27 Taco Recipes So Good You'll Never Want to Make Anything Else

Baja Shrimp Tacos With Creamy Slaw

Briny shrimp, full-bodied hot sauce, and a creamy, crisp slaw come together to create a taco full of texture and flavor. We like using both red and green cabbage for a colorful slaw, but feel free to choose one or the other. In terms of Mexican hot sauce, we like Valentina or Cholula. If you can't find those, opt for Sriracha rather than Tabasco or Crystal (which are thinner and more vinegary).

You can use a gas stove flame to achieve a nice char on the tortillas. To do this, simply place one tortilla on each burner set on low heat. Use tongs to flip them when the bottom starts to char.

Mushroom and Corn Tacos

These tacos are earthy, toasty, and almost meaty thanks to umami-rich mushrooms. In fact, it's one of those recipes you can serve to meat-eaters, and they won't miss a bit of the beef.

Though a cast iron skillet isn't essential, it's great for charring the corn and cooking the mushrooms. Finishing the tacos with raw white onion, leafy green cilantro, and vibrant red chili pepper really makes the tacos pop with color.

For best results, try to find large shiitakes (smaller ones will cook before they turn brown). Any extra mushroom mixture can be added to an omelet or scattered over pizza.

Summer Tacos With Scallion-Peanut Relish

Thanks to rotisserie chicken, these tacos require no cooking. Instead, the prepared chicken is dressed in a flavorful sweet and spicy sauce, served alongside quick-pickle carrots and daikon radish, and topped with a crunchy peanut relish.

Vegetarian Tacos With Sweet Potatoes and Corn

As vegetarians know, tacos don't need meat to be delicious. Here, flour tortillas are filled with a zesty vegetable and tofu mixture that includes chili powder-dusted corn and sweet potatoes. You'll also find taco staples like shredded cheese and store-bought salsa.

Fish Stick Tacos

If you're looking to introduce your little ones to tacos, give this recipe a whirl. Here, fish sticks are the star, and the freezer staple is topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw and silky sour cream. Feel free to add some zingy hot sauce for the grownups. Shopping tip: Look for a fish stick brand that has the MSC-certified stamp on the packaging, which means they source sustainably harvested fish.

Creamy Rajas and Greens Tacos

A tasty taco doesn't always have to be filled with meat. In fact, we'd argue that this purely vegetarian option is just as rich and satisfying.

Made from hearty sautéed chard, thinly sliced crunchy radishes, and salty cotija cheese, it gets a lot of flavor from charred poblanos. Broil them in one batch on a sheet tray just until they're blistered, and gently peel away their outer skin. The results will be irresistible and smoky. Finally, a quick homemade queso sauce, basically a béchamel with Monterey Jack cheese mixed in, tips this recipe into the realm of truly indulgent.

Chicken Tacos With Slaw

What could be more tantalizing than tacos filled with fried chicken, creamy and bright slaw, and dill pickle chips? These tacos take just 20 minutes to make and are suitable for either a quick lunch or easy weeknight dinner. If you're short on time, use store-bought chicken tenders and pre-shredded cabbage.

Bulgogi-Inspired Beef Tacos

The ground beef filling inside these tacos is bursting with flavor thanks to the umami-packed glaze that coats it. Additionally, the meat is topped with crunchy Persian cucumber slices, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, and a dollop of spicy kimchi.

Cuban Pork Tacos With Orange Slaw

For especially satiating tacos, use pork as a filling and pair it with some fiber-rich beans. In this recipe, a bright slaw made with green cabbage, orange segments, and cilantro manages to cut through the rich pork and beans. To save time when making this dish on a busy weeknight, you can slow-cook the pork the day before you plan to eat it, and broil it just before serving.

Grilled Chili Shrimp Tacos

A homemade chili paste is easy to make—garlic, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper—but delivers a bold, smoky taste that pairs beautifully with a sweet-and-spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa. Grill the tortillas before filling to add char and make them more pliable.

Scrambled Egg Tacos

Mix things up: Serve tacos for breakfast or breakfast tacos for dinner. Here, toasted tortillas hold creamy scrambled eggs rather than ground beef. Sliced avocado, salsa, cheese, and cilantro round out the meal. For an extra-special treat the whole family will love, serve with breakfast potatoes.

Pork and Pineapple Tacos

Up to four hours of marinating time requires a little forethought, but the flavor payoff is big, bold, and delicious. Thinly sliced jalapeño and diced red onion cut through the sweetness, while crumbled cotija cheese adds a hint of salt.

