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Home ► Recipes ► American

Beef Tacos

Updated: 03.15.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 69 Comments

Not enough ratings yet
Simple beef tacos from scratch that can be made in under 10 minutes, perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Recipe

Given the breadth of cuisines I cover on this blog, I've often been asked if I ever eat "normal" food. This always takes me a little by surprise, because (with a few exceptions) most of the things I cook are very low effort.

These beef tacos, along with my family-favorite Taco Rice, are the kind of weeknight meal I'll prepare when I come home after a long day of meetings only to find the fridge devoid of anything even remotely inspirational. The kind of day when I'm almost tempted by my phone and a takeout menu that someone surreptitiously slipped under the door. Thankfully, stand-bys like these beef tacos are at the ready to save me from an almost-certainly bad meal and subsequent heartburn.

There's nothing fancy or even authentic about these tacos, but they're a great quick meal that can be thrown together in as little as 10 minutes if you have a few basic pantry items prepared. Just make sure you stock some type of protein in the freezer, some onions, a spice mix, and a bag of masa harina (to make the tortillas). The rest are all condiments and embellishments that are nice to have, but aren't necessary for this simple satisfying meal.

📖 Recipe

Beef Tacos

Not enough ratings yet
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Yield 2 servings

Units

Ingredients 

  • ½ medium onion (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 450 grams lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 batch salsa verde
  • cilantro
  • ½ lime (cut into wedges)

Instructions

  • Heat a pan until hot, and then add a splash of oil along with the onions and garlic. Fry until the onions are just turning translucent, then add the beef, chili powder, salt and sugar.
  • Stir fry until the beef is cooked and there's no liquid left at the bottom of the pan.
  • Heat the tortillas and serve with the beef, salsa verde, cilantro and lime wedges.
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    Recipe Rating




  1. DJ says

    February 11, 2025 at 12:11 am

    5 stars
    Outstanding and fast weeknight recipe. I doubled the brown sugar to make it a tad sweeter (small kids here) and even added a 1/4 TSP of cocoa. Only thing I found really helpful is a lime/lemon/orange/vinegar (with a touch of soy and olive oil) marinade of even 30 minutes (or more of course) to open up the meat a bit (I used pork tenderloin, which can tighten up and go dry in no time flat, but it turned out super with the marinade and very careful attention to internal temperature). I'm keeping extra amounts of the dry ingredients (chili, salt, sugar, cocoa) handy and throw it into some kewpie or whatever when I need an instant dip. Much obliged for the simple and yummy rendition of this family classic. Now every night can be taco night! With the extra time saved I really have no excuse not to make fresh home-made corn tortillas...

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 12, 2025 at 9:40 pm

      This is such an old school recipe I'm glad someone's still making it! Lately, I've been course grinding my own beef and making a spiced up version of my taco rice beef for tacos. It's become one of my daughter's favorite meals.

      Reply
  2. tellthebell says

    January 22, 2019 at 8:46 pm

    I love beef tacos

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 22, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      Glad to hear it!

      Reply
  3. Linden says

    June 26, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    I know this post is very old but I just discovered your blog and I'm loving it. I just wanted to let you know about chile ancho, because that is the secret to amazing tacos as far as I'm concerned. You can buy a bag of chile ancho at any Mexican grocery store and even a few standard ones. They are poblano peppers that have been roasted and then dried, and make an amazing flavorful sauce I use to season all my Mexican meat dishes. You just remove the stems and as much of the seeds as you want (to adjust for spiciness), and simmer in water until they're very soft and most of the water is gone. Then just run the whole thing through a blender. The peppers smell very sweet when cooking but are actually bitter, and just full of flavor. I make a big batch and freeze it in small portions.

