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$5 Tacos

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$5 Simple Tacos – Cook at Home to Save More Money and Eat Healthier Tacos

I’ve never eaten a taco from Taco Bell. Ever, in my entire life.

Two reasons – I live in the land of Taco Cabana (so much tastier!), and I can make them cheaper at home. So, that’s what I do…make $5 Tacos at home. Alot. 

It’s not really Taco Tuesday around here. It’s more like Taco ANYDAY! lol

Check out my favorite way to do “taco meat base” below – and be sure to tap on some of the other SCRUMPTIOUS $5 Simple Taco recipes we have available here on the website…

$5 Tacos - Tasty $5 Taco Recipes to Make at Home

Want to know how I prefer to do tacos?

DOUBLE UP!

Making a double batch of taco meat helps make the next tacos night that much easier – it’s “reheat” vs. cook.

(It makes a difference, it just does.)

Pictured above is too much taco meat for 1 meal for our family, so…I used half tonight and froze the other half for later next week for another taco meal!

Saves $$$ and makes next week’s meal easier to prepare and with LESS DISHES!

And less “what’s for dinner?” stress, too. 

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$5 Tacos

Simple tacos, and the right shopping strategies, and you can make $5 tacos (for the entire family) at home.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Servings - 4 persons

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 8 small corn tortillas or taco shells
  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1/2 tomato chopped
  • 1/2 small onion chopped
  • salsa garnish
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese garnish
  • corn cobs side dish

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and drain if needed. Stir in the taco seasoning packet or mix, and let simmer for 1 minute.
  • Spoon meat into taco shells/tortillas.
  • Top with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, salsa and shredded cheese.
  • Boil corn cobs 5-7 minutes.
  • Serve Tacos with side of corn cobs.

Notes

Tap here learn how to make your own taco seasoning!

 

 

Top $5 Taco Recipes on $5 Dinners 

Here is a list of some of our best, most popular taco recipes here on the blog! 

$5 Tacos - Tasty $5 Taco Recipes to Make at Home

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Like your site. I have been reading some of your good recipes. I do wonder why you would boil your corn so very long? You are boiling all the flavor out. Try this: bring your water to a boil, add your corn, as soon as it returns to a rapid boil remove. Give it a try!! Most people don’t know you can also eat corn raw!!! Try it one night, but make sure it is fresh….3 day old corn from a chain store is not good raw it is starchy. But either way try not to over boil it. Thanks for the great recipies. Sorry I don’t have a blog to share with you 🙁

    Reply

    • Donnelle Anway says

      I love fresh corn raw! We live close to Sacramento in California and there is a local farm that sells corn, and every year we just pick up a bag and eat it on the way home! so good!

      Reply

  2. $5 Dinner Mom says

    Thanks for your tip! I had NO idea it could be eaten raw! I just got some from a farmer’s market this afternoon. We shall try it tomorrow! Hopefully it will still be fresh. I will also try not boiling it so long. I guess I usually turn it on, forget about it as I go tend to the little ones and come back and turn it off when I think about it! I will have to pay more attention!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  3. Sue says

    I found a great recipe for Lentil tacos, made very similarly to your recipe above – they are fantastic, and it really doesn’t taste that different than beef. Half a package of lentils will make a huge amount of taco “meat”, and it is a great cost savings too.

    Reply

  4. Amy says

    Another great healthy and money-saving tip for tacos is to mix in a can or two of beans (kidney or black). The taco seasoning seasons the beans the same as the meat, you get more protein, less fat, and lower price! As an added bonus, my kids and husband don’t really notice or care!

    Reply

  6. Melissa says

    I live in Indiana, so I feel the need to share another tip for corn. 🙂

    Leave it in the husk and put the husks on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven at 350 for about a half hour. Then take the husks off and voila, perfect corn every time with very little fuss, and tons of nutrients. Plus it gets a special flavor from the roasting and all the sweet corn juice being locked inside the husk to steam.

