Best Taco Recipes | The Modern Proper (2024)

We’ve rounded up our very best taco recipes, as well as a few taco-related recipes like taco salad, taco soup and of course our killer, put-it-on-everything homemade taco seasoning recipe!

Categories:

  • Kid Friendly
  • Roundups
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Your New Favorite Taco Recipe Awaits.

Whatever type of taco you’re in the mood for– light and delicious fish tacos, true Mexican “street” tacos or cheesy, loaded Tex-Mex tacos—you’re sure to find it here.

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Our Favorite Fish Taco Recipes

We’d never claim that there’s ONE best fish tacos recipe. Because why choose!? We love all three of these fish tacos equally—there’s one for every mood.

  • Carnitas Tacos. Turn our favorite pork carnitas recipe into our favorite taco recipe ever by adding just a few simple ingredients.
  • Shrimp Tacos. Our super easy shrimp taco recipe comes complete with a slightly spicy avocado crema and topped with a crispy cabbage slaw that’s totally irresistible.
  • Spicy Fish Tacos. Featuring tender pieces of panko-crusted white fish loaded into warm tortillas, then topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw and drizzled with homemade spicy mayo, these crispy fish tacos totally rock.
  • Grilled Tilapia Tacos. Fresh and light, this grilled fish taco recipe is healthy, adaptable—use any firm white fish that is available and affordable—and always a crowd-pleaser.
  • Beer-Battered Fish Tacos. loaded with a slightly spicy, creamy coleslaw and topped off with a lime-spritzed crema, are pure heaven in a tortilla.
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The Best Street Tacos

The phrase “street tacos” refers to tacos that are made in a more traditional way, and meant to reflect the tacos you’d typically get as a street food in Mexico. When you see the phrase “street tacos” it usually means that the tacos you’re getting will be smaller and a bit simpler than other types of tacos—and are an especially stark contrast to Tex-Mex tacos—and made with corn tortillas instead of flour. Here are three street taco recipes we just adore:

  • Chicken Street Tacos With Mango Slaw. Topped with a crunchy, sweet lime-mango slaw, this easy chicken taco recipe is easy, healthy weeknight heaven.

  • Carne Asada Tacos. Nothing more and nothing less than the very best carne asada tacos recipe we could possibly create! Juicy steak, corn tortillas and fresh guacamole make for one killer dinner—just add margaritas.
  • Slow-Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos. Savory, juicy barbacoa beef tacos—just like the ones at Chipotle!—topped simply with crunchy radishes and diced onion, are a cinch to make thanks to our trusty slow-cooker.

  • Chicken Tinga Tacos. A few choice canned ingredients—like smoky chipotles in adobo and fire-roasted tomatoes—and a store-bought rotisserie chicken make this easy chicken tinga recipe a weeknight go-to.

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Best Taco Recipes | The Modern Proper (11)

Tex-Mex Taco Recipes & Other Outside-the-Box Taco Recipes

We’ve got a real soft spot in our hearts for Tex-Mex food. Drenched in sauces and usually as loaded up with cheese as possible, it’s not authentically Mexican at all—it is a cuisine all its own. These hearty, Tex-Mex style taco recipes always hit the spot:

  • Breakfast Tacos. Because you can't fly to Austin every time you're craving breakfast tacos. But at least you can make them at home until your next visit! Loaded with bacon, eggs, avocado and cheddar cheese, our breakfast taco recipe is good enough to get you through!

  • Crispy Ground Beef Tacos. Beefy taco filling, hot and crispy from the pan and spiced just-so, loaded into a fried flour tortilla and topped to your heart's content—plenty of sour cream and pico on ours, please!—beef tacos are one of the speediest, easiest weeknight dinners out there.

  • Jerk Chicken Tacos. Fresh lime juice and homemade jerk seasoning liven up the simple grilled chicken thighs that fill our pineapple-loaded, tropical fever dream of a jerk chicken taco recipe.

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Best Taco Recipes | The Modern Proper (13)

Deliciously Vegan Taco Recipes To Love

We know, we know—vegan tacos don’t sound all that exciting. But, the way we make ‘em, they’re actually every bit as texturally interesting and powerfully flavored as their meaty counterparts. Here are our two very favorite vegan taco recipes:

  • Roasted Cauliflower Tacos. Crispy roasted taco-seasoned cauliflower is piled into a warm tortilla and honestly you could stop there and dinner would be yummy. The avocado crema we make has sour cream, but just leave it out for a still-delicious sauce that’ll ensure your tacos are 100% vegan.

  • Sweet Potato Tacos. Bulked up with black beans and a crispy cabbage slaw, this vegan taco recipe has a hint of sweetness from the roasted sweet potatoes, so it’s super kid-friendly.

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More Taco Recipes to Love!

From easy weeknight chicken tacos to braised taco meat that take many hours, we’ve got even more taco recipes to fill your hearts and homes.

  • Lamb Tacos. This easy lamb taco meat recipe can be made in a slow-cooker, Instant Pot or on the good old stove top.

  • Crispy Chicken Tacos. Flavorful shredded chicken tacos with crispy, lacy edges that develop when the tacos are baking in the oven.

  • Easy Chicken Tacos. Our favorite fresh ingredients come together to make quick and easy chicken tacos.

