Spicy minced beef tacos with salsa: Tacos are Mexican street food, and these beef tacos are made with homemade tomato salsa and minced beef sauce.
A tasty and easy meal are tacos with minced beef sauce and tomato salsa. And everyone can prepare their own tacos at your table. More or less minced meat sauce, a lot of salad and a delicious tomato salsa as a topping.
And everything ready within 20 minutes. You will certainly make these tacos more often whenever you are in need of a taco.
If you prefer a vegetarian version, then these tacos with sweet potato and beans are highly recommended.
In the UK you'd call these minced beef tacos - same delicious thing.
Ingredient notes and easy swaps
- Ground beef. I use regular ground beef (about 15% fat) for the most flavor. If you use lean beef, add a small splash of extra oil. Either way, drain off excess fat after browning so the sauce doesn't get greasy.
- Taco seasoning. Store-bought works, but my homemade taco spice mix takes 2 minutes and you control the salt and the heat.
- Cilantro. Fresh cilantro (coriander) gives the salsa its fresh, zingy taste. Not a fan? Flat-leaf parsley works fine - the salsa just tastes a little milder.
- Taco shells or tortillas? Crispy shells are the classic here, but soft flour or corn tortillas work just as well. Warm them briefly in a dry skillet instead of the oven.
- Crème fraîche. Sour cream is the easiest swap and what most US readers will have on hand. Greek yogurt also works for a lighter topping.
- Spice level. As written, these tacos are family-mild with a gentle kick. For more heat, leave the seeds in the chili pepper or add extra taco seasoning. For kids, skip the chili in the salsa entirely - it's still full of flavor.
Make ahead and storage
The salsa actually gets better after an hour in the fridge, so it's the perfect make-ahead step. It keeps for 2 days in an airtight container.
The beef sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats in a few minutes in a small pan with a splash of water. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months - I like to make a double batch so taco night is even faster next time.
Only fill the shells right before eating; filled shells go soft quickly.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use soft tortillas instead of taco shells? Yes. Warm flour or corn tortillas in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds per side and fill them the same way.
- Can I make the salsa in advance? Absolutely, up to 2 days ahead. Give it a stir before serving and add a fresh squeeze of lime.
- How do I make these less spicy for kids? Remove the seeds from the chili pepper (or leave it out of the salsa) and use a mild taco seasoning. The crème fraîche on top also softens the heat.
- What do you serve with these tacos? Mexican red rice and a simple guacamole turn this into a full taco night spread.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
Salsa
- 3 tomatoes, take out seeds
- 1 small red onion
- ½ red chili pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ oz. Fresh coriander, or flat-leafed parsley
- 1 lime
- salt , to taste
Ground beef sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 Pound Ground beef
- 3 teaspoons Taco seasoning, + possibly extra to taste
- 11 Oz. sieved tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper , to taste
Taco time with garnish
- 10 taco shells
- 9 Oz. cherry tomatoes , washed and quartered
- ½ Pound iceberg lettuce, sliced
- ½ Cup Cheddar , grated
- Fresh coriander, or flat-leafed parsley
- lime wedges , to taste
- crème fraîche
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Salsa
- Cut the tomatoes, onion, pepper, herbs, and garlic very small. Mix everything.
- Sprinkle with lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Store in the refrigerator until use
Ground beef sauce
- Put the oil in the pan and fry the ground meat.
- Add the taco seasoning and mix well.
- Pour in the sieved tomatoes and add the sugar.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper, and extra taco seasoning.
Taco time!
- Prepare the taco shells by heating them in the oven.
- Fill each shell with iceberg lettuce, ground meat mixture, cherry tomatoes, and some chopped herbs.
- Add lime juice to taste.
- Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Eat the shell with the salsa and top everything with the crème fraîche.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply