Slow Cooker Taco Mince

Beef tacos on white plate with cheese and lime wedges.

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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Taco Mince is an easy set and forget recipe! Perfect for busy weeknights, we need only simple ingredients!

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: slow cooker taco mince

Servings:

Calories: 483kcal

Author: Adrianne

Ingredients

1 medium onion skin peeled and diced, Note 1
500 grams/ 16 oz beef mince (ground beef) Note 2
400 grams/ 14 oz black beans drained and rinsed, Note 3
1 tablespoon garlic Note 4
1 teaspoon garlic powder Note 5
1 teaspoon onion powder Note 6
2 teaspoons cumin Note 7
2 teaspoons paprika Note 8
1 teaspoon dried oregano Note 9
½ teaspoon salt Note 10
½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 10
2 tablespoons tomato paste Note 11
½ cup/125 ml water Note 12

Instructions

Onion, beef, beans and garlic: Add the diced onion, beef mince, black beans and garlic to the slow cooker.
Taco seasoning: next add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Liquids: then add the tomato paste and pour in the water.
Stir: use a wooden spoon and gently stir the taco mixture breaking up large clumps of the mince as you go.
Cook: pop the lid on the slow cooker and set the timer. You can cook the mince for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
To serve: spoon the taco meat into soft shelled tacos with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and cheese.

Notes

Note 1 - Onion: we want to peel and dice one brown onion. If you prefer to use a red onion you can.
Note 2 - Beef mince: beef mince which is also known as ground beef depending on what country you are in. This is an excellent cut of beef that is extremely versatile and cost effective. It also freezes very well. However, if you have frozen it it to use for the recipe, I would not then freeze leftover taco meat.
Note 3 - Black beans: all we need to do for these is to drain and rinse them. If you want to use red kidney beans instead, you can.
Note 4 - Garlic: you can use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, chunky chopped garlic or jarred minced garlic. Opt for whichever one is the most convenient for you.
Note 5 - Garlic powder: we make our own homemade taco seasoning for this recipe and garlic powder is one of these ingredients.
Note 6 - Onion powder: as above. The onion powder is one of the taco seasoning ingredients.
Note 7 - Oregano: a fragrant and versatile dried herb which works with a number of flavor combinations.
Note 8 - Paprika: you can use either smoked or ground paprika.
Note 9 - Cumin: smell this once you have removed the lid from the bottle and the smell of Mexican food comes to mind! This is the ground powder form of cumin we need.
Note 10- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning the ground beef.
Note 11 - Tomato paste: thick and rich (also a great pizza sauce should you ever need one!). This ingredient adds a lovely depth of flavor to the taco mince.
Note 12 - Water: just like when we use store bought taco seasoning powder, we do add some water to the recipe. This ensures that the taco mince is juicy and flavorsome. Tap water is what I use.

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