Taco night has been a favorite dinner in my family since I was a little girl. As a make-your-own-plate buffet and with a variety of creative toppings, here are all the reasons why we love a family taco bar!
My love for family taco bar goes back to my mom’s cooking
I remember my mom making a family taco bar often when I was younger. She would cover the table with little bowls of toppings. You’d find typical toppings like ground beef and shredded lettuce and more unusual toppings like grated carrots and plain yogurt. Mom used to swap the sour cream for plain yogurt and we never missed it! We prepare a similar taco table in our house, and it’s always a hit because kids and adults are both happy.
Our typical taco bar
- Grass-fed ground beef, cooked with seasonings and drained
- Peppers (sometimes on the side and sometimes cooked with the beef as shown below)
- Shredded lettuce, spinach, or arugula (whatever we have on hand)
- Shredded cheese
- Avocado or guac
- Greek yogurt
- Black beans (sometimes instead of beef and sometimes as a topping)
- Salsa
- Pickled jalapeños
- Hot sauce
- Hard shells and tortillas
- Squeeze of lime
Our taco bar isn’t super gourmet or fancy, which is why we are able to throw it together so fast on a weeknight with just about everything in our fridge and pantry. We tend to eat these summery pork tacos all the time in the summer – must plan some soon!
Taco Bar Family Preferences
- Kath likes: a taco salad made with 2 crushed hard shells and everything else on top
- Thomas likes: 3 hard shells, perfectly stuffed with every single ingredient
- Mazen likes: a tortilla filled with meat, cheese and guac with “salad” on the side
- Birch likes: a cheese quesadilla with some greens wilted inside and extra shredded cheese on the side (still working on peppers and beef!) Plain yogurt with a spoon.
{Taco plate from this post!}
Leftovers for lunch!
Taco salad bowl (skipped the shell)
Post Taco Play Time
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Now I feel like tacos! Great post! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Barbara Younger says
So funny this post came right now, as Dad and I had a taco bar two nights ago. And you know, I always love getting a shout out from your childhood.
Kath Younger says
Haha what did you have on your buffet two nights ago?!
Sarah says
This little exchange is adorable and sort of made my morning!
Melissa says
Roasted veggies, salsa and a dollop of Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream) is always a favorite of mine!
clarice says
A taco bar is lots of fun, especially for kids. This looks great! Can you share the recipe for the taco meat?
Kath Younger says
We use a pound of meat and then either add a premade taco seasoning packet or I’ll just sprinkle in the usual taco flavors – cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Here is a good DIY recipe.
Laura says
We like to do steak tacos with a variety of toppings: black beans, red cabbage/lettuce if we have some, scallions, cheese, tomatoes and avocado. Our 4 1/2 year old just started eating tacos last week vs deconstructed which was exciting! We do soft corn tortillas and I used a toothpick to help it stay together for her. She chose steak, cheese and avocado.
The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
I typically make ground beef with black beans and onions. Toppings are cheese, guac, colored peppers, whatever type of lettuce we have, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes or jalepenos if we have them. We all prefer tortilla shells over hard. WE LOVE the smoked pork tacos you posted about last summer. After my husband smokes a pork butt we freeze the rest and almost every time we pull one out we do the pork tacos. Aldi actually sells an asian salad kit that we use the slaw from and then use the salad toppings in it for an asian inspired meal later in the week.
Donna says
I also do Mexican bowl bar with topping. I like rice as a base then add all the toppings.
penny snyder says
My hubby is not a Mexican food fan, but he loves to make tacos or nachos!! Our kids, who are all grown now, have even asked for a nacho/taco bar for Christmas Dinner! LOL Love all the toppings, especially shredded chicken, guac, and lots of different kinds of cheese! Might be on our menu next week 🙂
Sara says
I make something like this as often as possible. My fiancee and I brown the ground beef, then mix in refried beans and my own blend of taco seasoning. Peppers and onions on the side. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, hot sauces, salsas, cheeses, sour cream, anything else we have that would go well with it. Then I like to make a homemade Mexican rice to go in or on the side. Though we often use tortilla chips instead of crushed shells if we go the salad route.