    Reply
  4. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 06, 2013 at 3:04 am

    Glad to enjoyed them! The trouble with any chili pepper is that it's really hard to predict how spicy they are. It varies wildly by plant and the growing conditions (soil, weather, water, etc). One way you can mitigate spiciness is by ensuring you've remove all of the white pith that attaches the seeds to the pod as this is the area that holds the most capsaicin. The other thing you can do is taste the chiles before you add them to food. Over time you should be able to start judging how much heat your adding to a dish by nibbling on the peppers first.

    Reply
  5. Sodamoeba says

    July 05, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    That was awesome. Made double the recipe for a group of 8 and everyone loved it. I used the salsa verde recipe, too, and it came out a bit too spicy for some of the group using 1 and a half serranos. Might kick that down to 2/3 of a serrano for the average crowd. Other than that, the only mistake I made was not tripling the recipe. I'm certain the 8 of us could have eaten 3 pounds of the stuff. Thanks as always!

    Jon

    Reply
  6. Syrie says

    June 03, 2009 at 8:01 am

    Wow. Absolutely divine. The beef looks fantastic.

    Reply
  7. Syrie says

    June 03, 2009 at 4:01 am

    Wow. Absolutely divine. The beef looks fantastic.

    Reply
  8. helen says

    June 03, 2009 at 3:28 am

    Hi Marc!

    I made these tonight, and they were delicious! Didn't have chili powder around, so I threw in a few spoonfuls of chipotle in adobe sauce. Gave it a nice, smoky flavour.

    Reply
  9. helen says

    June 02, 2009 at 11:28 pm

    Hi Marc!

    I made these tonight, and they were delicious! Didn't have chili powder around, so I threw in a few spoonfuls of chipotle in adobe sauce. Gave it a nice, smoky flavour.

    Reply
  10. Beth says

    June 02, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    "Normal food?" It all looks normal (and quite fabulous!) to me. I love to cook like this, no recipes, just whatever I have on hand. Those are the best meals.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Beth says

    June 02, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    "Normal food?" It all looks normal (and quite fabulous!) to me. I love to cook like this, no recipes, just whatever I have on hand. Those are the best meals.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Jeff says

    June 02, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    Normal food?? I must be abnormal because I think everything you do is very normal. Must be people who think good food comes from a box.

    I have been looking for more quick meals since I find myself rushing home and rushing back out the door. Heck the local chinese place I think is starting to know my voice.

    Reply
  13. Jeff says

    June 02, 2009 at 9:56 am

    Normal food?? I must be abnormal because I think everything you do is very normal. Must be people who think good food comes from a box.

    I have been looking for more quick meals since I find myself rushing home and rushing back out the door. Heck the local chinese place I think is starting to know my voice.

    Reply
  14. Lori Lynn says

    May 31, 2009 at 1:14 am

    Gee I wish I had this available right now.
    Sugar is an interesting ingredient here, I will try it next time.

    I make tacos often too, no take out, except sometimes the rib joint 1/2 mile away, they are pretty good.
    LL

    Reply
  15. Lori Lynn says

    May 30, 2009 at 9:14 pm

    Gee I wish I had this available right now.
    Sugar is an interesting ingredient here, I will try it next time.

    I make tacos often too, no take out, except sometimes the rib joint 1/2 mile away, they are pretty good.
    LL

    Reply
  16. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    May 30, 2009 at 5:51 pm

    Tacos are nice and quick and always tasty!

    Reply
  17. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    May 30, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    Tacos are nice and quick and always tasty!

    Reply
  18. Julia @ Mélanger says

    May 30, 2009 at 2:11 am

    Marc, love all your Mexican inspired posts. And I am glad you are a fellow 'Anna's' fan. 🙂 I was actually just reading about homemade tortillas on another blog and was thinking back to the fabulous steamed tortillas that Anna's serves up. I read once they purchase them from https://www.harbar.com/ ??? which is a local Massachusetts company. When you have a chance to post a recipe, I'll definitely give them a try!

    Reply
  19. pigpigscorner says

    May 29, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    Your pictures always make me drool!!

