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2.05.17

5 Minute Paleo Taco Meat {Whole30}

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Whole 30 Nut Free Egg Free No Added Sugar

Easy 5 minute Paleo taco meat that’s perfect for quick taco salads, bowls, or wraps. Whole30 friendly and great for busy families!

This is one of those recipes that completely came to life by accident.  But really, what type of “accident” results in the most delicious Paleo taco meat that you can make in 5 minutes?  Hmm, well if you’re a mom like me, with VERY minimal time to spend making weeknight dinners due to seemingly endless after school activities, you might have an idea about what I’m saying.

Up until recently, Tuesdays were sort of ridiculous.  Emily had gymnastics from 4:30-6, Diana dance from 5-7, and Drew hip hop from 4-4:45.  So, I would come home with Drew between 5:00 and 5:30 and make dinner then, usually wearing my winter jacket and barely stopping to breathe.

On one particular Tuesday, I “gave up” and literally threw a bunch of meat in a pan with what seemed like way too many spices and stirred, checking emails at the same time.  I think I was frying some plantains too, but, really I can’t remember.  I turned off the stove and  checked to make sure the oven was off (I get so paranoid when I rush like this) and Drew and I left to get Emily. 

That night to my surprise, dinner was pretty flipping awesome.  Everyone loved it (we did make your own tacos – YAY for taco Tuesday) and I had leftover taco meat for lunch the next day.  Since then, this 5 minute taco meat has become my go-to “I’m-in-a-damn-rush-and-can’t-be-bothered” dinner staple.  It’s an all-purpose, EASY taco meat that can be used in any meal (perfect to make ahead or for leftovers), with all your favorite toppings!

One note on the meat I use.  I’ve made this with many different meat combinations, and, BY FAR it turns out the best with beef (not too lean) and either pork or lamb.  I think a fattier meat just winds up holding onto the flavors that much better.

That said, I’ve also cooked this with a combo of ground beef and turkey and that was good too – I just made sure to use extra cooking fat to make up for the leanness of the meat.  Ready to cook?  Let’s go!

5 Minute Paleo Taco Meat {Whole30}

5 Minute Paleo Taco Meat {Whole30}

Easy 5 minute Whole30 Paleo taco meat with two types of ground meat and simple spices. Perfect for quick salads and bowls when you need dinner ready ASAP!
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Paleo &amp, Whole30
Servings: 6 servings
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5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb grass fed ground beef 80-85% lean
  • 1 lb pasture raised ground pork*
  • 2 tbsp cooking fat coconut oil, bacon fat, olive oil, ghee
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • generous dash chipotle pepper adjust to your taste, or omit
  • 2-3 tsp water
  • fresh cilantro and chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat a very large skillet (my 15" cast iron one is perfect for this!) over med heat and add the cooking fat.
  2. While the skillet preheats, combine the salt and spices in a small bowl.
  3. Crumble all the ground meat into the hot skillet and break up lumps with a spoon, sprinkle all over with the spice mixture and water and cook, stirring to evenly brown, about 2-3 minutes until no longer pink. Garnish with fresh cilantro and chives.
  4. Serve in a salad, taco bowl, or wrap (not Whole30)
  5. Toppings I love - fried sweet plantains or tostones, ranch dressing, chipotle ranch or avocado ranch, diced avocado and tomatoes, jalapeños, and any of your favorite veggies, pre-prepared.

Recipe Notes

*If you use all beef, or a leaner combination of meat, make sure to increase the amount of cooking fat as needed

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @PaleoRunningMomma on Instagram and hashtag it #PaleoRunningMomma

Easy 5 minute Paleo taco meat that's perfect for quick taco salads, bowls, or wraps. Whole30 friendly and great for busy families for weeknight dinners!  Works great to make ahead of time during meal prep too.

Easiest #paleo and #whole30 taco meat ever that’s ready in just 5 minutes!

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Want more quick and easy Paleo and Whole30 dinner recipes?  Try one of these!  

Easy One Pan Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Paleo Pesto Baked Chicken

“Breaded” Chicken Cutlets

Pan Fried Italian Style Meatballs {low FODMAP}

Tell Me!

Do you do Taco Tuesdays?  

What’s your ultimate taco salad/bowl?

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!

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About Michele

More than a little into running and paleo recipes (yoga now too!) but I'm not here to rain on your grains (or anything else) so come along for the ride! I do a little too much of everything (except cleaning), and I enjoy laughing at myself. As long as I'm the one making the jokes, that is. Just kidding. So bring me your angst, your appetite and your frying pan and climb aboard!

Reader Interactions

Reader Reviews & Comments

  1. Mark says

    February 5, 2017 at 11:05 am

    I like the site but I’m unsubscribing just to much other junk that pops up I understand it’s a business and the adds pay for it but a pop up add for “rasin bran crunch” and a shady mortgage offer no thanks

    Reply
  2. Mel _OutRunCf says

    February 5, 2017 at 10:54 pm

    I made a very similar recipe in the crock pot last Saturday and it was so good! Even better reheated the next day. I ended up using what was left to make a breakfast casserole with eggs and veggies. So easy and delicious!

    Reply
  3. Emily says

    February 6, 2017 at 11:44 am

    YUMMY! We love taco meat in our house, and I usually make a paleo version every week! Also, I wanted to say, ‘Thank you,’ for the sweet potato muffin recipe. My family loved them so much. They were amazing!

    Reply
  4. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

    February 6, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    I’ve done this with turkey and it’s delicious! I haven’t made plantains in forever. Can you believe that? I’m not sure why, but now I definitely need them!

    Reply
  5. Lisa @ Lisa 3D says

    February 7, 2017 at 10:38 am

    Love the idea of adding plantains on the side – I’ve never tried making those at home before!

    Reply
  6. Melinda says

    July 11, 2019 at 10:43 pm

    5 stars
    I have tried several taco meat recipes, but this one is by far my favorite! The flavor is spot on. Great job!

    Reply
  7. Jessica says

    January 7, 2020 at 8:58 am

    This recipe worked out great for us. I added a tablespoon of tomato paste

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. iBloom Health Resource Guide — iBloom says:
    June 5, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    […] Taco Meat: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/5-minute-paleo-taco-meat-whole30/ […]

    Reply
  2. 25 Paleo Kids Dinner Recipes Your Kids Will Beg For! says:
    October 2, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    […] 19. 5 Minute Paleo Taco Meat Recipe […]

    Reply
  3. Healthy Meal Plan – June 9 – 16 | Adventures With Haily says:
    June 4, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    […] L: Taco Bowl: 1 lb lean ground beef (get the best you can afford. If you can get grass fed great, if not what you can afford is what’s important), 1 avocado, 1 large diced onion (white or sweet), 1 serrano pepper (or jalapeno or any pepper you like), 1 head romaine lettuce – shredded, pico de gallo, finely sliced radish, and lime wedges.  I do have a recipe on the pinterest board. Ignore the seasonings – follow this recipe’s seasonings. It’s better: taco recipe for seasoning. […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I’m so happy you stopped by! My name is Michele and I’m a Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, mom of 3, and the gal behind Paleo Running Momma! Over here you’ll find real-food, clean eating family favorites that you’ll be excited to share with your loved ones. I hope you stay awhile, eat, savor, and enjoy!

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