Perfect for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
Mexican-style Ground Beef
Equipment
- 1 cooking pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 wooden spatula
- 1 steel (or temp-resistant plastic) strainer
- 1 wide brim bowl to strain the grease out
Ingredients
- 3 lbs 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef
- 3 packets McCormick taco seasoning
- 3 cans original recipe Rotel-style tomatoes & green chilies
- 1 can Hatch green chilies
- 1/2 to 1 lb tater tots or french fries (optional)
- 1 tsp beef Better than Bouillion (optional)
- 1 tsp vegetable Better than Bouillion (optional)
- 1 tbsp Masa Harina (optional)
Instructions
- Put the cooking pot on the burner on high until it is starting to smoke.
- Let it sear for a minute or two so that the bottom starts to crust.
- Break it up with the wooden spatula and distribute throughout the pot.
- Use the spatula to keep chopping the beef so that it breaks apart into crumbles.
- Each time you turn, stir, or chop with the spatula, let it sit in place undisturbed so that it can sear a crust.
- Once the beef is cooked through, use the strainer & wide brimmed bowl to strain most (but not all) of the grease out.
- Some people leave more of the grease in, that's fine, but may make the meat greasy depending on how much you leave and if it's 85/15 or 80/20.
- If you use a lean mix like 90/10 or 95/5, don't strain it, it's already dry enough as it is.
- While the beef is straining, empty the Rotel and green chilie tins into the pot.
- Turn the heat down to 6.
- Let them cook off the juices and the veggies start to break down while softening the fond (hardened meat crust) at the bottom of the pan from searing the beef.
- If using BTB, add it now.
- Add the beef back into the partially cooked Rotel and chilies.
- Depending on how well you drained it, add a tsp or two of grease back in.
- Add the McCormicks' taco seasoning packets and mix well.
- Let the beef, tomatoes, chilies, and seasonings simmer for 5-10 mins.
- If the mix is too wet, either cook it down further, or add in masa to thicken.
- Alternatively, cook the fries or tots separately (preferably in an air fryer), then add them into the beef mix. The potatoes will absorb the extra juices & disintegrate into the meat, you won't even notice they're in there later.
Notes
I’m usually not an “add a packet” kind of cook, but taco seasoning is kind of like garam masala – yes, you can make your own, but there are perfectly fine mixes that are readily available, so why bother.
You don’t have to use McCormicks’ seasoning, it’s really just:
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Salt
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper
- Cornstarch