
- Stir the tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and brown sugar together, and then add into the slow cooker with ground beef and the onion and spice mixer.
- Slowly mix, breaking up large chunks of ground beef. You’ll break the meat up more after it cooks. In this step, you just want to mix the ingredients.
- Set the crockpot to cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or high for 3 hours.
- After the ground beef cooks use a spoon to break it into smaller pieces. If you’re using it, stir in the black beans.
- Serve with taco shells or use in your favorite Mexican-inspired recipe that calls for taco meat.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Healthy Crockpot Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken
- Mexican Shredded Beef
- Crockpot Shredded Pork
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
See all of my healthy slow cooker recipes.
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Crockpot Taco Meat yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Beth says
Do you drain and rinse the beans or use the whole can?
Tammy Kresge says
I drain and rinse the beans.
mac says
Hi there,
Can I skip step 1?
I cannot eat milk and bread…
Andrea Scoville says
Wow… you don’t have to fry the beef at all? You say “without overmixing break up some of the larger pieces of beef” … how big is that? And I didn’t understand when to put the milk paste in either. Sounds like a perfect recipe – can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much!
Tammy says
No in this recipe you don’t have to fry the beef – I know I was a little skeptical at first to. But it turned out great. Milk paste goes into the beef during step 1. Basically, you just want to mix until beef is incorporated into the sauce. You don’t want big hunks of beef sticking up and cooking without being in the sauce. Hope that makes sense and is helpful. Next time I make this I will take more pics.
Jill says
How much oil, please?
Tammy says
2 tablespoons
Liz says
When do you use the bread and milk paste and how much of it? Sounds yummy!
Tammy says
It is in step one.