Simple Honey Habanero Ground Beef Tacos Recipe

These honey habanero tacos are a family favorite. I never make traditional ground beef tacos anymore, and you won’t either. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

Do you remember when I made the honey habanero empanadas? I cannot tell you how many compliments I get on them, and I love to make them for parties.

But they take some time to assemble, even when I use puff pastry instead of homemade dough. The filling though? That had promise on its own, so I altered it to make it a taco filling.

My kids absolutely love this, and I love that it’s a changeup from the traditional ground beef tacos I make. My daughter loves adding this to nachos, and I put it in taco salad all the time.

I made it (again) this week for friends who have kids with all the allergies because they can eat it. It’s gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free, et cetra. 

Her son took leftovers to school and apparently bragged all over it. When I got the passed along request for the honey habanero tacos recipe, I realized that I never shared it, and everyone’s missing out. Right?

I love making taco alternatives. That’s why I make tamale pot pies (so much easier than traditional tamales) or birria tacos because there are no words to describe how delicious that meat is.

There is no reason to have a boring Taco Tuesday. Have fun with your fillings!

How to Make Honey Habanero Tacos

I use 80% or 85% ground beef for this, as I want some of the extra flavor it brings. Lean ground beef tends to be dry and flavorless, so don’t use it here.

Brown your beef in a skillet over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat.

While the meat cooks, dice your onion. Add the chopping onion to your ground beef and cook them together. 

Mince your garlic, and add it to your pan after the beef browns. Drain your beef to remove the excess grease. Discard the grease.

Add the cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, honey, and hot sauce, then stir. Remove from the pan from the heat, and add lime juice. Stir to incorporate.

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. My son often asks me to add extra lime juice because he loves it so much, while my husband likes extra habanero sauce.

Serve the honey habanero ground beef tacos immediately on tortillas or taco shells with your favorite toppings, on nachos, in a taco salad, and so much more.

Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge 2-3 days.

Bookmark this honey habanero tacos recipe to make again!

Honey Habanero Tacos

Looking to up your taco night? You’ll love these ground beef tacos with amazing flavor and not too much heat. Honey, habanero, and lime complement each other perfectly.

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 tacos

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Michelle

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon habanero hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

• Brown beef in a skillet over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. While the meat cooks, cut your onion. Add to beef and cook together.
  1 pound ground beef, 1/2 large onion
• Mince garlic, and add to pan after the beef browns. Drain beef.
  3 cloves garlic
• Add cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, honey, and hot sauce, then stir. Remove from heat, and add lime juice. Stir to incorporate.
  2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon habanero hot sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Serve immediately on taco shells with your favorite toppings, on nachos, in a taco salad, and more.
• Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge 2-3 days.

Equipment

• Bouillabase Braising Pot
• Wooden Spoon Set
• Bamboo Cutting Board

Notes

• For the most flavorful results, I recommend using ground beef with at least an 80% lean-to-fat ratio in this recipe. Leaner ground beef can be drier.
• For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Send DataSend Data

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 143mg | Sugar: 5g

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Enjoy this article? Please share it and save it for later!