    In the fall, when we are REPLETE with corn, I make about 30 or 40 ears this way and freeze them to use all winter long. They never last that long, though!!

    Reply

  7. Amber Dowler says

    HI I WAS WONDERING IF THE 5 DOLLARS WAS WITH ALL OF THE COUPONS AND WHERE DO YOU SHOP AT ALSO? I AM ONLY COOKING FOR A FAMILY OF 2 BUT WE STILL ARE HAVING TIGHT MONEY PROBLEMS AND EVERYTHING. SO THIS IDEA IS ALSO GREAT FOR A FAMILY LIKE US. THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS FOR FAMILIES OUT THERE EVERYWHERE…
    THANKS AMBER

    Reply

  9. Jeanette says

    I haven’t found a single site that offers all of the same coupons. However, you can google an item your looking for with coupon to find some. You can also find some on http://www.eversave.com or just buy the Sunday paper for about $1.50 at a gas station or supermarket. You make more than that back in savings.

    Reply

  11. Lisette says

    Good recipe. I can’t get any type of ground meat for that price up here. The cheapest I have ever seen ground meat is $1.88 a pound.

    I make corn by filling a pot full of cold water and adding a tablespoon each of sugar and lemon juice (I just estimate though and throw in extra if it is early in the corn season), then put the corn cobs in. Bring to boil and let boil for about 5-6 minutes. This makes the best corn on the cob and even makes early corn taste good.

    Reply

  12. chrissy says

    hi i really wanna know how you find food so cheap and were do you find coupons i go to the coupon sites and they all have the same thing i get coupons from the paper but really is it just more expensive were i live. please if anyone can give me advice.

    Reply

  13. Linda says

    For Corn I cook in a skillet with a lid and about 3″ of water turning the corn after the water comes to a boil and then turning it off and covering it. Then I drain the water.

    I butter and salt the corn in the pan turning the corn so the butter covers. I find I can butter all the ears with about 1/3 or less the amount that would be used at the table. I can also control the salt this way. If we are short on butter I do 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil. If I have fresh dill in the garden I use that and cut the salt in half.

    Reply

    • Erin says

      I live in Ohio…prices are definitely lower than other parts of the country. It’s actually on sale this week for $1.28/lb! It is the 75/25, but I rinse it well after draining!

      Reply

      • solarra says

        @Erin, Just found your site and loving it so far:) I also live in Ohio, Beavercreek area, and I’d love to know where to get ground beef that cheap! I just moved out here from California last year and for some reason prices on food seem a lot more expensive here. $ 3-4 for a 5lb bag of potatoes is ridiculous! What stores do you shop at in Ohio? I used to love going to Winco so any of you that live in Cali shop at there, they have great prices. Thx!!

        Reply

  15. katherine says

    we LOVE fresh corn and just a month ago it was .20 an ear. the way we cook it at our home is to pull off the hair but leave the husk on. put the entire ear in the microwave for 3 minutes. we only do 1 at a time and there are 4 of us, so i put the corn in a warm oven while I microwave the other 3 ears one at a time. when you pull off the husk, the corn is warm, juicy, sweet and very nutritious….yummy!

    Reply

  16. Kimber says

    For our corn I add it to a pot of cold water seasoned with some salt & some garlic & herb then bring it to a boil. After the soft boil starts remove from the heat & cover. let set for 15 or 20 mins while you finish the rest of the meal. You will have the best corn every time. No fuss! You can get good beef for $1.50 a lb if you buy from the farmer then get it processed. By the time everything is added up it is like $2.00 lbs but that is for everything even your T-Bone steaks or Prime ribs which can be over $6.00 in a store. Dont buy through the Butcher! Go to the farmer! Then have Butcher process it!

