Wondering what to do with extra taco meat? Here are 20 leftover taco meat recipes that your family will love!
Whether you made too much, or your family didn’t eat as much as they usually do, or you’re wondering what to do with some frozen taco meat, you’ll love all of these recipe ideas!
From nachos to avocado boats to soup, these are the best leftover taco meat recipes out there!
Table Of Contents
- Recipes With Leftover Taco Meat
- 1. Taco Salad
- 2. Nachos
- 3. Taco Pizza
- 4. Avocado Taco Boats
- 5. Taco Soup
- 6. Taco Bites
- 7. Huevos Rancheros
- 8. Tex Mex Hash
- 9. Taquitos
- 10. Mexican Beef Cobbler
- 11. Taco Breakfast Skillet
- 12. Taco Pasta Casserole
- 13. Taco Pasta Salad
- 14. Navajo Tacos
- 15. Mexican Lasagna
- FAQs
Recipes With Leftover Taco Meat
1. Taco Salad
A taco salad is a light and healthy way to use up leftover taco meat. You can fill your salad with your favorite greens, vegetables, cheeses, beans, and tortilla strips so you have a meal that is as tasty as it is colorful. Choose a lime vinaigrette or creamy dressing to top it all off.
Try these recipes:
Taco Salad Recipe from The Forked Spoon (pictured left)
Healthy Taco Salad Recipe from Healthy Life Trainer (pictured right)
2. Nachos
Nachos are one of my favorite ways to use taco meat! It’s so easy to melt some cheese on top of your favorite chips and taco meat and finish it all off with your favorite toppings. Nachos are perfect for a crowd and you can make them in an air fryer for an even faster snack or with cheese chips for a Keto version.
Try these recipes:
Loaded Nachos from Amanda’s Cookin’ (pictured left)
Air Fryer Nachos from Your Home, Made Healthy (pictured right)
Low Carb Nachos from Peace, Love, and Low Carb (pictured below)
3. Taco Pizza
Everyone loves pizza, right? You can put a taco twist on the traditional favorite with some leftover taco meat! Taco pizza is an easy, layered entree that combines the delicious flavors of Taco Tuesday with the ease of a Naan flatbread. Follow the easy recipe below for a wonderful new dinner option.
Try this recipe:
Homemade Taco Pizza from Fresh Simple Home
4. Avocado Taco Boats
If you’re looking for a fresh, low carb dinner option using taco meat, an avocado boat is a delicious choice! Skip the tortilla and stuff an avocado with meat, veggies, and cheese, and dig in! Your kids will love how fun they are to eat, and you won’t have to feel guilty about having 2, or 3.
Try these recipes:
Keto Stuffed Avocado Boats from Drive Me Hungry (pictured left)
Avocado Taco Boats from Peace, Love, and Low Carb (pictured right)
Avocado Taco Boats from Fresh Simple Home (pictured below)
5. Taco Soup
For a comforting meal, try this creamy taco soup. This delicious soup features a creamy broth, beans, vegetables, and taco meat. It’s so easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes when you use leftover taco meat!
Try this recipe:
Creamy Taco Soup from The Ashcroft Family Table
6. Taco Bites
Parties and game day call for delicious appetizers and taco bites are the perfect hand-held version of the traditional taco! You can use up your leftover taco meat with some scoop tortilla chips (or homemade cups from tortilla circles or wonton wrappers) and your favorite toppings for a bite-size taco your guests will love.
Try this recipe:
Taco Bites Recipe from Sugar, Spice, and Family Life
7. Huevos Rancheros
Put a Mexican spin on your breakfast with this recipe for huevos rancheros! Top a corn tortilla with your favorite beans, taco meat, eggs, and cheese and you’ve got a savory breakfast that makes great use of your leftover meat.
Try this recipe:
Chorizo Huevos Rancheros from Binky’s Culinary Carnival (substitute the taco meat for the chorizo or use both!)
8. Tex Mex Hash
Leftovers do double-duty with this Easy Tex-Mex Hash. Not only is it quick to make, but it’s cheap and healthy, too! Just saute peppers, onion, and potatoes together and stir in your taco meat. This dish is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Try this recipe:
Easy Tex Mex Hash from Feasible Feast
9. Taquitos
This easy Air Fryer Taquitos recipe will become a favorite in your house for a quick and healthy meal that everyone will love. You can fill these Air Fryer Taquitos with your leftover taco meat and top them with your favorite salsa or dip!
Try this recipe:
Air Fryer Taquitos from Emily Fabulous
10. Mexican Beef Cobbler
Mexican beef cobbler is just like shepherd’s pie, except the filling has a Mexican flair and the cobbler is topped with biscuit dough instead of mashed potatoes. You can customize this dish with your favorite beans and top it with sour cream and guacamole for added flavor.
Try this recipe:
Mexican Beef Cobbler from Taste of Home
11. Taco Breakfast Skillet
With all the flavors and toppings of your favorite taco salad, this low carb taco breakfast skillet is the perfect way to start your day. An egg bake is topped with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and avocado. It’s great for Taco Tuesday, or any other day of the week!
Try this recipe:
Keto Taco Breakfast Skillet from Peace, Love, and Low Carb
12. Taco Pasta Casserole
Taco pasta casserole only requires 5 ingredients and you can customize it with a creamy sauce and your favorite toppings depending on what you have on hand. It makes 8 generous portions so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd!
Try this recipe:
Taco Pasta Casserole from Mighty Mrs.
13. Taco Pasta Salad
Give your pasta salads a spicy kick with this taco pasta salad recipe. This pasta salad brings taco seasoned ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, black beans, cheddar and scallions together with a creamy, slightly spicy, easy to pull together ranch dressing.
Try this recipe:
Easy Taco Pasta Salad from Small Town Woman
14. Navajo Tacos
Navajo tacos are another family favorite in our house and they are even easier if you use leftover taco meat! We usually use frozen scone dough to make the fry bread, but you’ll love the homemade taste that comes from making the dough from scratch.
Try this recipe:
Indian Fry Bread from Small Town Woman
15. Mexican Lasagna
Here’s another great dinner that puts a Mexican spin on a traditional Italian dish. This lasagna has layers of flour tortillas, cheese, beans, and ground beef, all baked together until golden brown. The ultimate casserole that’s sure to get rave reviews from the whole family!
Try this recipe:
Mexican Lasagna from Dinner at the Zoo
FAQs
How long is leftover taco meat good for?
Cooked meats will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and that includes leftover taco meat.
So it’s best to plan one of these dinners for the same week as your tacos or cook one on a Friday and have the other one the next week.
How do you moisten taco meat?
If you have leftover taco meat that’s dry, one of the easiest ways to moisten it is with a little water.
However, if you want to add some flavor to your meat, you can use a little tomato sauce or salsa.
If you’re making a dish that calls for cold taco meat, you can stir in the liquid to the meat before adding it to the other ingredients.
If you need the meat to be warm, you can warm it in a skillet or the microwave with your desired liquid.
Can you freeze leftover taco meat?
Yes and here’s how:
1. Let your taco meat cool after cooking.
2. Separate it out into 1 pound portions.
3. Add it to freezer safe gallon bags and lay flat.
4. Push out all of the excess air and seal the bag completely.
5. Label your bags with the date and keep in the freezer for 3-6 months.
When you’re ready to make one of these delicious meals, just pull out the bag and defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or in a large bowl of warm water (put the bag directly in the water).
I hope you found a new family favorite in this list of leftover taco meat recipes. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!
