Name: Slow Cooker Ground Beef Taco Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 7 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil; 2 lbs (900 g) ground chuck beef (85% lean 15% fat); 2 tsp (10 ml) salt; freshly cracked pepper; 1 cup (150 g) white onion; 5 garlic cloves; 2 cans (30 oz/900 ml) diced tomatoes; 3 tbsp (45 ml) tomato paste; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 2 tsp (10 ml) smoked paprika; 2 tsp (10 ml) cumin; 2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander; 4 tsp (20 ml) dried oregano; 1 tsp (5 ml) white vinegar; Store-bought taco shells; A selection of hot sauces; 1 cup (240 ml) grated sharp cheddar cheese; 1 cup (240 ml) shredded iceberg lettuce

Jump to Recipe

The Slow Cooker is hands down, a busy person’s best friend! You can make so many delicious things in it! And the best part is you just set it and forget it and come home to a house filled with the most intoxicating aroma that feels as though you’ve been standing over the stove all day long. Taco Tuesday has never been easier!

This is also a great slow cooker recipe for entertaining when you need to feed a crowd for Game Day or a House Warming Party! Looking for grilled beef tacos? Try my Carne Asada Taco Recipe! A great taco recipe for summer entertaining, or my Cod Fish Tacos, for a lighter summer taco.

My Favorite Model of Slow Cooker

For this recipe, I’m using the 4 qt 3-in-1 Slow Cooker by Cuisinart (this link goes to Amazon where I am an affiliate) I really like this model of slow cooker because you can sear the ground beef directly in the slow cooker, on the “brown” setting before adding the rest of the ingredients.

This alleviates the need for using a skillet to cook the beef, before transferring it to the slow cooker, it all can be done in the same pot, making for less clean up too!

The Easiest 3-Step Process

What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is! It’s basically a 3-step process.

Brown the Meat
Add the rest of the ingredients
Add a splash of vinegar before serving

The Secret Ingredient: Vinegar

Don’t skimp on the vinegar it adds a wonderful little bite to the tomato-based sauce that wakes the whole thing up!
After slow cooking, for hours your tacos will develop the most incredible depth of flavor.
The vinegar just helps to brighten up a bit. I also like to serve a selection of hot sauces on the side so each person can add their “own heat”.

Skip The Taco Seasoning Mix!

I know it might be tempting to shave off a few minutes and buy a Taco Seasoning Packet, but really I find the flavor is so much better with a homemade mix of spices you probably already have sitting in your pantry.
They each provide a different flavor and when combined together will create the most delicious flavor!
You’ll also avoid any preservatives and MSG those spice packets can contain too.

The Perfect Homemade Taco Seasoning Blend:

For me, these are the key players in order of importance. Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, Corriander.

Smoked Paprika is different than regular paprika or Hungarian Paprika. It has this wonderful smokey flavor to it, which is a deal-breaker if it’s not in my mix! You can also mix it with store-bought ketchup for smokey ketchup that’s great on Burger Recipes.
Cumin adds a wonderful earthy flavor that complements the smokiness of the paprika
Oregano adds a nice freshness and bold flavor to the tacos. If you don’t have oregano, the next best thing would be Herbs de Provence. I’ve used that too in a pinch
Corriander is a great “nice to have” but you could skip it if need be. It adds a subtle sweetness and delicious aroma to the tacos.

How Long to Slow Cook?

This really depends on how much time you have.
If you are in a rush and don’t have much time, I’d set your slow cooker on high and go for 3 hours, if you have more time, I think these are even better set on low and go for 7 hours.
The flavors become so much more pronounced and will create the best taco meat!
Tuesdays are usually our taco night and it works out perfectly because having it fall on the same night of the week always makes me remember to get them started early!

To Serve:

These tacos make for a fun buffet if you are entertaining for a crowd. You can set the slow cooker on warm, add a stack of plates, and all the fixings. These are some of my favorite toppings
I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, or a finely shredded Mexican blend cheese if you want the cheese to melt quickly
Warmed tacos shells. Heat them for 5 minutes in a 300F oven. They become crispier and lighter this way.
Sliced lettuce ribbons
Fresh cilantro
A selection of different types of hot sauce in varying degrees of heat
Full-Fat Sour cream. I do the full-fat since it’s thicker and won’t water down your tacos.

To Reheat:

These tacos make fantastic leftovers! They are easy to reheat too!
Just place the taco meat in a saucepan, add a splash of vinegar to reawaken the flavor, a shake or two of oregano. And simmer until hot.
If you run out of taco shells, you can also spoon the taco meat over tortilla chips, top with cheese and make nachos.

Making This Recipe Without a Slow Cooker

If not making these in a slow cooker, you can use a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil in the pot and saute onions until soft and tender.
Then brown meat until cooked through
Then add all ingredients and simmer for 30-40 minutes until most liquid is evaporated.
Add vinegar, stir and serve!

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