CC’s Restaurant-Style Taco Meat tastes like you’ve stepped into an authentic taqueria in your own dining room. One secret step and a couple of specific ingredients changes everything. Make CC’s Authentic Taco Seasoning Blend ahead to save time and unlock those magical herbs and spices for irresistibly flavorful, restaurant-worthy tacos at home.

To replicate Mexican restaurant-style taco meat, you have to move beyond standard taco seasoning packets and focus on bloomed spices and specific aromatic ingredients. The foundation is a blend of chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and Mexican oregano.

Unlike Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano has citrusy, floral notes that cut through the richness of the beef. If you can’t find it, regular oregano is a substitute, but Mexican oregano provides the authentic taste.

CC’s Restaurant-Style Taco Meat

Use CC's Authentic Taco Seasoning Blend and these "secret" ingredients and special steps to take your taco game to the next level.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb 73% lean ground beef, organic grass-fed
• 2 tbsp CC's Authentic Taco Seasoning Blend
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup beef broth or 2 tsp bouillon
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• taco shells or tortillas
• Optional Toppings:
• diced onion, diced tomato, shredded lettuce, avocado, cilantro, sour cream or crema, jalapeños

Instructions

 

• Brown the ground beef. Drain all but 2 tbsp of the fat.
• Bloom CC's Authentic Taco Seasoning Blend. This is the critical step. Push all the meat to one side of the pan and tilt the pan so the fat puddles on one side. Add the seasoning blend to it. Stir constantly for 45–60 seconds until fragrant. This releases the essential oils in the cumin and paprika, intensifying the flavor far more than adding spices to water.

Add Depth with “Secret” Ingredients:

• Add the tomato paste to the spice blend, stirring and cooking for a minute to add richness and body.
• Stir in the beef broth or bouillon for savory umami depth.
• Break up the meat thoroughly using a potato masher or fork to break the beef into the smallest, uniform crumbles possible.
• Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice added just before serving to wake up the spices and balance the fat.
• Top your tacos or burritos with fresh diced onions, diced tomato, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and jalapeños for brightness.

Keyword Burrito, Meat, Mexican, Restaurant Style, Taco, Taqueria

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Baking these tacos in the oven loaded with meat and cheese totally changes and enhances the flavor in a wonderful way. Unless I’m in a raging hurry, I’ll never go back to serving the old crunchy tacos that fall apart with the first bite.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, crumble and brown the turkey burgers until cooked through. Do not drain. Stir in the two packets of seasoning mix. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stand the taco shells up in a baking dish lightly sprayed with oil, propping against each other as best as you can. Fill the bottom of each shell with 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture. Sprinkle the top of each with about one heaping tablespoon of shredded cheese–more or less to suit your tastes.

Bake in oven for 7-8 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted.

Pile on any of the optional toppings and enjoy!

Top them anyway you like. We keep it quick and simple with just the basics. I usually warm up a package of burrito shells so the guys can stuff them with some of the taco fixin’s. They love both with a side of my homemade refried beans. 😃

Happy eating! 😊