Smoky Flank Steak Tacos

Seasoned flank steak, charred tortillas, and a fresh tomato salsa are basically all the components you need to make these 30-minute tacos. Serve them with ice-cold light beers and a chopped romaine salad to complete the meal.

Tilapia Tacos With Cucumber Relish

Perfect for kids or the less-than-adventurous eater, the texture and taste of white fish, like tilapia or halibut, is a good foray into a deeper appreciation for seafood. Here, the fish is seasoned, grilled, and then paired with a crunchy marinated cucumber and radish mixture.

Garlicky Skirt Steak Tacos

To make these tasty tacos, you'll start by sautéing some shredded Napa cabbage, and then you'll sear juicy, garlicky skirt steak quickly in a skillet. Once the steak is cooked, all you need to do is whip up a zesty onion and radish topping and lightly char the tortillas. With these easy steps, dinner is served in just 25 minutes.

Shrimp Tacos With Guacamole Cream and Olive Salsa

Who needs sour cream, when you can top fresh shrimp tacos with a simple (all you need is avocado, lime juice, and salt) yet flavor-packed guacamole cream instead? An olive salsa (yes, really!) adds zest and salt to each and every bite.

Vegetarian Tacos With Goat Cheese

Chili-spiced tofu, which is seared until golden brown and crispy around the edges, adds staying power to a taco brimming with vegetables. Add the crumbled goat cheese while the rest of the ingredients are still warm, so it becomes nice and creamy.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

For tacos that can be made almost exclusively on the grill, give this recipe a try. Both the shrimp, which is slathered in garlic butter, and the tortillas take a turn on the grates. Toppings such as cabbage, a homemade sour cream sauce, tomatillo salsa, and a squeeze of grilled lime complete the meal.

Shrimp and Pineapple Tacos With Black Bean Salad

Cumin-seasoned shrimp and pineapple pieces are cooked together on skewers for this dish, creating a taco filling that's both sweet and spicy. The satiating bean salad side balances out the flavorful duo, and helps ensure you won't go to bed hungry.

Crispy Bacon and Egg Tacos

Is there a better way to start the day than with breakfast tacos? This morning meal, which you can totally eat whenever you feel like it, includes crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, creamy avocado, and hot sauce. And since these are tacos, after all, cilantro and quick-pickled radishes are also here to add a fresh twist.

Squash Blossom Tacos

Bright orange squash blossoms are paired with gooey mozzarella and meaty poblano chiles in these summery tacos that also include fresh avocado and sour cream. The 30-minute meal is finished with a squeeze of lime, a sprinkling of crunchy pepitas, and a showering of cilantro.

Seared Salmon Tacos With Sriracha Mayo

Mix up taco night by giving fish tacos a slight Asian flair. Salmon marinates in a mixture of soy sauce and brown sugar for just 10 minutes before it's cooked on the stovetop. A spicy Sriracha mayo balances out any residual sweetness from the marinade.

Cauliflower Tacos al Pastor

Traditionally, tacos al pastor are made from thin slices of marinated pork and pineapple that roast on a rotating spit and then are shaved off into thin slices. However, this vegetarian version is made with cauliflower coated in orange zest, smoky chipotle chiles, garlic, and honey. A zesty avocado salsa drizzled on top brings just the right amount of brightness to this meat-free meal.

Shrimp Tacos With Citrus Cabbage Slaw

A bright citrus cabbage slaw and corn are paired with sautéed shrimp in these easy 20-minute tacos. Serve 'em with a simple salad or chips and homemade guacamole for a complete meal.

Skirt Steak Tacos With Greek Salsa

Quick pickled onions (just let them sit in vinegar for five minutes) are tossed with chopped Persian cucumbers, sliced grape tomatoes, and seasonings to create a topping that's bursting with fresh summer flavors. Spiced steak and crumbled Feta complete the part Greek, part Mexican meal.

Blistered Tomato Salsa and Roasted Chicken Thigh Tacos

Tomatillos, a green variety of tomatoes encased in a papery husk, have a more tart taste than their red counterparts. Broil the tomatillos to produce a char that gives the resulting salsa a slightly smoky taste. A big dollop atop shredded chicken will have the whole family asking for seconds.

Shrimp Tacos With Black Beans

These fried shrimp tacos, which also include avocado, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream, are served alongside sautéed black beans.