High Protein,  Main,  Mexican,  Weeknight

Basic Taco Mince

I know Taco mince is a staple in pretty much every household worldwide, so it may at first seem a little redundant to post a recipe for it. However, the basics tend to vary wildly between families and many households rely solely on pre-made sauces or single purpose spice blends.

Now I completely agree that ready-made sauces have their place for convenience and allow access to a large variety meals for minimal effort. I’m also a great fan of spice blends and keep a few special jars on hand to achieve effortless consistent results.

The main benefit to understanding the components of a spice blend though is that you can go on to customize a meal much further to your tastes. Additionally, once you have a few key individual spices in your pantry, it opens up a greater range of options. It’s also significantly cheaper to prepare blends yourself from individual spices, since you aren’t paying extra for the added fillers, thickeners, preservatives or extra packaging.

So, if you have made taco mince a million times or if you’ve never ventured to make it from scratch before, I urge you to give this recipe a try and see how you like it. Let me know what changes you like to make in the comments below, or if your family have any tips or tricks. I’ve shared my newfound serving hack below which I hope you enjoy!

As always, if you use MacroFactor – the recipe can be directly imported into your library by following this link from your mobile device.

If you’re looking for more dinner inspiration, please check out more of our main meals here.

Taco Serving Hack

Serving your tacos in a meal prep container is genius!

Firstly, this method allows you to stand your tacos neatly upright without having to invest in a specific single use kitchen gadget. This is important because it makes filling quick and easy and it’s far less likely the shell will get crushed trying to cram all the fillings inside.

Secondly, the container doubles as a catch-all bowl while you eat. If (when) the shell cracks, the contents of your taco will either land neatly in the bowl below or into one of your remaining tacos. Either way, it’s much easier to eat your whole meal when it’s conveniently contained.


Basic Taco Mince

Prep Time5 minsCook Time10 mins

Yields4 ServingsDifficultyBeginnerCategoryMains

Seasoning Mix
 1 tsp Garlic Powder
 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
 2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
 1 tsp Dried Oregano
 1 tsp Salt
 ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
 1 dash Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
Cooking
 500 g Lean Beef Mince (If using regular mince, can omit additional olive oil)
 1 tbsp Olive Oil
 1 Medium Onion, diced
 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
 1 tsp Chilli Paste

1

Preheat Skillet / Medium Frypan - If using a non-stick pan, you can get away with omitting the oil for lean mince. Otherwise start browning your mince. Add the diced onion as the mince is browning to soften and cook down together.

2

Once the mince is brown and the onions are soft, add in Chilli paste and mix to combine.

3

Add seasonings to your mince mixture, combine and then add the tomato paste.

4

Continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes to ensure the tomato paste doesn't still taste raw. If the mix is drying out too much you can add a few tbsp of stock or water to keep things juicy.

5

Serve as desired, in tacos, wraps or with rice and salad.

Ingredients

Seasoning Mix
 1 tsp Garlic Powder
 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
 2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
 1 tsp Dried Oregano
 1 tsp Salt
 ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
 1 dash Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
Cooking
 500 g Lean Beef Mince (If using regular mince, can omit additional olive oil)
 1 tbsp Olive Oil
 1 Medium Onion, diced
 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
 1 tsp Chilli Paste

Directions

1

Preheat Skillet / Medium Frypan - If using a non-stick pan, you can get away with omitting the oil for lean mince. Otherwise start browning your mince. Add the diced onion as the mince is browning to soften and cook down together.

2

Once the mince is brown and the onions are soft, add in Chilli paste and mix to combine.

3

Add seasonings to your mince mixture, combine and then add the tomato paste.

4

Continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes to ensure the tomato paste doesn't still taste raw. If the mix is drying out too much you can add a few tbsp of stock or water to keep things juicy.

5

Serve as desired, in tacos, wraps or with rice and salad.

Notes

Basic Taco Mince

Recipe Notes

Can I add more fibre?

Beans are commonly added to bulk out taco mince and provide an excellent source of fibre. Common bean choices include black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans.

How else can I serve this mince other than Tacos?

This mince is perfectly at home in most mexican classics, such as burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, etc.
Other delicious ideas include serving on top of a bed of rice, or used as a baked potato filling with sour cream and cheese.

Can I eat this for Breakfast?

Serve on top of toast as a savoury breakfast, pairing with poached eggs.

What Herbs can I add?

If you like Coriander, some chopped coriander would be an excellend addition.
If you don’t like Coriander, you can use parsley sparingly for colour.



Key Ingredients

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