    Reply

  17. Amy says

    I realize the taco seasoning costs very little, if any, but if you want great taco flavor with absolutely no additives, here’s a recipe:

    1 T chili powder
    2 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp each:
    ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano, sugar
    1/2 tsp salt

    Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Makes 3 T of seasoning mix which is equal in strength to a 1/4 ounce pkg of commercial seasoning mix.

    I add 2/3 cups water with this mix and ground beef and cook to desired consistency.

    Delicious!

    Reply

  18. steve says

    Hi,
    where does everyone find this cheap meat and free taco seasoning>? On sale I am lucky to find ground beef on sale for less than two bucks, average price is about 2.50. I’m in ND which is where a lot of cows come from so don’t know why the meat is so pricey. And free taco seasoning? Again, I’m lucky if I can find a packet for less than a dollar. Just wondering where all these deals can be found.

    Reply

  19. Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

    @steve,

    Ground beef and chuck are regularly on sale for $1.29 -1.79/lb around here. I only buy it when its on sale. As for free taco seasoning, when you match a $1 sale price with a coupon that doubles to $1, then the taco seasoning is free!

    Erin

    Reply

  20. Kristina says

    You all are lucky to get ground beef (or any groceries) so cheap … it’s 5.50-5.79/lb for ground beef up here in Alaska… We’re having tacos for dinner tonight and it was a 25.00 purchase for everything needed in one meal. Although I don’t think we’ll ever get a 5.00 meal up here – I still love the site! Great tips and very enjoyable to read.

    Reply

  21. Vicki says

    I make this recipe with ground turkey instead. I pay $1 for a 1lb roll. It sound weird buying turkey from a tube, but it’s healthier and tastes just as good.

    Reply

    • solarra says

      @Vicki, I used to buy that at the .99 cent store in California. Haven’t been able to find a dollar store that sells food also in Ohio so far. The ones in Cali also had tomatoes, avocados, and a 10lb bag of potatoes. It really cut my food costs. Another way to stretch ground beef/turkey is to add Tvp to it, can’t taste a difference and its healthy also:)

      Reply

  22. Wendy says

    Have you ever made taco meat in the crock pot? A couple of weeks ago I tried it. The point was to save time and a make a big batch, but the surprise was how tender the meat turned out! I was at home, so I “browned” it in the crock pot. After 30-45 minutes I drained the fat. Then added the seasonings and water. Use less liquid than you would on the stove! I cooked it on High for several hours. If there is too much liquid, crack the lid for 30 minutes or so on High. Enjoy

    Reply

    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      @Wendy,

      I haven’t Wendy, but sounds delish! I usually brown ground beef before using it in the crockpot, but put other cuts of beef straight in.

      I’ll remember this next time I make taco meat. Would work great for making a large batch of taco meat, I imagine!

      Reply

  23. sillygeese says

    The most wonderful thing about taco’s is that you can use a real variety of “protein” provide meal time variety and cut costs no matter where you live.

    I live in Tx and taco’s come with hamburger, shredded beef, white fish, shredded chicken, ground turkey, not all at once, heehee, but if meat is expensive then use leftover shredded chicken, if you like to go fishing and live in a place you can, use fresh caught fish.

    Personally I like to buy very lean ground beef, and it is $3.99 full price, I never pay that, anytime I can get it for under $2.50 I buy enough for a few weeks, when i can get it for under $1.50 I buy as much as my funds allow.
    Generally to save time I have hamburgers the night I bring the hamburger home then I make and freeze plain crumbles in portion sizes. I like how much easier it is to defrost precooked hamburger.

    Reply

  24. Marinda says

    I am in MN, and here beef is in the neighborhood of $2/lb and up. Tbones or Ribeyes are something like $15/lb. Someone else mentioned about purchasing a beef from a farmer. I would have to second that suggestion. When I was a kid my parents always purchased 1/4’s or 1/2’s of beef from local farmers. Back then the cows weren’t raised for local sale like that, but now there are a lot of farmers who have gone into business raising cows that are corn fed, and without any hormones. Just last summer I purchased a 1/4 which amounted to 250 lbs of beef for $350. It’s a large amount of money at the time, but that’s for every cut you could want from a cow, Tbones, Ribeyes, Roasts. And I haven’t been in the beef department at the store for a long time, and it is really nice to know there is always food available at home.