    Reply
  20. Julia @ Mélanger says

    May 29, 2009 at 10:11 pm

    Marc, love all your Mexican inspired posts. And I am glad you are a fellow 'Anna's' fan. 🙂 I was actually just reading about homemade tortillas on another blog and was thinking back to the fabulous steamed tortillas that Anna's serves up. I read once they purchase them from https://www.harbar.com/ ??? which is a local Massachusetts company. When you have a chance to post a recipe, I'll definitely give them a try!

    Reply
  21. Eralda says

    May 29, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    these look amazing! I am on a southwestern stage as of late and these might just be my dinner tonight. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  22. Megan says

    May 29, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    OH YES! Tacos! Gonna make this next time I have a taco night!

    Reply
  23. Jennifer says

    May 29, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    Looks great Marc!

    I usually use ground beef in my tacos, but I like the way you prepared it! I am going to try that next time for sure!

    Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  24. pigpigscorner says

    May 29, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    Your pictures always make me drool!!

    Reply
  25. Eralda says

    May 29, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    these look amazing! I am on a southwestern stage as of late and these might just be my dinner tonight. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  26. Megan says

    May 29, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    OH YES! Tacos! Gonna make this next time I have a taco night!

    Reply
  27. Jennifer says

    May 29, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Looks great Marc!

    I usually use ground beef in my tacos, but I like the way you prepared it! I am going to try that next time for sure!

    Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  28. Erica says

    May 29, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    Those Beef Tacos look absolutely delicious! Next time I have to try to make my own tortillas.......Great Job!

    Reply
  29. Erica says

    May 29, 2009 at 9:17 am

    Those Beef Tacos look absolutely delicious! Next time I have to try to make my own tortillas.......Great Job!

    Reply
  30. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 29, 2009 at 7:17 am

    Making tortilla's is so simple, once you do it, you'll never go back. One of these days I'll get around to posting my technique.

    Reply
  31. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 29, 2009 at 7:16 am

    Good point, but I guess "normal" is all relative;-)

    Reply
  32. manggy says

    May 29, 2009 at 6:39 am

    Hah, I love that-- almost certainly bad meal. So true! I'm a little uncomfortable at the insinuation that something that has a non-American ingredient is "abnormal" but I guess I'm being sensitive.

    Reply
  33. Giff says

    May 29, 2009 at 4:41 am

    i really should try making my own tortillas!

    Reply
  34. Kristen says

    May 29, 2009 at 4:01 am

    One of the things I love about living in Texas is authentic Mexican tacos are available 24/7 where ever you go. I feel bad for anyone who has never experienced a true, authentic taco. Thank you for assuring me that there are people outside of the "border states" who know what a true taco really is.

    Reply
  35. manggy says

    May 29, 2009 at 2:39 am

    Hah, I love that-- almost certainly bad meal. So true! I'm a little uncomfortable at the insinuation that something that has a non-American ingredient is "abnormal" but I guess I'm being sensitive.

    Reply
  36. Heather says

    May 29, 2009 at 2:02 am

    ohh wow. that sounds amazing! i just love how versatile tacos are!

    Reply
  37. Jenni Field says

    May 29, 2009 at 12:43 am

    "Regular food?!" I almost didn't know where I was for a minute! 😉 Regular or not, it looks good enough to eat!

    Reply
  38. Giff says

    May 29, 2009 at 12:41 am

    i really should try making my own tortillas!

    Reply
  39. Kristen says

    May 29, 2009 at 12:01 am

    One of the things I love about living in Texas is authentic Mexican tacos are available 24/7 where ever you go. I feel bad for anyone who has never experienced a true, authentic taco. Thank you for assuring me that there are people outside of the "border states" who know what a true taco really is.

    Reply
  40. Ninette says

    May 28, 2009 at 11:50 pm

    Great entry. I know ... some of my friends think I cook "fancy" when you really look at what I cook, they're easy, quick on the fly things, with the exception that I don't use much canned convenience items. Good food can be made fresh.

