Slow Cooker Taco Meat is EASY to make, made with simple ingredients like ground beef, onion, salsa, and spices slow cooked until the flavors combine for the perfect easy dinner!

This recipe is perfect if you need to feed a hungry family or a party full of people. For more great ideas, check out this Baked Potato Bar, Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes, and Slow Cooker Turkey Chili!

Three beef tacos on a plate with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream drizzled on top, in front of a slow cooker with slow cooker taco meat.

This taco meat is really easy to throw together, and perfect for when you’re having people over, or need to feed some extra dinner guests. It’s really flavorful, and beef tacos pair perfectly with toasted corn tortillas, black beans, and fresh veggies like chopped onion, tomato, and bell peppers.  

I use this in my quick meals rotation because it’s really fast to throw together, and then you just forget about it until the cook time is up. It’s perfect when you know you have a busy night coming up, because you can get it cooking ahead of time. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for slow cooker taco meat on a table.

Lean Ground Beef. Try using lean ground beef, to avoid having too much fat cook off into the bottom of the slow cooker dish. You can also make this recipe with ground turkey. 

Onion. A yellow onion or white onion would work well for this recipe. 

Salsa. This adds some extra veggies into the dish, and also extra flavor. You can use mild or spicy, depending on your preference. 

Corn Starch. This helps the excess liquid released from the meat combine with the spices and creates a really nice sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker that is thick instead of watery.  

Spices. I broke down the spices in this recipe to make it easier for anyone who has food allergies to avoid seasoning packets. If you have a gluten free taco seasoning mix packet that you like to use, you can use that instead. If your seasoning packet contains corn starch, omit the corn starch from this recipe. 

I also have a recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning if you want to make a big batch to have on hand. You can also add fresh chopped garlic cloves instead of garlic powder. 

How to Make Slow Cooker Taco Meat

Step by step photos for how to make slow cooker taco meat.
  1. Add ground beef to the slow cooker, using a spoon to break up the beef. In a bowl, whisk together the spice mixture. Pour the spice mixture over the ground beef. 
  2. Add the onion and salsa on top of everything. In a measuring cup, whisk together the corn starch with 1/4 cup of cold water until there are no more lumps. Pour this over everything. 
  3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or for 6-8 hours on low, until the meat is cooked through.
  4. Stir to combine everything and break up any big pieces of meat before serving. Top with fresh cilantro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to put raw ground meat in the slow cooker?

Yes this is safe to do, as long as you’re adding a reasonable amount. Never add frozen ground beef (or any frozen meat) to the slow cooker, as this may not reach a safe temperature in the very middle of the meat in time. 

For recipes that cook the raw ground beef first before slow cooking, this is usually to add more flavor to the dish. 

Why do you add water when cooking taco meat?

This is to help disperse the corn starch and add it to the recipe while it’s still cold. The corn starch helps thicken the juices that come from the meat while it cooks, and makes a really nice flavorful sauce for the taco meat.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate crock pot taco meat for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

Freeze leftover taco meat in an airtight container for 2-3 months. 

Recipe Variations

  • Try adding more heat to this delicious taco meat recipe with some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce. You can also increase the black pepper and chili powder, or add a can of green chilies. 
  • If your meat is too spicy, balance it out with 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar, mixing well. A small amount of sugar is a good way to balance out savory flavors. 
  • You can make this recipe with a beef roast instead, but increase the cooking time to 8-10 hours on low and shred the beef when it’s done. 
  • Try using this crockpot taco meat to make taco salads! Serve over chopped romaine lettuce with cooked corn, bell peppers, lime juice, and crumbled tortilla chips. Or serve over rice and make your own burrito bowls. 

Cooking Tips

  • Break up the meat as well as you can before cooking, and again when you’re stirring everything together after it’s done. This helps mix the sauce and meat together, and the smaller pieces work better in tacos. 
  • Top this with fresh cilantro and serve with hard corn taco shells or soft corn tortillas, tortilla chips, more salsa, fresh onion and tomato, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream. For a higher protein version, substitute plain greek yogurt for sour cream. 
Slow cooker full of slow cooker taco meat topped with fresh parsley, with a spoon scooping meat up.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

Three beef tacos on a plate with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream drizzled on top, in front of a slow cooker with slow cooker taco meat.

Slow Cooker Taco Meat

Slow Cooker Taco Meat is EASY to make, made with simple ingredients like ground beef, onion, salsa, and spices slow cooked until the flavors combine for the perfect easy dinner!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 pounds ground beef, lean
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup salsa, hot or mild
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Slow Cooker

Instructions
 

  • Add ground beef to the slow cooker, using a spoon to break up the beef. Add onion on top of the beef.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the spice mixture. Pour the spice mixture over the ground beef.
  • Add the salsa on top of everything. In a measuring cup, whisk together the corn starch with 1/4 cup of cold water until there are no more lumps. Pour this over everything.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or for 6-8 hours on low, until meat is fully cooked. Stir to combine everything and break up any big pieces of meat before serving.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage
Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 
Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months. 
Cooking Tips
  • Break up the meat as well as you can before cooking, and again when you’re stirring everything together after it’s done. This helps mix the sauce and meat together, and the smaller pieces work better in tacos. 
  • Try adding more heat with some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal (18%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 27g (42%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 97mg (32%)Sodium: 265mg (12%)Potassium: 436mg (12%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 374IU (7%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 39mg (4%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish and tag #dishingdelish!

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