I have mentioned many times in my videos over the past couple of years that I make my taco meat in the slow cooker. Today, I will be showing you how I prepare my meat, why I do it this way, and how we use this meat in several different ways.
I’ve told you before that I usually make one big recipe for the weekends, and we eat off of that for the entire weekend. This slow cooker taco meat is perfect for that. You can use hard shells, soft shells; you can make taco salad, or nachos. There are just so many ways to use this meat without feeling like you’re eating the same thing over and over. So if your family doesn’t usually care for leftovers, this might be a good recipe for you to try.
Slow Cooker Taco Meat
This recipe is also very forgiving; I usually have beans cooked and ready to add in, but I forgot on this day until it was too late. So you can do it the way your family likes it. Add beans, leave out the corn, add hot peppers, leave out the rice. Tweak it to suit your family!
Slow Cooker Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. ground beef
- 2 lbs cooked brown rice
- 4 cans corn I used 15 oz cans
- 3 TBSP chili powder
- 3 TBSP garlic powder
- 3 TBSP onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cumin - optional
- Beans - optional
Instructions
- Put ground beef in slow cooker.
- Cook for 4 hours on high.
- Drain fat off meat
- Return meat to slow cooker.
- Add rice, corn, spices, and any optional ingredients.
- Turn slow cooker to warm.
Notes
- Serve taco meat with hard or soft shells, chips, or on salad.
- Top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, hot sauce, or any other toppings you like.
Obviously, you can brown your ground beef on the stove top. But frankly, I don’t have the 20 minutes or so it would take to do that, so I always use my slow cooker to brown my meat. I put the meat in, leave it for a couple hours, then I can just drain off the grease and my meat is ready to go.
(I always let my grease harden overnight and then scrape it in the trash the next day. Why? Because we have bears! Seriously, out here in the wilderness in Virginia, it is dangerous to leave any type of food or meat fat out. So I have to deal with the grease in other ways.)
I leave this meat mix on “warm” in the slow cooker while we do the things we need to do, then I reheat the meat if I need to later on. I enjoy mine on a soft shell with some lettuce, cheese, and hot sauce. I hope your family enjoys this as much as we do!
Be sure to comment below and tell me if you try it or any of my other recipes. I love to hear from you!
This Slow Cooker Taco Meat Recipe was featured in Large Family Meal Plan #1. You can find more large family meal plans here.
Slow Cooker Taco Meat
Click here to watch the full Taco Meat in the Slow Cooker Vlog!
Such a great idea to cook taco meat in the slow cooker!
Just wondering if you drain the corn before adding, or pour it in liquid & all?
Thanks for all you do-
JM
I did drain the corn. I didn’t show that part, sorry 😀
I make up a taco meat mixture like this and then roll it up in flour tortillas, place in a cake pan, top with a couple handfuls of cheese, and pour some enchilada sauce over it. We call them beefaladas and they are so, so good. Your idea of using the crockpot would work well when everyone is coming and going, eating at different times. I’ll definitely do this during our cranberry growing season when longs hours keep us outside.
Could this be made and then frozen?
Sure thing! You can freeze it in a baking dish (wrap with foil and saran wrap), or in a freezer bag.
This looks so much better than just using meat with cheese in our tacos! A great way to spread the meat a little too. When you add refried beans, do you add just 1 can?
Total game changer! Thank you for making me think outside the box! Not only does the corn and rice add to the flavor but stretches the meat – THANK YOU!! I added canned diced green chilies (mild) and salsa to the mixture too, SO GOOD!
XOXO
Tammy
Oh, those diced green chilies sound great! So does the salsa. Great job, friend!! xoxo
I used to use my crockpot until I got my Instapot. Now I brown it there.
Pour 1 cup water over the bottom of the pot, and then place in your trivet that came with your instant pot. Place 1-2 pounds ground beef on your trivet seal the instant pot closed, with vent closed.. Set to high pressure and cook for 6 minutes.
Thanks for the recipe, I cooked it for dinner tonight. It was too late to use the slow cooker so I just made it in a pot on the stove. Looks great!