Tacos, tacos, tacos. It's no secret that tacos are my absolute favorite food. I've shared a few other "fancy" taco recipes here and while they are delicious, sometimes the classic is what you're craving. And by classic, I mean the standard American ground meat taco. This recipe can be made with any lean ground meat (wild game or domestic) includes a seasoning blend recipe and is the perfect weeknight meal!
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How to make homemade taco seasoning:
If you're looking for an easy way to up your taco game, making your own seasoning blend is a great way to do it! It takes a small amount of effort to make homemade taco seasoning and the reward is so worth it. You can customize the spice mixture how you like it and there's no added fillers like starches or flour. My blend consists of chili powder, cumin, onion flakes, garlic powder (or fresh garlic added before cooking), oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. You can mix up a couple batches worth and store it like you would store any other spices like in these glass jars. Then it's ready to go whenever you're ready to make tacos!
How to keep wild game tacos moist:
Wild game is notorious for getting dried out but it doesn't have to be! Since wild game is generally pretty lean, you have to treat it differently than ground beef or pork. If you follow a few simple steps, you'll never have to eat dry tacos again!
- Mix the seasonings into the meat before cooking as if you're making a sausage. This helps the meat absorb the flavors and makes it so you don't have to incorporate the seasonings into the meat while it cooks. Instead, you can let it do it's thing without risking losing moisture from all the stirring.
- Cook the meat in animal fat like pork lard. This gives the meat a better mouthfeel and a little more flavor.
- Add in some moisture at the end of cooking. I like to use tomato paste and wild game or beef stock and let it simmer into the meat and create a sauce. It makes a delicious sauce and adds great moisture to the meat!
What to serve with wild game tacos:
Tacos are my favorite food because they have everything you need for a balanced meal and you don't really need sides! For classic ground tacos, I like to use classic toppings like cheddar cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, sliced olives, salsa, and sour cream. If you're feeling fancy, add in a little sliced avocado or guacamole. If you really can't live without a side, refried beans or a cabbage slaw would go great with these tacos. Or if you like to drink your sides, a margarita would be perfect. Whether you serve them on their own or with a side, you'll definitely want to work these into your weeknight menus!
Other taco recipes to try:
Venison Barbacoa Tacos
Shredded Venison Street Tacos
Brook Trout Tacos with Avocado Crema
Pronghorn Carne Asada
Easy Ground Wild Game Tacos
Ingredients
Taco Meat:
- 1 lb ground wild game (red meat: venison, pronghorn, elk, moose, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon lard (only needed if your meat does not have added fat)
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ cup stock (beef or wild game)
Other Ingredients:
- 8 tortillas (soft shell taco size or crispy taco shells)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoon yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
Instructions
- Combine chili powder, cumin, onion flakes, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add to ground meat and incorporate spices into meat, using your hands.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lard to pan, let it melt, and swirl to coat the pan.
- Add seasoned meat to pan and spread meat out into a thin layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until bottom side is browned and crisp. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Break up meat with a wooden spoon or ChopStir tool. Add in tomato paste and broth. Stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer and let liquid reduce for an additional 2-3 minutes or until liquid is no longer soupy. The mixture should be mostly meat with a little extra thickened sauce to keep it moist.
- Divide meat among tortillas. Top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
- Suggested toppings per taco: 1 tablespoon shredded cheese, 1 teaspoon diced onion, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 tablespoon diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoon shredded lettuce, and ½ tablespoon sliced black olives.
Moop Brown says
These tacos look incredibly tasty and flavorful. I appreciate all the tips you provided also on keeping the tacos moist.
Enri Lemoine says
Your taco seasoning is simply perfect. I seasoned ground beef, and trust me: that was the best ground beef for tacos ever! Thanks for sharing.
Annie says
Thank you Enri!! I'm so glad the seasoning worked out for your ground beef. It works great for all types of meat!
Loreto and Nicoletta says
Nicoletta and I love our taco Tuesdays. Tacos gave a way of just bringing fun and color to the table. Love your spice blend, and your meat looks so tender!
I am so craving tacos now! Are they ready yet!😁😋🥰❤
Annie says
Taco Tuesdays should be every day!! 🌮🌮🌮
Colleen says
We made these tacos with ground turkey and they were delicious. The seasoning was spot on. Thanks for sharing.
Annie says
That's great! The seasoning mixture works with all kinds of meat!
Sharon says
These tacos are a great way to enjoy wild game. The seasonings add so much flavor to the meat.
Annie says
Thanks Sharon! I find that this recipe is a great one to introduce to people who haven't had wild game before.
veenaazmanov says
Perfect option when hungry. Bursting with all the flavors and yummy topping makes it super delicious and tempting.
Kayla DiMaggio says
These wild game tacos were delicious! Love sourcing my own food and I love finding creative ways to use it!
Annie says
Thanks Kayla! Food is so much more rewarding when you source it yourself! 🙂
mikayla says
The lean rich flavors of venison in our tacos was very good. Now we want to experiment with other fresh game as the seasons roll around.
Annie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the tacos! This seasoning mixture is great for all different kinds of meat!
Sophia says
This was such a good idea, normally we just throw our meat on the grill or make burgers but this was a very delicious switch up.
Annie says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Peter says
This was perfect, we had some ground deer (venison) in our freezer, and this recipe was perfect!
Annie says
Thanks Peter! I'm glad you were able to use up some of your ground venison!