Not Really Taco Bell’s Taco Meat

If you read the ingredients in Taco Bell’s taco meat, there’s cocoa powder (as here) and smoky flavorings (so the smoked paprika here). But there’s also an “oat isolate” which undoubtedly thickens the mixture to give it that characteristic, smooth consistency. We can match that with steel-cut oats, which absorb much of the excess liquid, especially during the natural release, to give the meat its much-beloved texture. Many copycat recipes are also soupy and require thickening afterwards (or worse yet, draining, which removes much of the aromatic flavor you worked to get into the dish in the first place). We solve the soupiness with low pressure which requires much less liquid.

Cuisine

American, Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

15-30 min

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

15-30 min, 6-8 servings, american, beef bouillon cubes (gluten-free, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, contributed, dehydrated onion flakes, dinner, easy, garlic powder, granulated white sugar, ground dried cayenne, lean ground beef, main course, mild smoked paprika, modern, onion powder, pressure cook, raw steel-cut oats, sauté, standard chili powder, taco recipes, tacos, unsweetened cocoa powder, vegetable, water

Servings

6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 beef bouillon cubes (gluten-free
2 tbsp dehydrated onion flakes
1 1/2 tbsp standard chili powder
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mild smoked paprika
2 tsp granulated white sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground dried cayenne
1/4 cup raw steel-cut oats
3/4 cup Water

Instructions

Press Sauté and set for Medium, Normal or Custom 300°F.
As the pot heats, warm the oil in the insert set in a 5- or 6-quart Instant Pot. Crumble in the ground beef and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the crumbled bouillon cubes, onion flakes, chili powder, cocoa powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sugar, onion powder, and cayenne until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the steel-cut oats and stir well. Pour in the water and scrape up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom. Turn off the heat and lock the lid on the pot.
Set the Instant Pot for Pressure Cook/Manual and set to LOW pressure for 6 minutes.
When the pot has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal naturally, about 15 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir well and set aside for a couple of minutes so the meat continues to absorb the sauce.

Notes

Other Pots
• For a 3-quart Instant Pot, you must
halve all of the ingredient amounts.
• For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you must increase all of the ingredient amounts by 50 percent.
• For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must double all of the ingredient amounts.
Beyond
• Serve the taco meat in taco shells with diced tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce, and/or shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
• To make a copycat version of Taco Bell’s quesadilla sauce for tacos, whisk these ingredients in a medium bowl until uniform: 2/3 cup regular or low-fat mayonnaise (gluten- free, if necessary), 2/3 cup regular or low-fat sour cream (gluten-free, if necessary), 1/4 cup minced jarred (hot or “tamed”) pickled jalapeño rings, 1/4 cup brine from the jar of pickled jalapeños, 1 tablespoon mild paprika, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and
1/2 teaspoon standard chili powder. Store any leftovers in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.