35 Mexican-Inspired Recipes Using Ground Beef
Cheap, quick-cooking, AND super flavorful? We're in love.
We’re all for a kitchen project, but when it comes to easy weeknight dinners, we prefer a meal we can get on the table fast. One of our go-tos (hello, taco Tuesday) will always be Mexican food, but we’re not always stoked to, say, marinate and grill some steak for carne asada (no matter how much we want a carne asada torta). Enter: cheap and fast-cooking ground beef. Check out our 35 Mexican-inspired ground beef recipes for ideas, then stock up (it also freezes well!).
Once you’ve got your ground beef ready to go (hot tip: make your own taco seasoning), it can pretty much go in anything you can think of. We’ve got all the classics here, like tacos, enchiladas, chalupas, and nachos, but feel free to get creative. Looking for healthier options? We’ve got you too. Try our burrito zucchini boats, our taco tomatoes, or our taco salad. Need something that can feed a hungry dinner crowd? Try our Mexican beef ‘n rice skillet, our taco spaghetti, or our Tex-Mex meatball soup. No matter what you crave, ground beef has your back.
We’ve even got a few copycats here—no matter your feelings on Mexican fast food like Taco Bell or Chipotle, you can agree, homemade is always better. Try our loaded burrito bowls, our Mexican pizza, or our copycat crunchwrap supreme to see just how much so (bonus: no guac upcharge!).
Want even more Mexican food inspo? Try our favorite Mexican chicken recipes, our best Mexican side dishes, and our favorite Mexican drinks too.
Chalupas
Chalupas are a classic Mexican street food snack that are crispy, savory, and fun to eat. Usually chalupas are served like a tostada, but because we know you might be looking for the fluffy fry bread-like taco shell, we decided to create a version that was the best of both chalupa worlds.
Get the Chalupas recipe.
Beef Enchiladas
These easy enchiladas are packed with ground beef, black beans, and are made really cheesy and delicious with a sprinkling of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. If you've got the extra time, give the dish an upgrade with our homemade enchilada sauce too.
Get the Beef Enchiladas recipe.
Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet
Is there anything better than a one-skillet meal? We don’t think so, particularly if it’s as family-friendly and quick as this one, featuring spiced ground beef, flavorful rice, hearty beans, and lots of cheese. It all comes together in just 40 minutes with minimal prep, and is perfect for when you want to spice things up.
Get the Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet recipe.
Frito Pie
If you've never made these, you're in for a treat. Originally created in Mexico, they were popularized in the American Southwest. You can see why—they're basically walking tacos!
Get the Frito Pie recipe.
Cheesy Beef Empanadas
This filling is loosely based on a very traditional Mexican (top-secret!) recipe. It’s delicious as is, but if you want to give it even more pizzaz, we highly recommend adding a splash of red wine vinegar, finely chopped capers and green olives, and a good squeeze yellow mustard. Once you've got the pastry down, you can pretty much stuff them with anything!
Get the Cheesy Beef Empanadas recipe.
Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme
Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme is the stuff of legends, and we totally see why: Full of seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and, most importantly, a crunchy tostada shell, this stacked, handheld dish has just about everything you could ever want... and now you can make it at home!
Get the Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme recipe.
Taco Salad
When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.
Get the Taco Salad recipe.
Cheesy Ground Beef Tacos
Enjoy the perfect combination of cheesy and beefy goodness with these unreal tacos. We promise you'll be so obsessed with this zesty, flavorful filling, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Use whatever ground beef you like best. We usually go with 80% lean/20% fat, but you do you.
Get the Cheesy Ground Beef Tacos recipe.
Nachos Supreme
In 1943, some wives of U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas, were on a shopping trip in the bordering city of Piedras Negras, Mexico. They stopped at a just-closed restaurant. Not wanting to disappoint his customers, the maître d’, Ignacio "El Nacho" Anaya, was determined to whip something up for them. He made due with what was left in the kitchen—tortillas, cheese, and pickled jalapeños—and served what would go on to be called "Nacho's especiales". TMYK!
Get the Nachos Supreme recipe.
Salsa Verde Enchiladas
Cheesy, savory enchiladas that have a super-green sauce might sound like a project, but mixing store-bought ingredients with fresh stuff speeds everything up without sacrificing flavor. The major “hack” here is using jarred salsa verde but punching up the flavor by adding a whole bunch of cilantro, fresh garlic, and jalapeños. It gives it a made-from-scratch taste, in a fraction of the time.
Get the Salsa Verde Enchiladas recipe.
Burrito Zoodles
Everything you love about a burrito, minus the tortilla. This low-carb dinner screams summer, with zucchini noodles, fresh cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn.
Get the Burrito Zoodles recipe.
Taco Tomatoes
We're all for a genius low-carb hack—and these tomatoes totally deliver. We had never thought to stuff them with taco meat, cheese, and sour cream, but we'll do anything in the name of ditching a tortilla for a low-carb meal. You can change up the fillings for cheeseburger tomatoes, too.
Get the Taco Tomatoes recipe.
Tex-Mex Meatball Soup
If you've ever wished our Tex-Mex meatballs could be just a little bit cozier, you're in lucky. This flavorful soup is super-comforting and will help warm your bones all winter long.
Get the Tex-Mex Meatball Soup recipe.
Taco Spaghetti
One-pot taco spaghetti is a fast-as-can-be weeknight dinner that pairs all your favorite taco fixin’s with spaghetti rather than taco shells. It's perfect for those nights when you just cannot stand the thought of a sink full of dirty dishes.
Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.
Zucchini Burrito Boats
You won't miss the tortilla in these stuffed zucchinis. They've got everything you love about your favorite burrito—black beans, corn, CHEESE—minus the carbs!
Get the Zucchini Burrito Boats recipe.
Mexican Pizza
This Taco Bell copycat isn't actually Mexican, nor is it a pizza. It's actually more of a Tex-Mex quesadilla, and we love it for a lightning fast dinner. The ease of flour tortillas straight from the bag can't be beat, but if you want to be true to the Taco Bell recipe, shallow fry them in vegetable oil!
Get the Mexican Pizza recipe.
Beef Taco Boats
These are great for family dinner where everyone has their own taco topping preferences. Bake the boats while you get the fillings ready, and you'll have dinner on the table in no time.
Get the Beef Taco Boats recipe.
Taco Soup
This easy one-pot soup was inspired by our love for that Tex-Mex classic: ground beef tacos. Lots of us grew up with taco night with those boxed taco shells and pre-shredded cheese— now you can have all the joys of serving tacos without having to do any of the taco building.
Get the Taco Soup recipe.
Burrito Butternut Squash Boats
Butternut squash boats are to fall as stuffed zucchini are to summer. They're the perfect low-carb vehicle for plenty of veggies, meat, and, of course, CHEESE.
Beef Zucchini Enchiladas
Zucchini can do it all and these beef enchiladas prove it! It's much easier to roll up than you would imaging making these so fun to make.
Get the Beef Zucchini Enchiladas recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
