Best Taco Meat Recipe for Campground Walking Tacos

This Walking Tacos recipe is the perfect meal idea for camping. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up and includes the best taco meat you ever did taste. Find out how to make this classic and fun camping recipe.

Since I’m from Texas, a camping trip is not a camping trip without tacos. Actually, a week is not a week without tacos.

Thankfully I’ve converted my Pacific-Northwest raised partner in crime to love to tacos (almost) as much as I do. Which is probably the reason we’ve been able to stay together for over 20 years.

If you’re in need of an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone can customize to their liking, this camping tacos recipe is it.

Walking Tacos Recipe for Camping

Let’s start off talking about how much ground beef you’ll need for your camping crew and how to make very flavorful taco meat.

How Many Tacos Will A Pound of Ground Beef Make?

Whether you’re feeding your family or a large group of people, knowing how many tacos a pound of ground beef makes is important. 

Typically, one pound of ground beef will make around 8 to 10 tacos. If you add other ingredients to your ground beef, like rice or onions, you can stretch it a bit more.

Do Onions Go In Tacos?

A great question isn’t it? And I have a great answer.

It all depends on your preference.

Personally, I like both onions and garlic in my taco meat for a couple of reasons: flavor and stretching that taco meat. But when one of my kids was younger, I had to make it without onions because she wouldn’t touch the meat if she saw something other than ground beef in there.

But now that the kids are older, I add a whole small yellow onion and 2 garlic cloves. It is so delicious this way!

Do You Add Water, Tomato Sauce or Something Else?

Since I’ve been around the taco block for a while, I’ve had ground beef for tacos just about every way you can imagine. 

On the back of a taco seasoning packet, it’ll tell you to add water. Other recipes I’ve seen suggest adding tomato sauce, which will make it the best taco meat ever according to them and others who have tried the recipe.

What’s my favorite way?

With beef broth. I’m not fond of the tomato flavor I get from the tomato sauce and water just waters down the flavor of the meat. But by adding beef broth, you bring out that beef flavor and it’s oh so delicious. 

I prefer using Better Than Bouillon beef base. It’s so easy to whip up the broth with this and I think it has a richer flavor than boxed or canned beef broth. Plus, it doesn’t take up as much room as a box of beef broth.

Can You Make the Taco Meat Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you’re opting for super easy meals on your camping trip, I would recommend making the taco meat (and pico de gallo, but we’ll get to that…) ahead of time. Then all you have to do is heat up the meat in a cast-iron skillet (add a little oil) over the campfire or on your RV oven.

How to Make Walking Tacos for Camping

Why are these called Walking Tacos? 

Because they are served in a chip bag, making it super easy to eat and well, walk around.

What kinds of chips are best for Walking Tacos?

I prefer Fritos, but you can also use Nacho Cheese or Ranch Doritos.

Walking Tacos with Ground Beef Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef, I use 90%
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• Bags of Fritos or Doritos
• Toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded iceberg lettuce, lime cream (or sour cream), shredded cheese

Toppings for Walking Tacos with Ground Beef

• Homemade pico de gallo
• shredded iceberg lettuce
• shredded Mexican blend cheese
• Lime crema

I eat pico de Gallo on so many things (except cereal – I do draw a line somewhere) so it is well worth it to me to either make the pico while camping or make it ahead of time.

I made a big batch of it before we went on our Campervan rental trip and ate it with quesadillas for lunch and with tortilla chips for a snack.

If you don’t have the time, ingredients or desire to make homemade pico de gallo, you can also top these with diced tomatoes.

Walking Tacos Instructions

1. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
2. Add the diced onions, cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 – 8 minutes
5. Drain grease
6. Add taco seasoning and stir well
7. Add beef broth and cook until the liquid reduces; about 10 – 15 minutes
8. While the meat is cooking, get out all of the walking tacos toppings and chip bags
9. Fill chip bags with ground beef and add toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, lime crema (or sour cream) and shredded cheese

This taco meat recipe also makes fantastic hard shell tacos.

Your Printable Walking Tacos Recipe Card

Walking Tacos Recipe for Camping

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Walking Tacos recipe is the perfect meal idea for camping. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up and includes the best taco meat you ever did taste. Find out how to make this classic and fun camping recipe.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• Bags of Fritos or Doritos
• Toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded iceberg lettuce, lime cream (or sour cream), shredded cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
2. Add the diced onions, cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 – 8 minutes
5. Drain grease
6. Add taco seasoning and stir well
7. Add beef broth and cook until the liquid reduces; about 10 – 15 minutes
8. While the meat is cooking, get out all of the walking tacos toppings and chip bags
9. Fill chip bags with ground beef and add toppings such as pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, lime crema (or sour cream) and shredded cheese

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 411mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 19g

PIN THIS

Julie Bonner

Julie specializes in helping you whip up delicious meals in your tiny RV kitchen, as well as RV organization tips and helping fellow RVers make their RV feel like home. Her favorite RVing spot is in Banff National Park in Canada where yes, the water really is that blue and the people really are that nice.