    Reply
  41. tara says

    May 28, 2009 at 11:36 pm

    Oh you evil man. Here I sit, fully-sated from dinner and put over-the-top by a brownie afterwards, and now I want tacos.

    Reply
  42. Heather says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:02 pm

    ohh wow. that sounds amazing! i just love how versatile tacos are!

    Reply
  43. Holly says

    May 28, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    I see that you have been on a Mexican kick like Iwas last month:)

    Reply
  44. The Duo Dishes says

    May 28, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    Very curious about your salsa verde. Do you have a good recipe?

    Reply
  45. Jenni Field says

    May 28, 2009 at 8:43 pm

    "Regular food?!" I almost didn't know where I was for a minute! 😉 Regular or not, it looks good enough to eat!

    Reply
  46. Ninette says

    May 28, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    Great entry. I know ... some of my friends think I cook "fancy" when you really look at what I cook, they're easy, quick on the fly things, with the exception that I don't use much canned convenience items. Good food can be made fresh.

    Reply
  47. tara says

    May 28, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    Oh you evil man. Here I sit, fully-sated from dinner and put over-the-top by a brownie afterwards, and now I want tacos.

    Reply
  48. chef E says

    May 28, 2009 at 7:03 pm

    I will trade one of my tacos for one of yours :)!

    Reply
  49. Holly says

    May 28, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    I see that you have been on a Mexican kick like Iwas last month:)

    Reply
  50. The Duo Dishes says

    May 28, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Very curious about your salsa verde. Do you have a good recipe?

    Reply
  51. katiek says

    May 28, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    Delicious.

    I think it may even be a little authentic...

    Reply
  52. diva says

    May 28, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    great dish!! love tacos. the girls had fajitas last night and i was a little jealous of em. should whip this recipe out and bet they'll go green with envy. x

    Reply
  53. chef E says

    May 28, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    I will trade one of my tacos for one of yours :)!

    Reply
  54. Elra says

    May 28, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    Always like this specialty, always taste delicious.

    Reply
  55. feeding maybelle says

    May 28, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    I have been AWOl for a while, so nice new look. ANd, I love beef tacos.

    Reply
  56. Christina@DeglazeMe says

    May 28, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    I am still so impressed that you make your own tortillas!

    Reply
  57. Jan says

    May 28, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Yummy yum yum - did you save any for me?! They look delish!

    Reply
  58. katiek says

    May 28, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    Delicious.

    I think it may even be a little authentic...

    Reply
  59. diva says

    May 28, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    great dish!! love tacos. the girls had fajitas last night and i was a little jealous of em. should whip this recipe out and bet they'll go green with envy. x

    Reply
  60. Rosa says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:51 am

    Oh, I love tacos! Yours look beautiful and so scrumptious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  61. Elra says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:48 am

    Always like this specialty, always taste delicious.

    Reply
  62. feeding maybelle says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:41 am

    I have been AWOl for a while, so nice new look. ANd, I love beef tacos.

    Reply
  63. Christina@DeglazeMe says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:32 am

    I am still so impressed that you make your own tortillas!

    Reply
  64. Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says

    May 28, 2009 at 10:28 am

    "normal food" - pah! What's that. These look delicious - that lime wedge looks perfect with it. I prefer to come up with something from what I've got than order take-out too...tempting as it can be.

    Reply
  65. Jan says

    May 28, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Yummy yum yum - did you save any for me?! They look delish!

    Reply
  66. Rosa says

    May 28, 2009 at 6:51 am

    Oh, I love tacos! Yours look beautiful and so scrumptious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  67. Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says

    May 28, 2009 at 6:28 am

    "normal food" - pah! What's that. These look delicious - that lime wedge looks perfect with it. I prefer to come up with something from what I've got than order take-out too...tempting as it can be.

    Reply
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