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Tacos are a simple dish, consisting of a tortilla and a filling that are usually served with salad vegetables and sauces. The type of tortilla, filling, and accompaniments can be varied to customize tacos to personal taste. This page outlines how to make tacos, while giving tips you can use to personalize your perfect taco.
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Introduction
- Tacos are a quick and easy meal that can be eaten on the go, served as party food, or presented as a fun family meal where each person can create a taco "their way". There are no rules for tacos, just guidelines that can be adjusted to reflect your tastes and what you have on hand.
What You'll Need to Make Tacos
- Although quantities will vary depending on how many tacos you're making, you should generally plan on the following ingredients for each taco:
- 1 hard taco shell or soft tortilla
- 2 tablespoons of filling, which can be beef, chicken, pork, fish, tofu, or the like
- 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheddar, monterey jack, or queso fresco
- 4 tablespoons of salad vegetables, such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions, scallions, and/or black olives
- 1-2 tablespoons of taco sauce, salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream
Step 1: Hard or Soft Shell Tacos?
Traditional Mexican tacos are made with a soft corn tortilla, wrapped around the filling. In the United States, tacos are usually served with either a soft flour tortilla or in a preformed hard corn tortilla shell. Which tortilla you use is purely a matter of personal preference. If you're not sure what your guests prefer, present all three to them!
Step 2: How to Make Taco Seasoning
- You can purchase taco seasoning mix in premixed packages at any grocery store, or you can mix up your own. The advantage of mixing your own is that you can vary the seasonings as you desire. Here are some recommendations for spices and quantities to get you started; and feel free to adjust each seasoning up or down, as desired.
- For one pound of meat, combine the following ingredients in a jar:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano, ground red pepper, black pepper, and cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Replace the lid on the jar and shake well to combine
Step 3: Select and Prepare a Filling
- Tacos can be filled with just about anything you desire. To prepare a ground beef, chicken, or turkey filling using a the taco seasoning mix in step 2, you should:
- Brown one pound of ground meat or poultry in a large frying pan
- Drain fat, if any
- Add the seasoning mix and 3/4 cup of water
- Mix well
- Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer
- Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes
Step 4: Assemble the Tacos
- While you can assemble the tacos yourself, and serve them on a platter, it's fun to let the guests assemble their own tacos. Arrange a on the table:
- A platter of warm tortillas
- A bowl of filling
- A bowl of grated cheese
- Assorted bowls of vegetables and condiments
- Make sure you have plenty of spoons for serving, and napkins for eating!
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