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I am a huge taco fan, and these Baked Ground Beef Tacos are one of my go-tos when the craving hits. Made with deliciously seasoned ground beef, wrapped in golden corn tortillas and topped with melty cheese, I load them up with all my favorite toppings.
5-Star Review
“One of our favorites!” -Leslie
Easy Baked Ground Beef Taco Recipe
Taco Tuesdays are never boring around here. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge taco fan and have loads of taco recipes I rotate through for Taco Tuesday. These crunchy tacos with crispy, tinged ground beef are slathered in melted cheese, just ready to be topped with all my favorite taco toppings. These are great for a go-to weeknight treat, game day, movie night, or party time.
Tips for Beginners
- Adjust the amount of tomato puree. With this amount of tomato puree, the sauce is a tad more (not much) on the juicy side, so don´t let the filled tacos sit too long, or they’ll get soggy and break. If you want less juicy tacos, cut the amount of tomato puree in half.
- 90% lean ground beef is great for tacos. The meat is packed with flavor and still tender, but not overly greasy. You could use 80% lean ground beef, but you’ll have much more fat to drain off at the end of the cooking process.
- For a slightly leaner option. Use ground turkey or ground chicken. Just make sure you don’t use really lean turkey, as it’s likely to come out grainy. Ground turkey won’t sear as brown as beef.
- Use whatever cheese you like best. You can also mix different cheeses. Use more or less according to your taste.
- Add a kick. Stir diced jalapeños into the sauce for a spicy kick.
Baked Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1½ cups grated cheese cheddar, gouda, or similar
- 12 taco shells
Video
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Heat a pan over medium to high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is not pink anymore. Make sure to break it up while cooking.1 lb. ground beef
- Once the ground beef is cooked add all the spices and stir.2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika powder
- Add the tomato paste, mixing it in and cooking for an additional 1 to 2 minutes (this will remove bitterness from the tomato paste).2 tbsp tomato paste
- Pour the tomato puree into the pan, stir again, and cook for 1-2 minutes.1 cup tomato puree
- Put all the taco shells in a casserole dish and fill them with the ground beef mixture, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons each.12 taco shells
- Top with the grated cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.1½ cups grated cheese
- Serve immediately with toppings of your choice (sour cream, salsa, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, corn, etc.)
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos Step by Step
Get the oven going and cook the beef: Preheat the oven to 400°F and heat a pan over medium to high heat. Stir in 1 lb. ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Break up the meat as it cooks.
Add the spices: Once the ground beef is fully cooked, add 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tsp paprika powder. Stir to combine.
Add tomato paste and puree: Add 2 tbsp tomato paste, mixing it in for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add 1 cup tomato puree, stir, and let it cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
Fill the casserole dish: Put 12 taco shells in your casserole and fill them each with 1-2 tbsp of ground beef mixture.
Top and bake: Top the tacos with shredded cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve: Serve immediately with toppings of your choice like sour cream, salsa, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, or corn.
How to Store
Store uneaten tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The taco shells may get soft as they sit in the fridge, so don’t expect the same crunchy consistency. Reheat them in the oven before serving.
You can freeze uneaten tacos in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Make sure the tacos are fully cooled before you freeze them, and do not freeze them with any of the toppings, as they will add moisture, which may make the tacos soggy. Reheat from frozen until thawed and warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
I’m a huge fan of piling on the toppings like shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes, and diced avocados. But I’ll also drizzle homemade taco sauce over baked tacos or add a few dollops of salsa or homemade guacamole. For sides, I like to serve refried beans and Mexican rice.
More Taco Recipes To Try
- The Best Chicken Tacos are ready in under 30 minutes, simple to prepare, and I love how the shredded chicken filling bakes quickly inside perfectly crisp taco shells.
- For Street Tacos, I love making tons of different filling options and enjoying one of each flavor.
- Birria Tacos feature melt-in-your-mouth beef, loaded with Mexican flavors, all mingling with melted cheese, wrapped in a crunchy tortilla.
I am going to try these soon. Do you think that using taco seasoning on the ground beef would work instead of the tomato sauce puree?
You could swap out the spices for taco seasoning, but you’d miss out on a lot of moisture and flavor by leaving out the tomato puree.
This recipe is just what I was looking for. Definitely going to make this soon. Thanks for sharing
I hope you enjoy it, Maryann!
One of our favorites!
I agree!