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high protein taco meat meal prep

High Protein Taco Meat

A quick, high-protein taco meat base made with seasoned ground beef, turkey, or chicken, perfect for batch meal prep.
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Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon oil such as olive or avocado oil
  • 1.5 lbs ground beef, turkey, or chicken 1.5-2 lbs; using the minimum for this base recipe
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning 2-3 tablespoons; homemade or store-bought
  • 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
  • black beans, corn, or cooked quinoa optional, stirred in at the end for extra texture and fiber
  • fresh cilantro for garnish
  • cotija or feta cheese crumbled, for garnish
  • lime for a fresh squeeze at the end

Method
 

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add 1.5-2 pounds of ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) and break it into chunks. Cook 6-10 minutes until no pink remains, stirring so the meat browns evenly. Drain excess fat if needed.
  3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth. Stir and simmer 2-3 minutes until the seasoning coats the meat and the liquid reduces. Check that internal temperature reaches 160°F for ground beef or 165°F for ground turkey and chicken.
  4. If desired, stir in black beans, corn, or cooked quinoa at the end for extra texture and fiber.
  5. Finish with fresh cilantro, a sprinkle of cotija or feta cheese, and a squeeze of lime. Portion into airtight containers for meal prep.

Notes

This is a base taco meat recipe; ground beef, turkey, or chicken can be used. Cook time reflects the minimum of the two cooking phases stated in the source: browning the meat (6-10 minutes) plus simmering with seasoning and broth (2-3 minutes), for a total of about 8-13 minutes. No prep time was explicitly stated. Servings are based on a batch that is typically divided into 4-8 single-serve containers at 4-6 oz cooked meat each; 4 was used as the minimum. Calories were not filled in because the source gives a wide range (190-460 kcal) that depends on which protein is chosen, rather than a single figure for this base recipe. Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F; ground turkey and chicken should reach 165°F.