    Reply

  26. Keepin' It Real says

    Can we really be calling things free that are not in fact free?

    For example, gardening costs money. While vegetables are less costly than those purchased in a store, they are in fact not at all free (e.g. seedlings and plants, nutrients for garden soil, garden tools, time and energy expended in gardening, water, etc.) If you don’t want to account for such costs in your food budget, you still have to account for it somewhere. But honestly, the food budget seems the most fitting place to budget it. So why not do that?

    Likewise, a two-for-one coupon does not render the second item free. It renders it half-price because the second s0-called free item could not be obtained without having spent the money on the first not-free item.

    I’m all for being economically savvy and am constantly intrigued by those undertaking a challenge to mind their money in innovative ways, but it puzzles me when I find people presenting their stories in such a way to make them appear better than they really are. ObjectI’m a big fan of objectivity.

    Tacos cost me about $7.50 – $10.00. That’s $3.00 for ground beef or veggie crumbles, about $.50 for 1/4 a jar of salsa (I love the generic brand my grocery carries, so that makes it nice), $2.00 for cheese (we like a lot of cheese), about $.25 for 1/4 a container of sour cream, $.50 for 1/3 a head of romaine (which is far more nutritious than iceberg), $.50 for one tomato, $.75 for seasoning mix, $1.50 for shells, and $1 for a can of black beans (for added nutrition.) I give the range of $7.50 to $10.00 to account for the possibility of having a coupon(s). This feeds 3-4 people for $1.88 to $3.33 per person. And hey: that’s pretty damn thrifty. And really, really yummy.

    Just sayin’.

    Anyway, aside from the troubling references to “free” things, I find this website pretty cool. I love the mushroom barley soup. (But it costs me more like $7, for the record.)

    Reply

  27. give her a break says

    perhaps she should also include the cost of utilites, dish soap and property taxes on her kitchen? Would $5 hold up in court? who cares, this is a website that you can choose to read or not. I enjoy this wonderful site in the context it’s meant to be…finding new, low cost meals to that my family can enjoy while stretching the budget.

    Keep on keepin on sista!

    Reply

  28. Joanna says

    Just found this site…hope to use it frequantly…I like the ideas! However, where I live the prices are way more than what you are quoting….for example a pound of ground turkey is between 4-6 dollars….but nonetheless I will continue to trudge along and try new things…thanks

    Reply

  30. Load Of Crap says

    This is a load of crap. You will never be able to make tacos for $5 bucks. First of all you are talking about buying items in percents of a whole, which you cannot do unless you go to some nasty ass grocery store where you can buy part of some product that 4 or 5 other people have already bought part of….. GROSS. Next, I challenge you to show me your grocery statement where you only paid $1.26 for a pound of hamburger, that’s just a bare faced lie. Finally, for those of you saying “give her a break”, GIVE ME A BREAK… this is supposed to be a site where you can make a meal for $5.00 which in the case of this meal, you cannot so it’s all just a bag of shit if you ask me.

    Reply

    • Casey says

      Keep in mind , this was posted 6 years ago (5 when you posted this comment). Prices are different now. Also, OF COURSE she’s not buying part of an item. Where on earth did you get that idea from? She’ll use the rest for something else, and then the cost of the rest of item goes to the other meal(s).

      Reply

  31. Ariel says

    How do you find such cheap prices for the recipes? My fiance and I try to budget ALL the time when we grocery shop but are never very successful at it. Are you shopping at a preferred store or are you couponing? I still haven’t gotten the hang of couponing either 🙁

    Reply

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