35 Mexican-Inspired Recipes Featuring Ground Beef

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.