Juicy Mexican inspired Beef Mince Tacos with Black Beans and a light spice. Easy to make, family friendly – just add your favourite taco toppings!
Forget Taco Tuesday, these easy Beef Mince Tacos are a winner for any night of the week. Not only are they quick and easy to make but you can customise them almost endlessly with your favorite Taco Toppings. Great for feeding a crowd, Beef and Black Bean tacos work really well alongside a selection of sides and toppings so everyone can load their own.
Easy Homemade Beef Tacos
Don’t be tempted by those supermarket Taco Kits – it is so easy (and cheap) to make them at home. A simple combination of store cupboard spices make an easy Homemade Taco Spice. Not only is the spice mix great for mined beef tacos but you can use it to make Mexican Inspired Mince for other recipes like loaded nachos or enchiladas.
I love to add black beans to my beef taco mix – they add some texture and help to bulk out the mince – great for making the meat go further and adding some fibre. I roughly mash half of the beans before adding to the mince to help thicken the mix but you can leave them whole if you wish. This recipe uses black beans but you can also use kidney or pinto beans.
Taco Toppings
I love my beef tacos with a simple salsa, grated cheese, shredded lettuce and my ‘Cheats Mexican Crema’ made by mixing greek yoghurt, mayo and lime juice.
The list of taco toppings is pretty endless, but here are a few extra ideas –
- Sliced Avocado
- Guacamole
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
- Diced jalapenos
- Sliced Spring Onion
- Pickled Red Onion
- Different cheeses – add feta for a salty tang (it is also similar to Mexican Cotija cheese which is difficult to source in the UK) shredded mozzarella or monterey jack also work well.
- Your favorite Hot Sauce
- Extra Black Beans
- Lime and Coriander Rice
Cheats Mexican Crema
Mexican Crema is similar to sour cream, but has a thinner consistency and and richer, less acidic taste. It is an excellent condiment for Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, tostadas and quesadillas. I also love it as a dip for crispy tortilla chips. Crema is also a great side for spicier dishes as it can help tone down the heat.
This is in no way a traditional recipe for Mexican Crema! But it is a quick and easy substitute, made from items typically always stocked in my kitchen.
To make my Cheats Mexican Crema, simply combine 4 tablespoons greek or natural yoghurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and stir together. You can tweak the amounts to your taste like adding extra lime juice or a pinch of salt. I use full fat yoghurt and mayonnaise which I find have the best consistency, but you can use whatever is usually in your fridge.
Serving Suggestions and Variations
Bulk out the mince to make additional portions with some chopped vegetables. Add peppers, onions, or even shredded carrot and courgette. You can also add additional beans or some diced potato.
You can make this easy taco recipe vegetarian by using a quorn or plant-based mince. Depending on which type you use you probably will not need to brown the mince first but do check the cooking instructions. You can also make these tacos with turkey mince.
Make a Mexican inspired lasagna by layering Taco Mince with tortillas, salsa and cheese and baking in the oven. .
Use the Taco Mince as a topping for some epic loaded nachos.
Instead of ground beef tacos, make some beef and black bean burritos. Use larger tortilla wraps and add some cooked rice and guacamole with the beef mince, salsa and cheese. Then wrap into burritos and lightly toast in a warm frying pan.
Storage instructions
Leftover taco mince can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and frozen for 3 months. Defrost thoroughly and reheat on the hob with a splash of water until piping hot.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes:
- Halloumi Tacos with Avocado Ranch
- Beef Burrito Bowls with Corn & Bean Salsa
- Easy Chicken Fajitas
- Fiesta Scrambled Eggs
- Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! Please leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @carrieskitchen_ if you make it!
Minced Beef and Black Bean Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Spatula or wooden spoon
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 potato masher or fork
- 1 lemon/lime squeezer
Ingredients
- 500 grams beef mince
- 400 grams tin of black beans drained and rinsed
- 500 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
Taco Seasoning Spices
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper add more or less depending on spice preference
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- ½ tsp onion granules
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
Quick Tomato Salsa
- 250 grams cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 lime
- ¼ tsp salt
- small bunch fresh coriander finely chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
Cheats Mexican Crema
- 2 tbsp greek or natural yoghurt or sour cream
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Extras
- 8 small tortillas corn or flour
- 1 head lettuce shredded
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the beef mince. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the mince has browned and crumbled.
- Add the Taco Seasoning Spices and stir well, then pour over the beef stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the mince is cooking, make the salsa. Dice the red onion and cherry tomatoes and add to a bowl with the salt and chopped coriander. Pour over the olive oil and juice of 1 lime and stir well to combine.
- To make the Crema, simply stir together the yoghurt, mayonnaise and lime juice in a small bowl until fully combined.
- Drain and rinse the black beans and lightly mash about half. Stir into the beef mince mixture and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Warm the tortillas (check the packet for best instructions) and shred the lettuce. Grate some cheese and prepare any other toppings.
- The taco mince should now have absorbed most of the stock to a thick, rich gravy.
- I prefer to serve my beef tacos DIY at the table so everyone can assemble their own. Transfer the taco mince to a warmed serving bowl and bring to the table along with the bowls of salsa, crema, cheese, lettuce and any other toppings.
- Load up your tortillas with taco mince and toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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