These bison tacos have almost the same flavor and texture as beef tacos but with leaner meat. This recipe can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.
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The Appeal of Bison Tacos Vs. Beef
- Mild. Bison is fairly mild in flavor, so you can add your favorite toppings without a clashing of flavors. You can add the classics but sometimes I like to get wild and put kimchi on my tacos.
- Just as Quick. This quick dinner is great for any night of the week (not just Taco Tuesday) with basic ingredients that you probably have on hand.
- Leaner. The best part about ground bison is that it can be easily substituted in typical beef recipes, like in this ground bison tacos recipe. The big difference is bison meat is lean and I prefer the flavor over beef.
- Versatile. Because you can add or leave out ingredients like tomatoes and cilantro, these bison tacos are an easy choice for picky eaters. Let your guests pick their toppings and everyone is happy. You can also serve them out of a tortilla chip bag like I do with my taco in a bag recipe.
Nailed It
Recipe Review From Mary: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I was nervous to work with Bison. This was easy and delicious. Thank you."
If you're loving the taste of ground bison too, you can try my tasty bison and mushroom meat sauce, these baked bison burger sliders that are total flavor bombs or this ground bison chili.
Ingredients
- ground bison meat - Compared to other similar types of meat, it is low in calories but still high in protein, making this a great substitute if you're watching your diet. For example, bison has lower fat and calories than beef. While 4 ounces of raw 80% lean ground beef is around 288 calories, 4 ounces raw ground bison is only around 164 calories.
- Mexican seasoning - Or taco spices. I use seasoning that doesn't contain any cornstarch or thickeners. If you use a taco packet with cornstarch, you might have to add more water.
- taco shells - I use hard taco shells for this recipe. Feel free to serve this dinner with soft tacos or a mix of both.
- toppings: Avocado, tomatoes, lime juice, red onion, sour cream, salsa verde and fresh cilantro leaves. These are completely adjustable depending on your preferences.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Chef's Note: You can add my suggested toppings or pick your favorite.
How to Make Bison Tacos
Step 1. Make the salsa. In a small bowl, mix the avocado, tomatoes and lime juice together.
Step 2. Cook the bison meat. Cook the ground bison over medium heat and break it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Let it brown for 3 minutes before beginning to stir.
Step 3. Add garlic. Once the meat is fully browned, add the minced garlic and stir fry for another minute.
Step 4. Add seasoning. Add the water and Mexican seasoning. Mix until well combined. Check the seasoning to see if it needs any salt.
Step 5. Serve. Spoon the warm meat into the taco shells. Top the bison tacos with all of the toppings and enjoy immediately!
Joss' Secrets For Better Bison Meat Tacos
Because bison is leaner, it cooks faster than beef. Make sure to keep an eye on the cooking process while you're making these bison tacos and cook it to an internal temperature of 160°F, but not beyond that for best results.
When it comes to warming the hard taco shells, there are different ways and outcomes. I recommend baking them in the oven because it heats the shells evenly while you cook the meat and you can keep them in a warm space until ready to serve.
Oven Method:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the shells on a baking sheet, separating them a little.
- Bake them for about 6 to 7 minutes, until warm and crisp.
- Then you can turn the oven off and leave them in to keep the shells warm until the meat and toppings are ready to serve.
Microwave Method: If you want to heat them faster, put them in the microwave.
- Place the shells on a microwaveable plate, slightly pulled apart.
- Heat them in the microwave on high power for 45 seconds, or until warm.
Recipe FAQs
They are actually not the same, although they are both in the bovidae family. Bison have bigger heads and shorter horns than buffalo; they also have beards and large humps at their shoulders, whereas buffalo do not. Bison are found in North America and parts of Europe, whereas buffalo are found in South Asia and Africa.
Bison tastes very similar to beef but less greasy and slightly sweeter. Although it is said to taste earthy because of the iron content, it does not have a gamey taste! I personally prefer the taste of bison to beef.
Leftover taco shells can be stored in a zip-top bag. The cooked ground meat can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 4 months.
More Delicious Bison Recipes to Try
If you tried this 🌮 Bison Tacos Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Bison Tacos
Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound ground bison meat
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning mix - or Taco seasoning
- 10 hard taco shells - warmed
Toppings
- 1 ripe avocado - chopped
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes - chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ cup red onion - sliced
- sour cream
- salsa verde - aka. green salsa
- fresh cilantro leaves - optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the avocado, tomatoes and lime juice together. Set aside.1 ripe avocado, 1 cup Roma tomatoes, 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground bison to the pan and break it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Let it brown for 3 minutes without stirring.1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 pound ground bison meat
- Continue to break it up into smaller pieces, until the meat is fully browned, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.1 tablespoon garlic
- Add the water and Mexican seasoning. Mix until well combined. Check the seasoning and add salt, if needed. Remove from heat.2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning mix
- Spoon the warm meat into the taco shells. Top with the avocado mixture, red onions, sour cream, salsa verde and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately!
Equipment
Notes
- Nutrition: The nutrition information does not include the toppings.
- Taco Seasoning: I use seasoning that doesn't contain any cornstarch or thickeners. If you use a taco packet with cornstarch, you might have to add more water.
- Toppings: These toppings are completely optional. Use my suggestions or pick your favorite.
- Internal Temp: Because bison is leaner, it cooks faster than beef. Make sure to keep an eye on the cooking process and cook it to an internal temperature of 160°F, but not beyond that for best results.
- To warm the hard taco shells in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the shells on a baking sheet, separating them a little.
- Bake them for about 6 to 7 minutes, until warm and crisp.
- Then you can turn the oven off and leave them in to keep the shells warm until the meat and toppings are ready to serve.
- Leftovers:
- Leftover taco shells can be stored in a zip-top bag.
- The cooked ground meat can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Mary says
I was nervous to work with Bison. This was easy and delicious. Thank you.
Joss Dyckson says
I can get nervous to work with new ingredients or techniques too. I'm so glad you enjoyed the tacos, Mary. Thanks for the comment!
Jared says
This looks great, thanks for writing it. It would be helpful to add what is in the Mexican seasoning (unless I missed it somehow). I'm going to assume it's something like cumin, chili powder, oregano (regular and/or Mexican)?
Joss D says
Hi Jared, you're right. I just use a premade Mexican spice mix that has oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion, etc. You can also use a Taco seasoning mix. To answer your question about the Mexican and regular oregano, I would go for Mexican if you can find it. Thanks for the comment!
Burt Turdler says
Love this recipe! I just died and went to bison meat heaven. Need i say more!
Joss D says
Oh wow! Sounds nice lol. Thanks.