Beef and Potato Tacos – How to Stretch Taco Meat

Super easy beef and potato tacos recipe is an easy way to stretch taco meat. With grocery prices on the rise, making the most of your grocery budget is essential, and this recipe uses diced potatoes to stretch a pound of ground beef.

Ground Beef and Potato Tacos

Honest to God, I had never ever considered adding potatoes to my taco filling until someone mentioned it in a forum on social media. It was like a lightbulb went off in my brain. Why not add potatoes to taco meat? It stretches the meat so it goes farther with my family of five.

I’m always looking for ways to make my recipe go farther and farther. For one, my kids are eating more and more every single day. I guess that’s part of raising a growing family. Secondly, my cart seems to be costing more and more each time I go to the grocery store.

Adding potatoes to a lb ground beef is a genius solution to make the taco meat go farther. Plus, the potatoes pick up the flavors of the taco seasoning and make for a flavorful meal.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef (Hamburger)
• Onion, diced
• Garlic, minced
• Potatoes, peeled and sliced thin or cut into cubes
• Taco Seasoning

How to Make Taco Meat with Potatoes and Ground Beef

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and diced onions over medium heat until barely pink in color, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease, if needed.
2. Add minced garlic and potatoes; reduce heat to medium low. Cover with a lid, and finish cooking until the meat is browned and the potatoes are almost fork tender.
3. To the meat mixture, add taco seasoning and water according to the package instructions.
4. Cook until the potatoes are to your desired texture.
5. Serve potato mixture in taco shells, over rice, as burritos or over tortilla chips with all the fixings including avocado or guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, black beans or pinto beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa and/or corn.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to a week. Rewarm in a skillet on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe dish.

Recipe FAQs

• Use any type of potato you have on hand. If desired, do not peel.
• If desired, season ground beef with salt and black pepper.
• Fresh garlic has the most flavor, but the prepared minced garlic works too. I’ve been known to use garlic powder in a bind as well.
• Serve in flour tortillas, crispy taco shells or corn tortillas, your preference. Or use a burrito filling, make a burrito bowl, or use as a topping for nachos over tortilla chips.

Recipe Variations

• Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef.
• Add fresh, diced tomatoes and sliced jalapenos to the mixture for a totally new dish.
• Make homemade taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and dried oregano.

What can I add to taco meat to make it go further?

Add diced potatoes to your taco meat to make it stretch. Brown the hamburger in a skillet over medium high heat, and then add the potatoes. Continue to cook the beef and potato mixture, finishing up with the water and taco mix step. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

How do you thicken taco meat?

One way to stretch taco meat is by adding diced potatoes to the ground beef. The potatoes absorb the flavors of the taco seasoning and make the meal more filling and flavorful.

How to get good browning on ground beef?

To get good browning on ground beef, make sure the skillet is hot before adding the meat. Spread the beef in an even layer and let it cook without stirring for a few minutes. This will allow the beef to caramelize and develop a nice brown crust.

Taco Recipes

Tacos are one of our favorite meals to make for dinner, but we do not want the family to get bored with plain ground beef tacos. So, we mix it up in so many different ways!

• Taco Dip with Meat and Beans
• Deep Dish Taco Pie
• Taco Pinwheels
• Pie Iron Tasty Tacos
• Taco Chopped Salad

Taco Rice Skillet

Mexican Goulash

Taco Pasta Salad

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Kitchen Tools

I highly recommend investing in a vegetable chopper to make your life easier. It makes kitchen prep a breeze.