This one pan taco skillet recipe has tender seasoned ground beef, black beans, salsa, and an irresistible cheesy top layer! It's ready in about 30 minutes.
You may also like these Super Easy Ground Beef Tacos next for another hassle-free meal.
Why you'll love it
Taco skillets are just so simple to throw together. There's soft tortillas, perfectly seasoned ground beef, loads of salsa, and then they're topped with cheese and baked to perfection. So good, right? It's tacos but easier.
This family-friendly taco skillet dinner is great for busy weeknights since it's fast and has minimal cleanup! I love anything Tex-Mex, and chances are your picky eaters will enjoy this one too for taco night. A creative and fun dinner that doesn't take a lot of effort is always a good idea.
What you'll need
- Ground beef - I like to use 90% lean
- Onion - use any variety, but we like sweet (Vidalia) onion best
- Homemade taco seasoning - the tasty blend we're using has garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder. I prefer using a homemade mix for freshness, taste, and to control salt content.
- Black beans - a classic in Tex-Mex recipes for added protein and flavor. Pinto beans are good too.
- Salsa - I used Newman's Own brand salsa (Jalapeno Lime). Use your go-to brand!
- Tortillas - I like it with tortillas best, but you could try making this with tortilla chips or Doritos instead of the flour tortillas if that's all you have
- Cheese - we're using a Tex-Mex blend. Just cheddar works or whatever mix you prefer
Suggested toppings
- I set out small bowls of toppings on the table so that everyone can choose their own individually.
- Chopped cilantro, scallions, sliced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, sliced black olives, red onions, and chopped tomatoes are some of our favorites! Top it all off with a squeeze of fresh lime.
How to make a taco skillet
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Brown the ground beef and onions with the taco spices in a skillet, and then drain the fat. Add in the salsa, cut-up tortillas, and black beans.
Stir it all up, and let it heat through. Top the skillet with cheese, and then broil for a few minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Pro tip
- The tortillas do soften up as they soak up some liquid, so if you're not a fan of that, you can either just leave them out entirely or serve them on the side. You can also add them as a layer between the meat and the cheese without stirring them in just before popping the skillet in the oven.
Substitutions and variations
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey if you prefer, but you will need to add some olive oil (a tablespoon or so) to the skillet in step 1 since it's leaner.
- Want to make this spicy? Add in a pinch of cayenne pepper, some hot sauce, a chopped jalapeno pepper, or use a spicy salsa.
- You could swap the individual spices for a couple tablespoons of ready-made taco seasoning if you prefer.
What to serve with it
- It's a meal it itself, but we really can't resist making a big green salad with this Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing. It's seriously addictive.
- You could also make some Spanish rice.
Leftovers and storage
- It's best served fresh, especially since the tortillas will soften up more, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Pop leftovers in the microwave until warmed through or in the oven if it's still in the oven-proof skillet.
- I don't recommend freezing leftovers of this taco skillet.
More tasty Tex-Mex recipes
Questions about this easy taco skillet, or did you make it? Let me know in the comments below!
Beef Taco Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 (14.5 fluid ounce) jar salsa use your favorite kind
- 4 medium flour tortillas cut into quarters
- 1 cup Tex-Mex cheese blend shredded
- Toppings: sour cream, chopped scallions, cilantro, avocado, etc. optional, to taste
Instructions
- Add the beef and onions to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once you've broken the meat up a bit with your spoon, add in the spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes or until the beef has cooked through. Spoon out excess fat if there's a lot of it.
- Preheat your oven broiler (high heat setting) and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Reduce the stove heat to medium and add in the black beans, salsa, and tortillas. Toss gently until the tortillas are folded in (I find it easiest to do this with two spoons), and ensure they're spread out around the skillet fairly evenly (so everyone gets some when you dish it up). See note below on another method you can try if you don't want the tortillas to be very soft/soak up liquid.
- Let the skillet heat through for a few minutes.
- Top the skillet with the cheese, and transfer it to your oven. Leave it in there for a few minutes so the cheese gets nice and bubbly and browned (watch it carefully).
- Serve immediately with desired toppings. Season with salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- The tortillas will soften up/soak up some liquid, so if you're not a fan of that, you can either just leave them out entirely (serve them on the side as you would with normal tacos) or add them as a layer between the meat and the cheese (without stirring them in) just before popping the skillet in the oven.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Michelle Large says
So delicious! I added fire roasted corn, pinto beans instead of black beans and added a bit of Lawry's.
I meal prep so this made 4, 1 1/2 cup containers. I topped it with shredded
cheese, green onions and cilantro. Will put a little container of sour cream and
tortilla chips to crush on top! VERY GOOD and a nice easy, quick meal!
I came across your recipes on YAHOO, and soooo very happy I did! I have
printed many recipes for the weeks and months to come! You can really go
crazy with all your delicious meals! (It's such a hard decision which recipes
to choose from!) Thank you very very much!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled you enjoyed it! 🙂 I'm so happy you're trying more from here, Michelle. Let me know how they go! Thank you for your review - it's much appreciated.
Kari says
What size skillet do you use for this recipe?
Natasha says
The exact one I use is linked in the blog post. It's 10.25" 🙂
Leslie says
My family loved this and it was so easy to make. One thing I did was to use a corn and wheat tortilla and I crisped them up a little in the skillet with some olive oil before starting the rest of the recipe. I added the tortillas in the layer between the meat and cheese, as suggested in the blog notes.
Natasha says
Love that idea! Glad it was a hit, Leslie! 🙂
Becca says
Any tips for making this ahead of time?
Natasha says
How much ahead of time are we talking? The tortillas do soften up a lot, so I'd certainly wait to add those just before serving or serve them on the side. You could probably make most of it then add the cheese and do the oven step just before serving.
CognacPapi says
This was very satisfying!!! My family loves your recipes! Keep posting on IG! I get inspired!
I send you a pick of how it turned out 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 😀 Thanks for your review and for following along.
Jane says
When you put the skillet in, what temp of oven should you use? thanks
Natasha says
Hello! Use the "high" broiler setting (see step 2). I imagine it varies from oven to oven, so that's why I don't list a specific temperature.
Lindsay says
This was fantastic! Would make again and again. Done in about 15mins and our entire family enjoyed (kids included!) thanks so much for posting! Love your recipes
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! You're very welcome, Lindsay!
Laurie says
Can’t say enough about this recipe. When you want tacos but don’t feel like making them. Easy and tastes delicious. Will definitely be making this recipe again and again.
Natasha says
Aww thank you so much for the nice review, Laurie!! So happy you enjoyed it. 😀
Samantha Cook says
Could you use tortilla chips instead of tortillas?
Natasha says
Sure! I even suggest it in the blog post 🙂
Isabel says
Looks amazing! Adding it to my Weekly rotation.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! Let me know if you try it, Isabel!