35 Mexican-Inspired Recipes Using Ground Beef

Chalupas are a classic Mexican street food snack that are crispy, savory, and fun to eat. Usually chalupas are served like a tostada, but because we know you might be looking for the fluffy fry bread-like taco shell, we decided to create a version that was the best of both chalupa worlds.

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These easy enchiladas are packed with ground beef, black beans, and are made really cheesy and delicious with a sprinkling of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. If you've got the extra time, give the dish an upgrade with our homemade enchilada sauce too.

Get the Beef Enchiladas recipe.

Is there anything better than a one-skillet meal? We don’t think so, particularly if it’s as family-friendly and quick as this one, featuring spiced ground beef, flavorful rice, hearty beans, and lots of cheese. It all comes together in just 40 minutes with minimal prep, and is perfect for when you want to spice things up.

Get the Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet recipe.

If you've never made these, you're in for a treat. Originally created in Mexico, they were popularized in the American Southwest. You can see why—they're basically walking tacos!

Get the Frito Pie recipe.

This filling is loosely based on a very traditional Mexican (top-secret!) recipe. It’s delicious as is, but if you want to give it even more pizzaz, we highly recommend adding a splash of red wine vinegar, finely chopped capers and green olives, and a good squeeze yellow mustard. Once you've got the pastry down, you can pretty much stuff them with anything!

Get the Cheesy Beef Empanadas recipe.

Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme is the stuff of legends, and we totally see why: Full of seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and, most importantly, a crunchy tostada shell, this stacked, handheld dish has just about everything you could ever want... and now you can make it at home!

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When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.

Get the Taco Salad recipe.

Enjoy the perfect combination of cheesy and beefy goodness with these unreal tacos. We promise you'll be so obsessed with this zesty, flavorful filling, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Use whatever ground beef you like best. We usually go with 80% lean/20% fat, but you do you.

Get the Cheesy Ground Beef Tacos recipe.

In 1943, some wives of U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas, were on a shopping trip in the bordering city of Piedras Negras, Mexico. They stopped at a just-closed restaurant. Not wanting to disappoint his customers, the maître d’, Ignacio "El Nacho" Anaya, was determined to whip something up for them. He made due with what was left in the kitchen—tortillas, cheese, and pickled jalapeños—and served what would go on to be called "Nacho's especiales". TMYK!

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Cheesy, savory enchiladas that have a super-green sauce might sound like a project, but mixing store-bought ingredients with fresh stuff speeds everything up without sacrificing flavor. The major “hack” here is using jarred salsa verde but punching up the flavor by adding a whole bunch of cilantro, fresh garlic, and jalapeños. It gives it a made-from-scratch taste, in a fraction of the time.

Get the Salsa Verde Enchiladas recipe.

Everything you love about a burrito, minus the tortilla. This low-carb dinner screams summer, with zucchini noodles, fresh cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn.

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We're all for a genius low-carb hack—and these tomatoes totally deliver. We had never thought to stuff them with taco meat, cheese, and sour cream, but we'll do anything in the name of ditching a tortilla for a low-carb meal. You can change up the fillings for cheeseburger tomatoes, too.

Get the Taco Tomatoes recipe.

If you've ever wished our Tex-Mex meatballs could be just a little bit cozier, you're in lucky. This flavorful soup is super-comforting and will help warm your bones all winter long.

Get the Tex-Mex Meatball Soup recipe.

One-pot taco spaghetti is a fast-as-can-be weeknight dinner that pairs all your favorite taco fixin’s with spaghetti rather than taco shells. It's perfect for those nights when you just cannot stand the thought of a sink full of dirty dishes.

Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.

You won't miss the tortilla in these stuffed zucchinis. They've got everything you love about your favorite burrito—black beans, corn, CHEESE—minus the carbs!

Get the Zucchini Burrito Boats recipe.

This Taco Bell copycat isn't actually Mexican, nor is it a pizza. It's actually more of a Tex-Mex quesadilla, and we love it for a lightning fast dinner. The ease of flour tortillas straight from the bag can't be beat, but if you want to be true to the Taco Bell recipe, shallow fry them in vegetable oil!

Get the Mexican Pizza recipe.

These are great for family dinner where everyone has their own taco topping preferences. Bake the boats while you get the fillings ready, and you'll have dinner on the table in no time.

Get the Beef Taco Boats recipe.

This easy one-pot soup was inspired by our love for that Tex-Mex classic: ground beef tacos. Lots of us grew up with taco night with those boxed taco shells and pre-shredded cheese— now you can have all the joys of serving tacos without having to do any of the taco building.

Get the Taco Soup recipe.

Butternut squash boats are to fall as stuffed zucchini are to summer. They're the perfect low-carb vehicle for plenty of veggies, meat, and, of course, CHEESE.

Get the Burrito Butternut Squash Boats recipe.

Zucchini can do it all and these beef enchiladas prove it! It's much easier to roll up than you would imaging making these so fun to make.

Get the Beef Zucchini Enchiladas recipe.