Healthy Beef Tacos with Hidden Vegetables

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This healthy ground beef tacos recipe is made with lean ground beef tossed with homemade taco seasoning and shredded fresh vegetables. They are an easy-to-make, healthier version of homemade taco meat that the whole family will love and are just perfect for taco night.

three tacos on a plate with lettuce tomatoes and shredded cheese

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Serve these healthy ground beef tacos for taco Tuesdays or any night with your favorite taco toppings; they are quick and full of flavor. Healthy eating has never been easier!

This healthy taco filling has a lot of versatility! Aside from regular tacos, it’s also delicious in our sheet pan nacho recipe.

Why you will love this recipe

This recipe is a great way to sneak extra vegetables into your day for the picky eaters in your life!
Tacos made with a homemade seasoning blend, allow you to control the salt and heat in your tacos.
Tacos are quick and easy to make; with just a few simple ingredients, dinner will be on the table fast!

Here is what you will need

This is a summary of the ingredients needed to make this recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

lean ground beef (grass-fed, ground round or sirloin)
olive oil
shredded carrots (or any of your favorite vegetables)
shredded zucchini
taco seasoning blend, here is my recipe for homemade taco seasoning
taco shells
your favorite taco toppings (chopped green or red onion, avocados, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc)

How to make healthy ground beef tacos

Prepare – shred the carrots, zucchini, and cheese using a box grater or food processor.

Mix the seasoning blend (3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper).

STEP 1: Heat olive oil in a pan at medium-high heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, reduce to medium heat; add the ground beef to the pan and cook it until it turns brown.

cooked-ground-beef-with-taco-seasoning-on-top

STEP 2: Stir the seasoning blend into the ground beef taco meat and reduce the heat to medium heat.

an overhead view of browned beef in a skillet with shredded carrots and onions on top

STEP 3: Stir in the shredded vegetables.

cooked-taco-meat-in-skillet-with-shredded-vegetables

STEP 4: Stir in the water, and reduce the heat to low; simmer for a few minutes.

an-overhead-view-of-the-finished-taco-meat-with-vegetables

STEP 5: Serve your healthy taco filling in your favorite taco shell with your favorite toppings

looking down at three tacos on a plate with lettuce and lime

If you are looking for more easy and delicious ground beef recipes, check out these Healthy Ground Beef Recipes!

How to make healthy beef tacos ahead of time

Tacos are a great recipe to make ahead of time. Prepare the taco filling according to the instructions in the recipe card and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days.

You can also chop the lettuce and fixings ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, heat the taco meat on top of the stove and assemble the tacos.

How to store leftover taco filling

Store leftover taco meat in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the leftover taco meat overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat the taco meat on top of the stove or in the microwave.

What to do with leftover taco meat – add leftover taco meat to salads, rice and beans, wraps, tortillas, or quesadillas.

three tacos on plate with lime and lettuce

Serving Suggestions

Serve healthy tacos with any of your favorite taco toppings such as chopped fresh cilantro, olives, pickled onions, chopped green onions, pico de gallo, fresh garden salsa, salsa verde, homemade guacamole, hot sauce, shredded pepper jack, or cheddar cheese.

Make it a complete meal and serve your healthy tacos with a Mexican chopped salad on the side, and if you are serving these tacos to your kids, make dinner even more fun with grinch punch as a beverage.

Recipe variations

Even though these taco taste great as they are, here are a few ways to make them your own.

Taco salad – fill up a bowl with romaine lettuce, onions, tomatoes, shredded cheese, healthy taco meat, and avocados and top it with a crumbled taco shell or tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and Greek yogurt.

Sheet pan nachos – add tortilla chips to a baking tray and cover them with taco meat, sprinkle on cheese, and sliced jalapenos. Place the mixture into the oven at 350 until the cheese melts. Top the melted cheese with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, and salsa.

Use less meat – Reduce the meat to 1/2 pound and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cooked black beans to the meat when the vegetables are added.

Vegetarian tacos – Instead of ground beef, use a vegetarian taco filling like the one used in this vegetarian taco lettuce wraps recipe.

Change up the meat – Replace ground beef with ground turkey, chicken or pork.

Tips

Don’t peel the zucchini! The zucchini skin is mild tasting and it’s where most of the nutrients are. If you don’t like the skin, you can remove it.
Make extra taco meat filling an use it during the week in salads, bowls, wraps, nachos and more.
Add a little extra flavor and moisture to the taco meat with a splash of fresh juice.
Store homemade taco seasoning blend in your spice cabinet for up to 8 months.

What type of taco shells are better to use, hard or soft?

We prefer our tacos in hard shells, but they also taste great as soft tacos in soft corn tortillas or flour tortillas.

Is there a low carb version for taco shells?

Try using romaine or bibb lettuce leaves to hold your taco meat or low-carb tortillas.

What makes these homemade tacos Healthy?

Homemade is always healthier because you can control the ingredients. Homemade tacos contain less salt, and they have vegetables in them, so these tacos are much better for you than fast food tacos.