Ditch The Water — This Simple Addition Makes Taco Meat Way Tastier

There's a widely quoted statistic online that says Americans eat 4.5 billion tacos per year. There's no indication of where that number might have come from or how accurate it is, but it gets shared a lot. In 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Americans annually ate 554 million tacos from Jack in the Box alone. With that in mind, the 4.5 billion number doesn't sound too far-fetched. If that includes tacos you make at home, you really should make sure you're cooking the best tacos you can. You owe it to yourself to make yours stand out — to do that, you're going to need to stop using water.

Tasting Table spoke with Kent Rollins, host of Outdoor Channel's "Cast Iron Cowboy," about how to take ground beef and a pack of taco seasoning to the next level. "Instead of adding water, use beef broth and a little butter," Rollins explains. We've covered ways to add flavor when cooking ground beef, and butter was one of our suggestions. This is especially true for lean ground beef, which may not have enough fat to really enhance the flavor of the meat. Butter can add richness to your taco meat that you won't get from the flavor packet alone. It also gives some body to the sauce that otherwise may taste a little thin and forgettable. If you want a silkier, creamier mouthfeel, Rollins' tip is spot on.

Despite how popular it is in America, ground beef is not a traditional or authentic taco filling. That doesn't mean ground beef can't be made delicious. No doubt, you've had some really tasty ground beef tacos in your life, but sometimes the meat needs a helping hand. We have made some recommendations for adding depth to ground beef tacos in the past, and Rollins expands on improving beef seasoned only with a basic taco packet.

"When making ground beef tacos or wild game tacos such as elk or deer," Rollins adds, "I use our taco seasoning and mix in our chili seasoning as well — it gives it that extra kick it needs." This is because the packets of seasoning aren't that great on their own. In fact, we ranked Taco Bell's version as the worst out of the 16 taco seasonings we tried, and you'd think they'd have nailed it. That's why adding your own spices or accents can make such a difference.

Of course, seasoning is not the only way to improve your tacos. There's no need to limit yourself to beef, shredded lettuce, and grated cheese on a flour tortilla. When we covered ways to elevate your tacos, we suggested everything from better corn tortillas to pickled onions and fresh herbs. There are plenty of ways you can make what could be a forgettable taco into something delicious without a ton of extra effort.