7 Best Taco Bar Ideas for Taco Tuesday

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Who doesn’t love tacos? Change up your taco game, and instead of those same-old-same-old boring tacos, jazz things up with a taco bar! Perfect on Taco Tuesday or for entertaining friends, these taco bar ideas are fun, tasty, and impressive!

A taco bar featuring a wooden board of vegetables and a bowl of ketchup.

Taco Bar Ideas

What Is A Taco Bar?

A taco bar is a fun and interactive way to enjoy tacos with friends and family. It’s a spread of various fillings, toppings, and other accompaniments that allow everyone to customize their tacos. You only need a table or counter to set up your ingredients and let the taco-making commence. 

Taco bars are perfect for dinner with the family, game-day parties, or anytime you have friends or family coming over. The best part is that people can make what they like, how they like it.

Oven-fried avocado tacos on a white plate.

Panko Baked Avocado Tacos

Oven-fried avocado tacos makes a creamy, crispy, meatless weeknight dinner. Serve them with a homemade cilantro yogurt sauce for a zesty kick.
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Why Bother With A Taco Bar?

Don’t just sit around the table and pass plates of food. There are many reasons to have a taco bar, including:

  • Provides a fun and interactive dining experience
  • Allows everyone to customize their tacos to their liking
  • Ideal for hosting dinner parties, casual get-togethers, or a unique meal at home
  • It provides a variety of options, so everyone is sure to find their perfect taco combination
  • Encourages conversation and socializing among guests
  • It can be a cost-effective way to feed a large group of people
  • It’s a fun and creative way to showcase your culinary skills
  • It offers a convenient and relaxed atmosphere for enjoying tacos
  • It’s perfect for accommodating different dietary restrictions and preferences.

“I love how easy it is to prep the food beforehand, which leaves me more time to catch up with my guests instead of cooking in the kitchen all evening. It’s also incredibly easy to adjust for individual preferences and dietary restrictions because everyone chooses exactly what they’d like on their own plate. Gluten intolerance? Offer corn tortillas instead of wheat. Vegetarian? Skip the beef and add some beans. There are so many ways to make sure everyone is included and has a nice meal.” โ€” Isabelle Frederick, Mama’s Buzz

A plate of Viral Smash Burger Tacos with cheese, tomatoes and lettuce.

Viral Smash Burger Taco

When it comes to tacos, the possibilities are endless. From traditional fillings like carne asada and fish to more unique combinations like Korean BBQ and buffalo chicken, there is a taco for every taste. One of the latest trends in the taco world is the smash burger taco. Combining the flavors of a classic burger with the convenience of a taco, these tasty treats are sure to satisfy any craving. Get ready to take your taco game to the next level!
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Taco Bar Ideas: What You Need

Before jumping into the kitchen and cooking, here are some other essentials to ensure your taco bar is perfect.

Wonton Chicken Tacos

APPLEBEE’S WONTON CHICKEN TACOS

Taco-shaped wontons are filled with oriental seasoned chicken, then topped with sesame ginger coleslaw.
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What To Serve on Your Taco Bar

Next, decide what you’ll serve on your taco bar! Here are the seven best taco bar ideas.

Fajitas

Offer a fajita-themed taco bar. Include a variety of grilled or griddled steak, chicken, pork, and shrimp, along with sauteed onions, peppers, and other veggies. A stack of flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and fixings like pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cheese, and jalapenos will round it all out.

Baja Tacos

Give your guests a taste of coastal Mexican cuisine with a Baja-inspired taco bar. Include plenty of grilled fish and shrimp options, limes, avocado, lettuce, tangy and citrusy slaw, jalapenos, grilled corn, salsas, and sauces to mix and match.

Chicken Taco Bites

Chicken Taco Bites

Chicken Taco Bites is a quick and easy appetizer thatโ€™s perfect for tailgating and after school snack.
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Kid-Friendly Taco Bar

Make your taco bar kid-friendly and put out various hard taco shells, including flavored taco shells that you can find in larger grocery stores. Seasoned ground beef is a kid favorite, as are standard taco fixings like shredded lettuce, cheeses, diced tomatoes, mild salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips for munching on.

chicken and vegetables

Street Corn Chicken Taco Recipe

Street Corn Chicken Taco Recipe is loaded with flavorful, marinated chicken, street corn, and topped with avocado, cheese, and a spectacular Mexican inspired sauce!
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos are unbelievably tender, juicy, versatile, and easy to make in your Crock-Pot! They are great for large crowds, busy nights, and make-ahead meals. #pork #pulledpork #recipe #slowcooker #tacos #easy #Mexican #Crockpot #carnitas
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Vegetarian 

Skip the meat entirely and go for a plant-forward taco bar! Taco Bar Ideas include seasoned tofu, grilled vegetables, jackfruit, black beans, and quinoa as fillers. Toppings can include a variety of salsas, guacamole, cheeses, vegan cheese options, smoked jalapenos, fresh herbs, pickled onions, and more.

Classical Mexican

Some classic options include various hard taco shells and soft flour tortillas, plus fillings like seasoned ground beef, grilled chicken, and pork. Pair these filings with refried beans, cilantro rice, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. A selection of salsas rounds out this tasty taco bar.

Taco Bar Ideas. Mexican food in bowls on a wooden table.

International

Fusion cuisine is all the rage, and tacos are the perfect vessel for international flavors. Korean beef, Peruvian ceviche, butter chicken, Thai pork, Southern fried catfish, and more all make great fillings. Toppings can include spicy wasabi, tzatziki, sweet soy glaze, pickled vegetables, and various herbs that will let your guests mix and match with international flavors.

Breakfast Tacos

Tacos aren’t just for dinner! Switch things up with a breakfast or brunch taco bar and offer scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, fried potatoes, and beans as filling options. Toppings might include crema, salsas, fresh fruit, avocados, and limes.

Breakfast Pancake Tacos

BREAKFAST PANCAKE TACOS RECIPE

All your favorite breakfast foods in a homemade pancake.
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The best breakfast, Sausage Pancake Tacos, is loaded with sausage and scrambled eggs then stuffed in a homemade pancake.

SAUSAGE PANCAKE TACOS

The best breakfast, Sausage Pancake Tacos, is loaded with sausage and scrambled eggs then stuffed in a homemade pancake. Drizzle with maple syrup, gravy, or hot sauce for the perfect bite.
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Taco Bar Ideas: How To Arrange

Ensure you have plenty of space to put out all the fillings, toppings, sauce, tortillas, and more. Every dish should have its serving utensils to reduce cross-contamination, and labels are always helpful so that guests know what they’re getting. 

If there are kids around, make sure there are plenty of snackables on hand, like a guacamole board or even just veggies and fruits for snacking on.

Donโ€™t forget about the drinks! Have a variety of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks like boba teas for your guests.

The Final Word

A themed taco bar will help you stay focused and organized, but you can just put out all your favorites and skip the theme. Just be sure to include a variety of spicy and mild flavors, gluten-free and vegetarian options, and you should have something for everyone.

This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.

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