Learn to make delicious beef tacos from scratch with homemade salsa in about 45 minutes. This beginner-friendly recipe is perfect for taco night with family or friends, and teaches you how to season and cook flavorful ground beef plus make a fresh, zesty salsa.
Clear your counter space and gather all your tools. Wash your hands thoroughly. Set out your cutting board, knife, mixing bowls, and measuring spoons so everything is ready to go.
Wash the tomatoes under cold water. Place them on your cutting board and cut each tomato in half, then into quarters. Dice into small pieces about the size of a pea. Put all the diced tomatoes into a mixing bowl.
Peel the onion and dice half of it into small pieces (save the other half for another use). Remove the stem from the jalapeño, cut it in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon if you want less heat. Finely dice the jalapeño. Add both to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and add them to the bowl. Squeeze the juice from one lime over everything. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Stir everything together well, taste, and add more salt if needed. Set the salsa aside in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well with a spoon until evenly combined. This is your homemade taco seasoning.
Place a large skillet or frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Let it heat up for about 1-2 minutes until it's hot but not smoking. You don't need to add oil yet since the beef will release its own fat.
Add the ground beef to the hot skillet, breaking it up into smaller chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up any large pieces, until the meat is completely browned with no pink remaining. The beef should be crumbly and cooked through.
If there's a lot of grease in the pan, carefully tilt the skillet and spoon out most of the excess fat into a heat-safe container (like an empty can). Leave a little bit of fat for flavor. Be very careful as the pan and fat are extremely hot.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add your homemade taco seasoning to the cooked beef and stir well to coat all the meat evenly. Add 1/4 cup of water to help the spices distribute. Stir and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid mostly evaporates and the beef is well-coated with seasoning.
Heat another skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place tortillas one at a time on the hot surface for about 30 seconds per side until they're warm, slightly puffy, and have a few light brown spots. Stack them on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
While the tortillas warm, grate the cheese using a box grater or use pre-shredded cheese. Shred the lettuce into thin strips. Arrange all your toppings in small bowls or on a plate so everyone can build their own tacos.
Turn off the heat. To build each taco: take a warm tortilla, add a generous spoonful of seasoned beef down the center, then top with cheese, lettuce, a spoonful of fresh salsa, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately while everything is warm and enjoy!