Slow Cooker Taco Meat
You won’t believe how easy our Slow Cooker Taco Meat recipe is! Three ingredients, two steps, and you’re done. It’s got incredible flavor that you can customize and experiment with for a myriad of taco, burrito, nacho, pasta, or even pizza recipes. This recipe is perfect for large parties and easy dinners alike!
Slow Cooker Taco Meat
Slow Cooker Taco Meat is juicy, flavorful, and versatile It’s also ridiculously easy (like any good slow cooker recipe should be). Toss in the ground beef (frozen or thawed), any kind of salsa, and your favorite taco seasoning blend into a Crockpot, set the timer and let it cook. It’s that easy!
A couple hours later and you’ve got meat for tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, make a mexican style pizza, or even taco pasta! We love that you can change up the salsa for different flavor combinations. Plus, this recipe can easily be doubled to make large batches for parties and events! The Crockpot makes it easy to travel with as well.
How to Make Slow Cooker Taco Meat
- Place the ground beef, salsa of your choice, and taco seasoning in the slow cooker. Cover and cook. If you have the time, cook on LOW for 5-6 hours to let the flavors really meld together. For a quicker version, cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- After the meat cooks, drain away the excess liquid. You can now serve the taco meat in classic taco shells, use it for burritos or enchiladas, or scoop onto tortilla chips for delicious nachos! Enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- You can use frozen ground beef in this recipe (could it get any easier?). You will need to stir the meat occasionally to break it up as it cooks and to make sure it mixes properly with the salsa and seasoning. Keep an eye on the cook time as it may take slightly longer with the frozen meat.
- Stir the meat halfway through the cook time. This blends the seasoning so it doesn’t just sit on top of the meat and burn. You want it to be thoroughly incorporated into the meat and salsa for even flavoring.
- If you want a spicier flavor palate try adding chili powder to the seasoning mix or a medium or hot salsa.
- If using ground turkey or chicken you won’t need to drain any excess fat from the meat like you will with beef.
- You can also add some onions and peppers near the end of the cook time to incorporate veggies into the meat.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Leftover taco meat can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through. Add more salsa if needed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 16 ounces salsa
- 2 (1 ounce) packets taco seasoning
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a slow cooker, cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours.2 pounds ground beef16 ounces salsa2 (1 ounce) packets taco seasoning
- After the time is up, drain away excess liquid if desired. Serve in taco shells, burritos, or on tortilla chips for nachos.
- See post for storage options.
