Recipe: Southwest Bison Tacos (2024)

FAQs

How long should you cook ground bison? ›

Grill the patties for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Cooking Time: Due to its lean nature, bison ground meat cooks faster than higher-fat ground meats. Keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking and drying out the meat.

How much ground beef per taco? Each taco shell or small soft taco-size tortilla fits about 2 ounces or 1/4 cup of meat. If you add diced onions, you could stretch a pound of ground beef to make about a dozen tacos. With just the meat and spices, you can make about 8 tacos from a pound of meat.

Just remember this one rule: low and slow. Cook the meat slowly with low to medium heat. This will draw out the natural flavors and keep the meat tender and juicy. Low temperature, high moisture, and a good amount of time will yield the best results.

Considering that it takes 2 ounces of filling max, per shell (about 4 tablespoons, or ¼ of a cup), a single pound can make up to eight tacos. If you add diced onion, cilantro tomato rice, beans or other fillings, you could make a pound of taco meat stretch even more.

The best seasonings for ground bison meat include a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, and chili powder. These seasonings help to enhance the natural flavor of the bison meat without overpowering it.

In general, bison should be cooked using low heat (325 °F or 162.8 °C) and longer cooking times. Less tender cuts should be braised (roasted or simmered with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan) or stewed. For thin-sliced bison, use quick cooking methods such as broiling and pan frying.

Plan for about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat. To season ground meat tacos, first sauté the meat until it loses its pinkish color. Then sprinkle with taco seasoning and stir to combine.

For instance, plan for about 3-4 ounces of ground beef taco meat per person, which means a pound of ground beef can feed roughly four people. Use a similar scale when shopping for other proteins, and remember, it's easier to have a little extra at the end of the party than to run out of food for your guests!

How to make big batch taco meat: This recipe scales by the pound. For every pound you use 2 Tablespoons of taco mix, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water. 4 Pounds of meat uses 1/2 cup taco mix, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 Cups of water.

Marinate with Acid

Not only does a tenderizing steak marinade imbue aromatic flavour, but the acidic ingredients in it also denature connective proteins in the meat. Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids.

Is bison healthier than beef? ›

Bison meat has fewer calories and less saturated fat than beef, and a relative proportion of unsaturated to saturated fats is better for health, especially heart health. Compared to beef, bison meat is also richer in protein.

As a general rule, you should plan for about 1/4 to 1/2 pound of meat per person when making tacos. So for a family of four, you'll need around 1 to 2 pounds of ground beef.

Cooking bison correctly is delicious and tender bison. Use these general guidelines when cooking bison. Ground bison meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160°F and the juices should be clear, not red.

Whether a burger or a steak, bison meat should never be cooked beyond medium. Medium rare to rare is recommended. If you or your customers like well-done meat, it is best not to serve bison. Since bison is lower in fat (which acts as an insulator) than other meats, it is easily overcooked.

Bison is leaner than beef and, therefore, cooks much faster. It's important that you don't overcook bison or it will become dry and chewy, much like any overcooked meat.

To retain optimal juiciness and the best flavor, bison steaks should be cooked to internal temperatures of between 145 degrees (for medium-rare) and 160 degrees (for medium). Bison burgers should be cooked Medium, to a temperature of 160 degrees.