  • Beef Birria Tacos. Loaded with juicy, chile-spiced and succulent beef birria, this easy beef birria taco recipe is a real keeper.

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Not Tacos: Taco-Adjacent Recipes That Rule

From the best taco seasoning ever—we even rounded up 10 ways to use it!—to a deeply all-American, salsa-and-sour cream dressed taco salad, these taco-related recipes are every bit as awesome as the more classic taco recipes that inspired them.

  • Homemade Taco Seasoning. Smokey and savory, with a satisfying mild heat, our homemade taco seasoning is an adaptable, simple way to turn a ho-hum dinner into a “make again, please!”.

  • Taco Salad. The best taco salad recipe starts with seasoned beef and gets better from there, with toppings piled high—beans, corn, cheese, avocado and chips. Finish it off with taco salad dressing and DIG IN!

  • Taco Soup. What’s easier than taco night? Taco SOUP night! Rather than fussing around with warming tortillas in one pan, and seasoned beef sizzling in another, we’ve taken the ease of taco night and made it even better by soupifying it!

  • Crock-Pot Taco Meat. Just three-ingredients and the use of our trusty slow-cooker make this Crock-Pot taco meat recipe an easy win.

  • Crock-Pot Chicken Taco Meat. A shredded chicken taco feast is even easier to make than you think. Like, three ingredients easy.

Taco Night, Every Night

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

Best Taco Recipes | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to tacos to make them better? ›

It's always a good idea to include something meaty, like ground beef, slow-cooked shredded chicken, or spicy shrimp. Saucy black beans or canned refried beans are also hearty options. Sautéed or grilled peppers and onions are a great vegetable-forward filling to include.

What do authentic tacos have? ›

Lime is probably the most essential of authentic Mexican taco toppings. A squeeze of lime adds a dash of acid that brings out the other flavors in a taco beautifully. Onions, cilantro, pico de gallo, sliced radishes or cucumbers, avocado, and chili peppers are also standard toppings for authentic tacos.

What makes tacos taste better? ›

Not enough people use cilantro. Iceberg lettuce can be refreshing in a burrito, but when it comes to tacos, cilantro, onion and lime are king. I know Tex-Mex enthusiasts love their dairy on a taco. Big pinches of cheddar cheese that lack flavor or the ability to melt.

How do you spruce up a taco kit? ›

Upgrade Boxed Tacos
  1. Box of Taco Shells.
  2. Taco Seasoning Packet.
  3. Ground Meat ( we use beef or chicken)
  4. Diced sweet or white onion.
  5. Bell Pepper any color will do.
  6. 1 Diced Jalapeno.
  7. 1 Chipotle in adobo (you can add more if you want it hotter)
  8. Salsa.

What is the most important ingredient in tacos? ›

Salsa: Salsa and sauces are the soul of your taco, tying all other ingredients together. A tangy pico de gallo complements almost everything.

Why don t Mexicans put cheese on tacos? ›

However, cheese is not a traditional ingredient in the original Mexican-style taco. It was only when tacos made their way to America that cheese became a common addition. So, technically speaking, Mexican tacos do not have cheese.

How is a true Mexican taco made of? ›

There's no cheese or lettuce. Instead, you'll see soft corn tortillas filled with authentically flavored meat, cilantro, radish slices, grilled onion, and an assortment of hot sauces. The future of tacos looks bright.

What is the most authentic Mexican taco? ›

In Mexico, tacos don't have lettuce on them. Or tomatoes, Or cheese. Authentic tacos are filled with high-quality marinated meats (or vegetables), & are delicious as they are. They don't need extra trimmings that you find on less traditional tacos.

How do you make homemade tacos taste better? ›

Salsa and guacamole are great, but look to mix it up with fresh radish, chicharrones, or pickled onion. A fresh, warm tortilla is made better by a crunchy counterpart.” One of Romero's favorite toppings is a morita pepper and peanut salsa, which lends a spicy, smoky, crunchy lift to any taco.

How do you upgrade tacos? ›

Try throwing in some pepitas, asparagus, basil, or fresh fruit. For an even creamier avocado taco topping, try making avocado crema. Blend the avocados with sour cream and thin it out with lime juice until it's easy to drizzle onto your tacos.

What can I add to taco meat for more flavor? ›

For tacos or Mexican dishes, common spices for ground beef include cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne for heat. Adjust quantities based on personal taste preferences.

What can I add to taco meat to make it go further? ›

Potatoes!! The potato skin to be exact. I asked the waiter about this and he said that's what gives it its creaminess and that his mother used to add potatoes (and sometimes pinto beans) to their ground beef to make it go further.

What to serve with tacos for dinner? ›

Our 20 Best Side Dishes To Serve With Tacos
  • 02 of 20. Black Bean And Corn Salsa. Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley. ...
  • 05 of 20. Tejano Red Rice. ...
  • 08 of 20. Mexican Corn. ...
  • 11 of 20. Dirty Rice. ...
  • 14 of 20. Smoked-Tomato Salsa. ...
  • 17 of 20. Peach Salsa.
Jan 21, 2024

How do you make tacos stand up? ›

Just turn an egg carton upside down and put your tacos inside. Bam.

How do you spice up bland taco meat? ›

For tacos or Mexican dishes, common spices for ground beef include cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne for heat. Adjust quantities based on personal taste preferences.

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