Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (2024)

This Walking Tacos recipe is the perfect meal idea for camping. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up and includes the best taco meat you ever did taste. Find out how to make this classic and fun camping recipe.

Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (1)

Since I’m from Texas, a camping trip is not a camping trip without tacos. Actually, a week is not a week without tacos.

Thankfully I’ve converted my Pacific-Northwest raised partner in crime to love to tacos (almost) as much as I do. Which is probably the reason we’ve been able to stay together for over 20 years.

If you’re in need of an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone can customize to their liking, this camping tacos recipe is it.

Walking Tacos Recipe for Camping

Let’s start off talking about how much ground beef you’ll need for your camping crew and how to make very flavorful taco meat.

How Many Tacos Will A Pound of Ground Beef Make?

Whether you’re feeding your family or a large group of people, knowing how many tacos a pound of ground beef makes is important.

Typically, one pound of ground beef will make around 8 to 10 tacos. If you add other ingredients to your ground beef, like rice or onions, you can stretch it a bit more.

Do Onions Go In Tacos?

A great question isn’t it? And I have a great answer.

It all depends on your preference.

Personally, I like both onions and garlic in my taco meat for a couple of reasons: flavor and stretching that taco meat. But when one of my kids was younger, I had to make it without onions because she wouldn’t touch the meat if she saw something other than ground beef in there.

But now that the kids are older, I add a whole small yellow onion and 2 garlic cloves. It is so delicious this way!

Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (2)

Do You Add Water, Tomato Sauce or Something Else?

Since I’ve been around the taco block for a while, I’ve had ground beef for tacos just about every way you can imagine.

On the back of a taco seasoning packet, it’ll tell you to add water. Other recipes I’ve seen suggest adding tomato sauce, which will make it the best taco meat ever according to them and others who have tried the recipe.

What’s my favorite way?

With beef broth. I’m not fond of the tomato flavor I get from the tomato sauce and water just waters down the flavor of the meat. But by adding beef broth, you bring out that beef flavor and it’s oh so delicious.

I prefer using Better Than Bouillon beef base. It’s so easy to whip up the broth with this and I think it has a richer flavor than boxed or canned beef broth. Plus, it doesn’t take up as much room as a box of beef broth.

Can You Make the Taco Meat Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you’re opting for super easy meals on your camping trip, I would recommend making the taco meat (and pico de gallo, but we’ll get to that…) ahead of time. Then all you have to do is heat up the meat in a cast-iron skillet (add a little oil) over the campfire or on your RV oven.

How to Make Walking Tacos for Camping

Why are these called Walking Tacos?

Because they are served in a chip bag, making it super easy to eat and well, walk around.

What kinds of chips are best for Walking Tacos?

I prefer Fritos, but you can also use Nacho Cheese or Ranch Doritos.

Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (3)

Walking Tacos with Ground Beef Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef, I use 90%
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • Bags of Fritos or Doritos
  • Toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded iceberg lettuce, lime cream (or sour cream), shredded cheese

Toppings for Walking Tacos with Ground Beef

  • Homemade pico de gallo
  • shredded iceberg lettuce
  • shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • Lime crema

I eat pico de Gallo on so many things (except cereal – I do draw a line somewhere) so it is well worth it to me to either make the pico while camping or make it ahead of time.

I made a big batch of it before we went on our Campervan rental trip and ate it with quesadillas for lunch and with tortilla chips for a snack.

If you don’t have the time, ingredients or desire to make homemade pico de gallo, you can also top these with diced tomatoes.

Walking Tacos Instructions

  1. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
  2. Add the diced onions, cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute
  4. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 – 8 minutes
  5. Drain grease
  6. Add taco seasoning and stir well
  7. Add beef broth and cook until the liquid reduces; about 10 – 15 minutes
  8. While the meat is cooking, get out all of the walking tacos toppings and chip bags
  9. Fill chip bags with ground beef and add toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, lime crema (or sour cream) and shredded cheese

This taco meat recipe also makes fantastic hard shell tacos.

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Your Printable Walking Tacos Recipe Card

Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (6)

Walking Tacos Recipe for Camping

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Walking Tacos recipe is the perfect meal idea for camping. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up and includes the best taco meat you ever did taste. Find out how to make this classic and fun camping recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • Bags of Fritos or Doritos
  • Toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded iceberg lettuce, lime cream (or sour cream), shredded cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
  2. Add the diced onions, cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute
  4. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 – 8 minutes
  5. Drain grease
  6. Add taco seasoning and stir well
  7. Add beef broth and cook until the liquid reduces; about 10 – 15 minutes
  8. While the meat is cooking, get out all of the walking tacos toppings and chip bags
  9. Fill chip bags with ground beef and add toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, lime crema (or sour cream) and shredded cheese
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 286Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 411mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 19g

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Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (7)

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Julie Bonner

Julie specializes in helping you whip up delicious meals in your tiny RV kitchen, as well as RV organization tips and helping fellow RVers make their RV feel like home. Her favorite RVing spot is in Banff National Park in Canada where yes, the water really is that blue and the people really are that nice.

Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a taco and a walking taco? ›

Walking tacos and tacos in a bag are the same thing: flavored ground beef served in a bag of chips with toppings like cheese, sour cream, and jalapeños. This dish is referred to as different things in various regions of the country, and it's a close cousin of the Frito pie.

How can I make my taco meat taste better? ›

Taco Meat Recipes

Feel free to play around with adding different veggies or spices. I sometimes toss chopped onions in with the ground beef while it's browning. Chopped roasted green chiles are another great add-in, especially if you like spice. Simply add them along with the beans and corn.

What is the best meat for tacos? ›

I prefer to use 90% lean ground beef for tacos for the best flavor and consistency. If it's any more lean, it may be too dry. If you use a less lean kind, make sure to drain off the fat after cooking the ground beef, before adding the seasoning.

What sides go good with walking tacos? ›

The best side dishes to serve with walking tacos are guacamole, pico de gallo, spanish rice, refried beans, pineapple salsa, ranchero sauce, tostilocos, churros, chicken burrito bowl, lazy enchiladas, cheese dip, steak fajitas, chicken enchiladas, carne asada, menudo, and sauteed mushrooms.

What do Mexicans call walking tacos? ›

Frito pies are sometimes referred to by the name walking taco or Frito boat, and can be made in a small, single-serving bag of corn chips, with chili, taco meat, chickpeas, pork rinds, pepitas, and many other varied ingredients, poured over the top.

What is another name for a walking taco? ›

The name walking taco is sometimes used synonymously with the term Frito pie or to refer to an on-the-go variation of it.

Should I season taco meat before cooking? ›

Mix the seasoning into the meat before cooking!

To get the most seasoning flavor in your taco meat, mix it into the meat and let it rest in the fridge like you would ground sausage. This also helps keep more moisture in the meat because you risk squeezing the juices out of the meat when you mix it in after it's cooked.

What does adding water to taco meat do? ›

What you're doing when you add water is helping the cornstarch create a smooth sauce flavored with the spices. The heat then activates the cornstarch, thickening the mixture.

What cut of meat do Mexicans use for tacos? ›

For authentic Mexican tacos you must use Skirt steak or flank steak either one must be marinated in some oil ,vineger,onions,garlic,lime or orange juice let meat marinate for at least 6 to 8 hours grill to taste and enjoy with fresh made or bought corn tortillas,onions, cilantro, salsa and squeeze of lime mmm.

What is the most traditional taco meat? ›

Real taco meat is most often pork or beef. Any recipe for pulled pork can be used for tacos. Take a shoulder of pork, brown it on all sides in oil or bacon fat. Then add a large amount of garlic.

What cheese is best for tacos? ›

A mild cheese that melts easily, such as queso asadero, queso de Oaxaca, or queso menonita, is best for this application. Cheese taco shells: Melt cheddar cheese on a baking sheet until it forms a disk, then shape it into a hard taco shell shape. You can also use a Mexican cheese blend to make cheese taco shells.

How much meat per person for walking tacos? ›

1 oz. cooked ground beef per taco, 2 tacos per person equals 100 oz. of cooked ground beef. 100 oz.'s divvied up by 16 equals, 6 and a quarter lbs.

Why is it called a walking taco? ›

And to tell that story, you have to know that a walking taco is simply another name for Frito pie—specifically, walking Frito pie (putting it all in a bag is the key here)—or as a Petro, if you're buying it at the Tennessee-based fast food chain of the same name (about which more shortly).

What are some facts about walking tacos? ›

In a “Walking Taco” all of the taco/taco salad ingredients go into the individual portion chips bag. Also, where I grew up, it was usually Doritos and not Fritos that were used. The purpose is to be able to eat it while walking around and then toss the bag + plastic fork without any need for paper plates or anything.

Why do they call it a walking taco? ›

In a “Walking Taco” all of the taco/taco salad ingredients go into the individual portion chips bag. Also, where I grew up, it was usually Doritos and not Fritos that were used. The purpose is to be able to eat it while walking around and then toss the bag + plastic fork without any need for paper plates or anything.

What are the three types of tacos? ›

Tacos are a common form of antojitos, or Mexican street food, which have spread around the world. Three varieties of taco (clockwise from left): carnitas, carne asada, and al pastor.

Is it called taco in a bag or walking taco? ›

A walking taco is a single-serving bag of tortilla chips filled with taco toppings like ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream. The chip bag makes it easy to eat this taco while on the move, making the “walking taco” a true-to-its-name snack.

What are two different types of tacos called? ›

Most Popular Mexican Street Tacos
  • Al Pastor. Originating from the influence of Lebanese immigrants in Mexico, Al Pastor tacos feature marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit, reminiscent of Middle Eastern shawarma. ...
  • Arabes. ...
  • Barbacoa. ...
  • Birria. ...
  • Carne Asada. ...
  • Carnitas. ...
  • Chorizo. ...
  • Pescado.
Jun 9, 2023

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