Classic American taco night in a skillet. Your favorite store-bought taco seasoning does the heavy lifting—just brown, season, simmer. No apologies, pure nostalgia.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
1 lb ground beef (85/15 or 80/20)
1 packet your favorite taco seasoning packet
0.5 cup water
1 tsp avocado oil (optional, if beef is very lean)
Brown beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef and cook 6–8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. If using 80/20, drain excess fat.
Season: Add taco seasoning and water. Stir to coat the beef evenly.
Simmer: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the mixture thickens into a saucy consistency.
Taste and adjust: If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime juice.
Mild option: Most packets are already mild; for even less heat, use half the packet.
Chef's Notes
Use 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef for best flavor and texture. Leaner beef is drier and sadder. If using 80/20, drain the excess fat after browning unless you want a slick situation. Old El Paso, McCormick, Trader Joe's, Siete Foods—they all work, though Siete's grain-free blend has a cleaner spice profile. A squeeze of lime at the end lifts everything and makes people ask what your secret is. For optimal crumble texture, use a potato masher to break up the beef as it browns. Some purists insist this recipe isn't 'authentic,' to which we say: authenticity is a construct and also this tastes like childhood. The Taco Scrolls acknowledge Gringo Ground Beef as 'the gateway,' responsible for more taco conversions than any missionary effort in recorded history.
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