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Our "go-to" taco recipe, these Ground Beef Fajita Tacos are the perfect combination of seasoned ground beef, black beans, onions and red bell peppers! Made quick and easy in one skillet, but kept separately so everyone can build their taco just how they like! Pile on all your favorite toppings, these healthy and delicious fajita tacos are ready in 25 minutes!
- A Weeknight Staple - This recipe is how I almost always make taco night! I love the extra veggies, but if the kids don't, everything is separate in the skillet so it's easy to take just what you like!
- Healthy and Homemade! - No seasoning packet here, taco meat is easy to season with what's in your spice cabinet! Black beans add extra protein and "stretch" your taco meat for a healthy balanced meal that can be topped any way you like!
- You'll Also Love these Blackened Chicken Tacos with Cotija Corn Salsa, Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos, and our favorite Easy 5 Minute Salsa!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
More than just your average taco meat, this recipe combines ground beef, fajita veggies and black beans all in one perfectly seasoned skillet!
- Ground Beef - Start with 80/20 ground beef. As it browns, use the fat it releases to saute the onion and bell pepper alongside it.
- Onion and Red Bell Pepper - For the perfect fajitas, bell peppers and onions are delicious and nutritious! Any color pepper could be substituted and any type of onion, yellow, white or red are all fine! Two smaller bell peppers, or one and a half, of different colors are great too! If you've got extra from the garden or farmer's market, check out How to Freeze Bell Peppers to make these tacos easily all winter!
- Salt and Pepper - Remember we're ditching the taco seasoning packet which is heavy on the salt and preservatives. Season the ground beef and veggies first with just salt and pepper.
- Seasonings and Water - When your ground beef is fully browned, season it with a quick pantry run through of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and oregano. The chili powder, cumin and garlic powder are the most important for that classic taco flavor, so if you don't have the others, you can leave them out.
- Black Beans - I love adding a quick can of beans to "stretch" the taco meat! It ensures I'll have leftovers, and adds another protein. You can use black beans, pinto beans or red beans, and they can be warmed right in the skillet with the meat and veggies where they'll take on a bit of the seasoning!
- Taco Toppings - Topping choices are up to you and it's fun to vary them for endless weekly taco nights! We love all the usuals like shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado or Classic Guacamole, cilantro, scallions, lime wedges, salsa, sour cream or plain yogurt. Depending on the season, it's fun to add Peach Corn Salsa or Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Fajita tacos cook up a layer at a time, all in the same skillet, and all in 25 minutes!
Step 1 - Slice the onion and pepper and measure your spices.
Step 2 - In a very large skillet over medium heat, begin to brown the ground beef on its own for about 5 minutes.
When it's almost browned, still a little pink, move it to the side and add the onion and peppers to the other.
Season everything with salt and pepper.
Step 3 - The veggies will saute in the fat released from the beef. Try to keep each side separate, stirring both occasionally until the ground beef is fully cooked.
Drain the fat if you like. Add the spices and the water to the ground beef.
Step 4 - Move the beef and veggies aside, making a third space for the black beans.
Stir each component, allowing the beans to heat through, and it's ready to serve!
Step 5 - Warm tortillas and set up your toppings for everyone to assemble their fajita tacos!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use a Large Enough Skillet - A large skillet with high sides is ideal for holding all that taco filling! If you don't have a large enough skillet, a large Dutch oven or soup pot will work too.
- Let the Beef Caramelize - Start with a preheated skillet! You'll want to stir the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon, but once you add the veggies, it's ok to let it go awhile without stirring too often. The hot contact with the skillet without stirring will let the beef get crispy brown and caramelized. Same for the veggies, brown color equals flavor!
- Storage and Freezing - Leftover taco meat with peppers, onions and black beans can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge to use. It's great to make nachos or quick quesadillas!
Ways to Serve Fajita Tacos
This versatile taco meat with black beans, peppers and onions can be served in so many ways! Try topping it with my quick Honey Chipotle Salsa!
- Soft or Crunchy Tortilla Shells - flour or corn tortillas, warmed the in the oven
- Burritos - use large soft tortillas, we often add rice
- Quesadillas - try making them in a panini press
- Taco Salad - serve over chopped lettuce, rice bowls or tortilla shell bowls
- Nachos - baked on a sheet pan with tortilla chips, a layer of cheese, the taco meat and then another layer of cheese
- Enchiladas - add enchilada sauce, roll up in soft tortillas and bake into enchiladas with lots of cheese over the top
- Walking Tacos - serve small bags of chips filled with fajita tacos and all the fixings
- Leftovers are great to serve in a different way than the first night!
Recipe FAQs
Cooking the beef with the peppers and onions in the same skillet, but keeping them separate, is for 2 reasons. First, the veggies contain water, and when that water is released, it keeps the beef from caramelizing. Better to keep them separate and not stir too often so the beef can remain in contact with the hot skillet and get crispy brown! Second, if you keep them separate, you give everyone the option to just choose what they like!
After the beef is fully browned, you have the option to drain the fat if you want to. I rarely do, a little extra fat adds flavor! But, this can depend on the meat, some just has more fat. Spoon it into a glass dish to cool and then pour it in the trash, not the drain.
Yes! A handful of cherry tomatoes at the end or a bit of fresh or frozen corn are great additions! The toppings are also a great place to add lots of vegetables.
More Taco Night Additions!
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Ground Beef Fajita Tacos
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup water
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- Taco Fixings - tortillas, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, salsa, avocado, sour cream or plain yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet (or a Dutch oven or soup pot) over medium heat. Begin to brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
- When the beef is nearly cooked through but still some pink, move it to one side of the skillet and saute the onions and peppers in the rendered fat on the other side. Season everything with salt and pepper. Stir each side occasionally, about 8 more minutes.
- When the beef is fully browned and crispy, you can drain the fat if you like. Add the dried spices and the water to the beef, keeping the veggies separate as best you can.
- Push the beef and veggies aside and make a third spot for the black beans. Warm them through a few minutes and it's ready to serve. You can keep the 3 components, the beef, veggies and beans separate so everyone can choose what they like.
- Assemble on warmed soft or crunchy taco shells and top with all the fixings!
Notes
- Try to Keep the Beef, Veggies and Beans Separate - Veggies contain water, and when that water is released, it keeps the beef from caramelizing. It's better to keep them separate and not stir too often so the beef can remain in contact with the hot skillet and get crispy brown! Plus, if you keep them separate, you give everyone the option to choose what they like!
- Bell Peppers and onion can be any color.
- Chili Powder, Cumin and Garlic Powder are essential taco spices, paprika and oregano are less important if you don't have them.
- Nutrition info does not include tortillas or toppings.
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