Taco Meat: Batch Cooking for Quick and Easy Meals

Two finished soft shell tacos with sliced peppers, shredded cheese and a dallop of sour cream on a square white plate.

Batch cooking is a great way to save time and money. Having food already prepared is the best way to make sure you are eating meals at home and always have an easy dinner available. Taco meat is something I do not enjoy cooking often so when I decide to cook it, I make several pounds at a time. This can be a great first step to getting in the routine of batch cooking.

Leftover taco meat will last in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. It can be used for taco salad, taco soup, or any of your other favorite recipes.

How to Freeze Taco Meat

Depending on how long you plan to store your cooked taco meat, you can use freezer bags or glass containers. Make sure to label them with the date so you can rotate through your food for best quality and prevent freezer burn. If using Ziploc bags, I recommend storing for no more than 3-4 months. Freezing your meat in pre-portioned serving sizes means you are always ready for taco Tuesday or those busy weeknights.

You can decide how much meat you want to batch cook at a time, but I usually cook up 3-4 pounds at once to use for different recipes. Since freezing taco meat is so easy to do, I know I always have a great option for a healthy meal in the freezer. You can use different types of ground meat to fit your family’s preference. However, ground turkey, shredded chicken and shredded pork are other popular options, in addition to the classic ground beef.

Batch cooked taco meat in glass airtight containers.

Stretching Your Meat Budget

Adding things like chopped vegetables and beans to your meat helps to make it spread further and save you money on groceries. In my taco meat I usually add a can of meals as well as chopped peppers and onions. Cauliflower rice is also a good option to bulk up your meat. Everything gets right rich flavor of the meat and you barely notice the vegetables.

Amy Cross standing at her kitchen counter with all the ingredients needed to make her Homemade Taco Seasoning and batch cooked taco meat recipes.

Batch Cooking Chicken Enchiladas

If you're looking for another meal idea for batch cooking, check out my Chicken Enchiladas Recipe. It makes 18, enough for several dinners as well as easy lunches. Get the full recipe here: Chicken Enchiladas