How To Replicate Taco Bell-Style Ground Beef At Home

Taco Bell is an institution. It's a stop on a road trip, a go-to for the midnight munchies in college, and a right of passage for dining with your own kids. But if you've ever tried to make clone versions of this fast food chain's menu items and just can't get it right, you aren't alone. The good news is the fix is easier than you might think. If you are browning your ground beef, this cooking technique is holding you back from achieving culinary perfection when trying to replicate your favorite Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme. Instead, you need to boil it.

According to a TikToker who goes by the handle @dollartreedinners, boiling your ground beef before you add your DIY taco seasoning is going to give you the bite and flavor you've grown to love. The TikToker revealed, "To get the beef texture just right, I boil the ground beef instead of browning it. After cooking and draining it, I season it like taco meat! A simple mix of chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder works great." Her followers agree, with one noting, "Boiling ground beef for tacos creates a SUPERIOR texture. Don't knock it til you try it!" While a former Taco Bell employee chimed in, writing, "As an original Taco Bell employee from the 80s, ground beef came in 10lb blocks. We cooked it with a little water and used a large rake type tool to fry it, it really gave your arms a workout."

It might seem crazy, but boiling ground beef is the preferred method for cooking this meat in many Tex-Mex restaurants. Why does it work? Most people brown their ground beef for Taco Tuesday because when you place this hamburger meat in a skillet, something interesting happens. Thanks to the Maillard Reaction, it develops a delicious taste as it caramelizes and transforms, forming a crispy, seared crust; however, when you boil ground beef, the taste is still delicious but the texture becomes ultra soft and crumbly. While the TikToker added the seasonings post-boil, you can also add the seasonings to the meat before boiling. Both will produce a tasty result.

Boiling your ground beef is going to lead to less grease on the stovetop and in the meat. This is because when you boil the meat, you not only eliminate the oily splatters that add to your kitchen clean-up time, but a lot of the fat ends up in the water. Some might argue that loss of fat means loss of flavor, but don't let that deter you. So, break out those copycat recipes for Taco Bell and get to cooking.