There’s no party like a taco party. And I say that because every taco night feels like a party, especially with the best taco recipes. Warm tortillas, freakin’ delicious proteins, your favorite toppings — it doesn’t get much better than that.

Pulled pork elote tacos sitting on a serving plate.

That’s probably why I’ve made many, many taco recipes over the years. So, I’ve rounded up my favorite taco recipes so you can find your go-to Taco Tuesday dinner. 

Why You’ll Love These Taco Recipes

First, I’ll start with what I love about tacos. It’s because you can go all-out a special occasion, make an easy recipe for family dinner or just throw together your favorite homemade tacos for any meal. Breakfast tacos or burritos, anyone? There’s really something for everyone!

Steak tacos ready to eat

And that something for everyone extends to how much you can vary tacos. You can go with corn tortillas and flour tortillas, or even crispy shells. You can cook up steak tacos, tacos al pastor, chicken tinga tacos, a smashburger take on classic ground beef tacos, fish tacos, shrimp tacos and so much more.

Then, don’t even get me started on the ways you can create your own taco seasoning mix or put out a variety of toppings — the possibilities are endless. 

Tips for Making the Best Tacos

​With all this variation, you want to make sure you’re set up for success. Here are my suggestions to make sure you deliver the best taco night. 

  • Tortillas: First, you’ve got to decide if you’re going with soft shells or hard taco shells. I’m a soft corn tortilla guy myself, given the texture, flavor and ability to prepare them according to your personal preference. Whether you’re using corn tortillas or flour tortillas, make sure you heat them up in a dry skillet first so they don’t break on you. Dumping the contents of your perfect taco all over your plate before you even take a bit is the worst!
  • Proteins: When you’re picking your protein, double-check the cooking time. Ingredients like pork shoulder or chicken thighs will take longer than steak (though check your marinating times!), ground beef, ground chicken or fish taco recipes. So, make sure you’re allowing the right amount of time to cook your delicious taco filling.
  • Toppings: Here’s where your imagination can run wild. Refried beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, avocado — the list goes on. Don’t forget the lime wedges and your favorite FYR hot sauce!
  • Seasonings: For homemade taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and ground cumin are great to have on hand, plus chiles to kick up the heat a notch. 
Holding up the grilled steak elote!

A Note on Chiles

There are tons of different types of chiles out there. To make sure you’ve got the right spice level so you hit family favorite status, you can always check the spice level of chiles on the Scoville scale. The Scoville scale, named for Wilbur Scoville, measures the heat level in hot peppers. Good old Wilbur’s scale ranges from 0 to 16 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Zero is no heat, 16 million is burn your mouth maximum heat. Pick your chiles accordingly! 

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My Favorite Taco Recipes

Without further ado, let’s dive into these taco recipes. ​Buckle up, because we’re about to find your new favorite taco recipe!

Beef Taco Recipes

Cowboy butter steak taco

Cowboy Butter Steak Tacos

Cowboy butter steak tacos are another way to use this spicy garlic herb butter, which is freakin' delicious on everything.
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Grilled Steak Elote Tacos

Grilled Steak Elote Tacos

For your next cookout, make some flavor-packed Grilled Steak Elote Tacos—the popular Mexican street food you can make in your own backyard.
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Steak tacos ready to eat

Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa

The next time you're on the road, skip the PB&Js and fire up your portable grill to make the best Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa.
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Crispy Cheese Tortilla Beef Tacos

Crispy Cheese Tortilla Beef Tacos

Are you a flour or corn tortilla kind of person? I like both, but you know what is also amazing, Crispy Cheese Tortilla Beef Tacos!
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Quesabirria tacos ready to devour.

Quesabirria Tacos

Nothing like these Quesabirria Tacos to brighten up a rainy day here in Nashville! Braised beef and cheese turned taco. Delicious!
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Cheese Gordita Crunch.

Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Cheesy Gordita Crunch tacos are the best copycat recipe! Insted of ground beef, a spicy grilled steak, with the best flavor, gets tucked into a a crispy tortilla stuffed into a soft tortilla with melty cheese.
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dirty skirt steak on the coals

Dirty Skirt Steak Tacos

Skirt steak tacos made right on the coals topped with limes, cilantro, and other delicious ingredients.
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Close up of a Grilled Steak Vampiro Taco ready to eat!

Grilled Steak Vampiro Tacos

Grilled Steak Vampiro Tacos for the vampires… and humans too! Happy Halloween.
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Carne Asada Breakfast Tacos

Carne Asada Breakfast Tacos

Nothing like a Carne Asada Breakfast Tacos recipe to get your day started on the right foot! Topped with a fried egg, you're sure to love them!
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Smoked Carnitas Tacos

Smoked Carnitas Tacos

Want to crush the taco world? These Smoked Carnitas Tacos are absolutely delicious when using some Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil!
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Cheeseburger Tacos

Cheeseburger Tacos

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A finished steak and egg taco, ready to eat

Steak and Egg Tacos

These steak and egg tacos are delicious for any meal, thanks to perfectly grilled ribeyes, fried eggs and smoked cilantro chimichurri.
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The Steak Bite Tacos on a sizzling griddle.

