Air Fryer Ground Beef
Cook crispy ground beef in air fryer in just 5 minutes and use it in all the recipes that call for cooked ground beef or taco meat, perfect for busy weeknights. The best part is the fat drains while cooking giving extra lean meat.
Air Fryer Ground Beef(Taco Meat)
It took so long for me to try out this Air fryer ground beef recipe and I regret not doing it sooner. This is such a simple method and easiest way to cook ground beef.
No more standing near the stove top and waiting for the pot to heat and the ground beef to cook. No more the hassle of deciding whether to drain the fat to the sink or mop it up with a kitchen towel on a heavy skillet to get every last bit out.
Once you cook the ground beef use any seasonings you like. Use taco seasoning to make Air fryer taco meat that can be used in delicious Air Fryer Nachos, in tacos, salad bowls or literally anything. It’s so versatile!
For more air fryer beef recipes, check Air Fryer Hamburgers, Air Fryer Meatballs, and Air Fryer Recipe Collection.
Why Cook Ground Beef In The Air Fryer:
- Fast – a pound of ground beef cooks in about 5 minutes in the air fryer. I’ll take that over stovetop cooking any day.
- Drains the fat – If you have a basket air fryer like this Cosori 5.8 quart, the fat drains from the holes in the Air fryer basket to the bottom basket making it easier to discard. What a lifesaver!
- Simple method – The hardest part is breaking down the ground beef. Cooking ground beef in the air fryer couldn’t be any simpler.
What You Need For Air Fryer Ground Beef
- Fresh Ground Beef – Look for lean meat. Even the lean meat has some fat that needs to be drained. Ground veal or lamb will work too.
- Spices – I used a mix of paprika, cumin, black pepper and garlic powder. You can substitute with store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
- Salt – Kosher salt or seas salt will work.
- Optional – You can add diced onions or onion powder to add more flavor.
How To Cook Ground Beef In The Air Fryer
*Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
- Preheat air fryer to 375˚F. Place the ground beef in the air fryer basket and break it down with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Air fry ground beef for 3 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket and gently break down the lumps of ground meat. You might still see uncooked pink meat.
- Air fryer for another minute until the meat is no longer pink and cooked.
- Add the spices and salt to the ground beef and mix to coat. Air fry the seasoned ground beef for 1 more minute until brown and crispy.
*Air fryers come in different sizes and models, and you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Transfer the meat to a plate. You can mix in a tablespoon of water or any sauce if the meat is dry. The fat will be pooled in the air fryer tray at the bottom and you can discard it.
Recipe Tips
- Break down the lumps of raw ground beef evenly on the air fryer basket.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula. You don’t want to damage the nonstick coating on the air fryer basket.
- Move the meat around gently. You don’t want to press down on the meat so that it escapes from the holes of the air fryer basket.
- Season in the end. I like to season my ground beef after draining the fat for best results. Seasoning the beef at the end makes all the spices stick to the beef and not thrown away with the fat.
How To Serve Air Fryer Taco Meat
Air fryer taco meat is so versatile you can use it for anything that calls for cooked ground beef.
- Use it for tacos, taco meat bowls, hamburger bowls and rice bowls.
- Mix with spaghetti and sauce for a quick meal.
- Add to your morning eggs and cheese for a hearty breakfast. It tastes amazing in breakfast burritos too.
Storing and Reheating
Storage – store leftover ground beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Yes, it stays that long in the fridge. I always have a container of cooked ground beef in the fridge to make a quick meal.
Reheat – You can reheat the ground beef in the microwave. Reheating in the air fryer will make it crispy and dry. Sprinkle some water or mix in sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thaw the frozen ground beef in the fridge overnight for best results. Or thaw at room temperature if you’re going to cook on the same day.
If you must cook frozen ground beef in the air fryer, air fry at 375˚F for 5 minutes to thaw. Then break down the beef and air fry until cooked. Season at last.
If you have the oven type air fryer and not the basket type you still can cook ground beef quickly.
Place the ground beef in a baking pan and break up the meat. Cook at 375˚F for 4 minutes, stir the meat, air fry again for 1 more minute.
Drain the meat and transfer to the baking pan and season.
Air fry for a minute or two.
The cooking time will vary on the air fryer and the amount of beef used.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Nachos
- Stuffed peppers with rice and ground beef
- Air fryer roast beef
- Air fryer ribeye steak
- Air fryer garlic steak bites
Love air frying? You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our Free Facebook Air Frying Group.
Recipe
Air Fryer Ground Beef (Taco Meat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375˚F. Place the ground beef in the air fryer basket and break it down with a wooden spatula.
- Air fry ground beef for 3 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket and gently break down the lumps of ground meat. You might still see uncooked pink meat.
- Air fryer for another minute until the meat is no longer pink and cooked.
- Add salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic powder to the ground beef and mix to coat. Air fry the seasoned ground beef for 1 more minute until brown and crispy.
- Transfer the meat to a plate. You can mix in a tablespoon of water if the meat is dry. The fat will be pooled in the air fryer tray at the bottom and you can discard it.
To cook ground beef in an oven type air fryer
- Place the ground beef in a baking pan and break up the meat.
- Cook at 375˚F for 4 minutes, stir the meat, air fry again for 1 more minute.
- Drain the meat and transfer to the baking pan and season. Air fry for a minute or two. The cooking time will vary on the air fryer and the amount of beef used.
Notes
- You can use taco seasoning instead of the spices used for taco meat.
- Cook diced onions with the meat for more flavor.
Hi I can’t eat beef could you provide a selection of spices I could use for lamb mince . Using the air fryer for this recipe sounds fantastic.
Hi Brenda, using the air fryer to cook ground meat is so convenient. You could use the same spices I listed for this recipe. If you’d like to add more spices I suggest onion powder and a bit of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Also taco seasoning or cajun seasoning will work too.
This was extremely quick and delicious! I’d complained that the packaged taco spice mix wasn’t as good as I remembered, and you solved that problem! I used more cumin, and added onion powder as you mentioned. When it was done I put some on flour tortillas on one side, rolled up the tortilla, brushed on a little olive oil, and heated it up in another air fryer for 5 minutes at 375. (I put a metal Instant Pot trivet on top of the “roll-ups” so they’d stay shut.
Next time I’ll add cheese in the tortilla for my husband. He’s sick and avoiding cheese right now, and I can’t eat cheese but just the mixture was 5 stars for both of us. Thank you!
Forgot to mention I used a Dual Blaze Cosori with burners ant the top and bottom, so preheating isn’t needed, and the basket doesn’t have holes. (It has a crisper tray that’s perforated though it wasn’t used.) Since the ground beef was only 10% fat, there was practically none at the bottom. I just blotted the meat with a paper towel but it wasn’t really oily.
Thanks Beth. Homemade spice mix is always better.