Slow Cooker Taco Meat – with Rotel Tomatoes
14 Comments Aug 07, 2022
Updated Nov 06, 2024
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This three-ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Meat has the perfect balance of flavor and makes creating a taco bar a breeze. Ground beef, taco seasoning, and Rotel tomatoes are dumped into the crockpot and left to slowly cook, allowing the flavors to simmer together, making the best taco meat ever!
If you’re looking for another Mexican-inspired dish, try our Slow Cooker Mexican Bubble Up Casserole.
Can I make taco meat in a slow cooker?
Although taco meat is typically cooked on the stovetop, another way it can be cooked is in the slow cooker. The biggest benefit of crock pot taco meat is the ability to start it and walk away. The raw ground beef will turn into delicious taco meat that can then be used in multiple ways.
The cooking time is longer than the stovetop option; however, when you have other things that need to be done, cooking taco meat in the slow cooker is a great easy dinner option for busy nights and taco Tuesday. If you are looking for a plain ground beef recipe, try my slow cooker ground beef.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef: Choosing lean ground beef will result in less grease content, but any kind of ground beef will do. You may need to use a paper towel to soak up some of the grease before serving.
- Taco Seasoning: You’ll need at least two packets of your favorite taco seasoning, and you can choose between mild or hot, depending on your taste preference. You can even use homemade taco seasoning.
- Rotel Tomatoes: These Mexican-style diced tomatoes not only add a tomato flavor but also a small kick to the overall taco meat mixture.
- {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images}
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Place two pounds of ground beef into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Two – Dump in the two taco seasoning packets and can of Rotel tomatoes. Mix the ingredients together until roughly combined.
Step Three – Cook on HIGH for 2.5 hours or LOW for 4 hours. Stir, serve and enjoy! Blot the grease with a paper towel if your meat is on the greasy side.
Variations
- Extra Spicy: If you’re looking to make your slow cooker taco meat spicier, consider adding hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, smoked paprika, and/or a dash of chili powder.
- Sweet Taco Meat: Looking for a sweetened taste to your taco meat? Add a few teaspoons of brown sugar.
- Saucier Taco Meat: Consider adding tomato sauce and hot or mild salsa during prep time for saucier meat.
How to serve
- Taco Shells: You can’t go wrong with using your delicious taco meat to make yummy beef tacos.
- Tortilla Wraps: Skip the crunch of the taco shell and go with the softness of a flour or corn tortilla and make burritos. The meat can easily be turned into enchiladas.
- Tortilla Chips: Whether you want to use the chips for dipping or as a bed for a taco salad, they are perfect for this meal.
- Toppings: Having toppings on your tacos is a must. A few to have on hand are black beans, diced avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! Ground turkey is an excellent substitute for this taco meat recipe.
Add any leftover taco meat to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Taco meat can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It’s best to use thawed meat in the slow cooker. There is a possibility that the meat will stay in the danger zone if cooked from frozen.
More Mexican style crock pot recipes
- Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
- Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
- Slow Cooker Smoked Queso
- Slow Cooker Chile Colorado
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Queso Chicken
Slow Cooker Taco Meat
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef, I use 7% fat
- 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes, or a 14-oz. can of Mexican style diced tomatoes
- 2.5 oz. of taco seasoning, (two packets) or 4 tablespoons homemade
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a 6 quart slow cooker and mix until combined.
- Cook on high for 2.5 hours or 4 hours on low.
- Stir the meat to break up the pieces. Blot the grease with paper towels if needed. Use a slotted spoon to scoop into taco shells.
- Serve immediately for tacos, nachos or on a taco salad.
Sarah’s Notes
- More or less taco seasoning can be used depending on your preferences.
- Ground turkey is an excellent substitute for this taco meat recipe.
- The ground beef should be thawed for this recipe.
- Add any leftover taco meat to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Taco meat can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Hi! If I double the recipe, how long should I cook the meat (4lb) on high? Same question if I triple the recipe (6lb meat), and would you think I could do that in a 6qt crockpot? Thank you so much for your help!
It’s hard to say exactly without testing, but I would do 3 hours on high for 4 lbs. and 3.5 hours on high for 6lbs. and check for doneness.
Please do Crock-Pot meatless lentil Taco “meat” so good and need to be ready when we get home from work. We love your recipes and hoping for cake also
Great idea Sandra, Putting it on my list.
Wait! You don’t need water? I just started a pot. I hope it works. Haha
No water needed.
When you put the hamburger in the crockpot is it raw or cooked prior? Thank you!
It’s raw for this recipe.
I am making 5 pounds of taco meat for the middle school cheerleaders. I already cooked the ground beef, do you think it be ok to throw it in the crockpot with the seasoning and some water and let it cook on low?
Yes, that would work fine. Beware that it will take a few hours for that amount to heat up if it was refrigerated.
Put the can of tomatoes, taco seasoning in the blender adding some cumin, garlic and a cut up jalapeno pepper – once all blended, I added to raw meat and mixed it well. Put in slow cooker and set per your instructions…DEEEEELISH on hot tortillas…
How much of the home made taco seasoning do I use for crockpot tacos?
4 tablespoons will work.
Love slow Cooker recipes but there are only two of us and much adjust most recipes.