Steak Bite Tacos

These freakin' delicious steak bite tacos are buttery and savory all at once. Perfect quick and simple recipe for taco night!
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Pork Taco Recipes

Tacos Al Pastor is a showstopper that adds more excitement to Taco Tuesday.

Tacos Al Pastor

This showstopper of a taco recipe features marinated pork and an infusion of fresh flavors from the chile-pineapple marinade and homemade jalapeno salsa. 
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Al Pastor Pork Belly Tacos served on a platter.

Al Pastor Pork Belly Tacos

Al Pastor Pork Belly Tacos
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Crispy BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos garnished and sitting on a serving platter.

Crispy BBQ Pork Tacos

Crispy BBQ Pork Tacos for a delicious treat, or meal!
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Hatch Chile Mezcal Pork Tacos

Hatch Chile Mezcal Pork Tacos

Anybody else up for cooking a pile of pork slices on a rotating spit? Taking our tacos to the next level with this Hatch Chile Mezcal Pork Tacos recipe!
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Pulled Pork Elote Tacos assembled so that we can go serve them.

Pulled Pork Elote Tacos

Pulled Pork Elote Tacos
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Fried Pork Belly Tacos Recipe

Fried Pork Belly Tacos

Fried Pork Belly Tacos with a fresh salsa and avocado cream sauce are so freaking delicious.
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A close up shot of Chorizo Smash Tacos so you can see the fixings inside.

Chorizo Smash Tacos

Chorizo Smash Tacos for a fun, Taco Tuesday dinner that can be enjoyed any night of the week.
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Epic Chorizo Tacos

Chorizo Tacos

Want something epic? These Epic Chorizo Tacos are the ticket for some backyard deliciousness.
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Seafood and Fish Taco Recipes

Crispy Steak and Shrimp Tacos served on a plate.

Crispy Steak and Shrimp Tacos

Crispy Steak and Shrimp Tacos for a savory, crispy taco experience.
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grilled shrimp tacos

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Try some delicious grilled shrimp tacos over some hot Cowboy Charcoal. They are sure to make your grilling a night to remember all year round.
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Shrimp "Al Pastor" garnished and plated ready to eat.

Shrimp “Al Pastor” Tacos

Shrimp “Al Pastor” Tacos for an "Al Pastor" take on shrimp.
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A Surf and Turf Smashburger Taco being held up close to the camera so you can see it's different ingredients.

Surf and Turf Smashburger Tacos

Surf and Turf Smashburger Tacos for the best of the land and sea in a taco.
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Salmon Al Pastor Tacos are served!

Salmon Al Pastor Tacos

Salmon Al Pastor Tacos for a dinner that's sure to be a fan favorite!
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Lamb Taco Recipes

american lamb tacos al pastor

American Lamb Tacos Al Pastor

Try my edited version of the Classic Tacos Al Pastor with Lamb meat instead. Juicy, tangy and perfect for tacos!
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Barbacoa Lamb Tacos

Barbacoa Lamb Tacos

Barbacoa Lamb Tacos are the triple threat of deliciousness: tender, juicy and packed with flavor! Here's how to make it your next dinner.
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What to Serve with the Best Taco Recipes

The possibilities for taco side dishes are almost as endless as the tacos themselves. Given that, chips and salsa, Mexican rice or cilantro-lime rice, a simple slaw with lots of green onions and lime juice are all great options. Finally, add in a classic margarita and your taco party is complete. 

Quesabirria tacos with lime wedges and dipping sauce

Leftovers and Reheating

Keep your filling in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Some proteins, like pork shoulder or brisket, taste even better the day after you make them. When you’re reheating, you want to make sure the meat doesn’t dry out. The best way to do this is to reheat in a large skillet over medium heat with a little bit of liquid. 

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FAQs

Can I make these taco recipes in a slow cooker? 

​For the longer-cooking proteins like pork shoulder, chicken thighs or brisket, definitely! But I’d stick to stovetop for quicker-cooking ones like steak, ground beef, fish or shrimp.

How do I adjust the spice level? 

For chiles, you can remove the ribs and seeds to take the heat down a notch (or keep ’em in if that’s what you’re into). That’s because the ribs and seeds are where most of the spice lives. You can also reduce or increase the amount of chiles or spicy pantry ingredients like chili powder.

Should I use corn or flour tortillas? 

​I’m sure people could spend hours debating this one. Basically, all you need to know is that corn tortillas are firmer and have an earthier flavor. Then, flour tortillas are softer and sweeter. My opinion: you can’t really go wrong.

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