Instructions

1. Place the frozen ground beef in a microwave-safe dish and cover it with a lid. Set the power on your microwave to defrost and thaw the beef in five-minute intervals until you can crumble it with a fork. Microwave power settings may vary, so read your users manual for specific instructions on adjusting the power settings on your machine.

2. Cook the ground beef on full power for two minutes. Remove the lid, break up large chunks of beef with a fork, and cook it for another two minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the largest chunk of ground beef in the pan and check the temperature after 15 seconds. If it does not reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for another two minutes and check it again.

3. Set the wire strainer over a large coffee can and pour the ground beef into the strainer. Press down on the meat with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much fat as possible from the cooked beef. Wipe the dish out with paper towels, and return the meat to the dish.

4. Sprinkle a packet of taco seasoning over the beef, add a splash of water and stir to evenly coat the meat. One packet of taco seasoning is enough to coat 1 pound of ground beef. If you are using more or less ground beef, adjust the seasoning accordingly. Microwave the mixture for one minute, remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool for five minutes before serving.