How Much Ground Beef for 100 Walking Tacos?

Walking tacos are a fun and easy way to feed a crowd But how much ground beef do you need when making walking tacos for 100 people? I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make sure everyone gets enough tasty taco meat in their bag of chips,

What are Walking Tacos?

For those not familiar, walking tacos are essentially tacos in a bag. You take individual bags of Fritos corn chips and add taco meat, beans cheese, lettuce tomatoes, salsa – whatever taco toppings you like! Then you can walk around and eat your taco creation right out of the bag.

It’s an easy handheld meal that’s perfect for parties, game days, and other big crowd events. The bags help minimize mess too since you don’t need plates. Walking tacos are fun, portable, and delicious!

How to Calculate Ground Beef Needed

When making walking tacos for a crowd, the most important calculation is how much taco meat you’ll need. Here are some tips:

• Plan for 1⁄2 pound of ground beef per person. This allows for a hearty serving while also leaving room in the bag for lots of yummy toppings. For 100 people, you’ll need around 50 pounds of ground beef.

• Factor in if people may go back for seconds. For big high school football games or other events where guests may be extra hungry, you may want to increase to 3⁄4 pound or even 1 pound of meat per person. Better to have extra than run out!

• Know your crowd. If you’re feeding a group of kids or seniors, you may be able to get by with 1⁄3 pound of meat per person. Scale accordingly.

• Mix in beans and tomatoes. Most walking taco recipes call for mixing refried beans and diced tomatoes in with the beef. This adds flavor and stretches the meat further. With these add-ins, you may be able to use around 1⁄3 pound of beef per serving.

• Have extra on hand. Make a bit more than you think you’ll need, just in case. Leftovers freeze well.

Example Walking Taco Recipe for 100

Here’s an example recipe to make 100 hearty walking tacos:

Ingredients:

• 50 pounds lean ground beef
• 10 onions, diced
• 10 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 10 (16 oz) cans refried beans
• 30 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 Tbsp chili powder
• 5 Tbsp cumin
• 5 tsp salt
• 100 individual bags Fritos corn chips
• Taco toppings: cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc.

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef and onions in batches. Drain fat.
2. Add garlic and spices. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Stir in canned tomatoes and beans until combined.
4. Simmer 15 minutes to meld flavors.
5. Remove from heat. Portion taco meat mixture into freezer bags and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. To serve: Scoop taco meat into individual Frito bags. Top with desired toppings.

This amount of meat should give about 1⁄2 pound of taco meat per walking taco, with the beans and tomatoes stretching it even further. I recommend at least doubling, if not tripling, the spices to really make that taco meat pop.

Adjust recipe up or down depending on how many you’re serving. The general rule of thumb is 1⁄2 pound of ground beef per person when bulk prepping walking tacos for a crowd.

Serving Tips

Here are some tips for successfully serving walking tacos to a big group:

• Set up a taco bar with meat in slow cookers or chafing dishes along with bowls for each topping. Let guests build their own.

• Keep meat mixture warm if making ahead. You can reheat gently in slow cooker on low.

• Provide lots of spoons for scooping meat into bags.

• Have extra bags of chips and taco toppings on hand.

• Use colorful bowls and decorations to make your taco bar festive.

• Offer disposable gloves for sanitary serving.

• Use sterno kits or slow cookers to keep toppings like cheese and lettuce chilled.

• Make it a build-your-own nacho bar by also offering bowls and tortilla chips.

When determining how much ground beef you need for walking tacos, the general rule of thumb is 1⁄2 pound per person. I hope these tips help you perfectly estimate the right taco meat quantity for your next big crowd! Let the walking taco party commence.