There’s probably someone out there who doesn’t like tacos—maybe even multiple people. But for those of us who appreciate convenient, delicious parcels of food, there’s nothing quite like a taco to sate immediate hunger. You don’t have to stop by a taco stand to get food that goes beyond Taco Bell fare, however (not that we’re judging Bell lovers). Amazing tacos can be made out of all kinds of ingredients, including any leftovers that might be in your fridge. Tacos are also easy to customize, making them a fun meal that kids and adults alike will gravitate to. To help you put together your next taco night, we’ve compiled this guide, which takes you through the process of putting together the perfect taco. Use it to beef up your existing recipes, or to find a new at-home alternative to eating out.
Step One: Choose Your Shell
As the base of the taco, the shell deserves a little thought. You can, of course, buy hard or soft shells of your choosing from the store. No shame. But if you want something closer to homemade, you could try making a traditional puffy tortilla out of masa dough. You can also pan fry a hard or soft shell for a few minutes on each side to make it crispy. If you’re making a gyro style taco, you can even use a piece of flatbread as a tortilla. You can even make dessert tacos, either by making a taco shell shape out of chocolate or by laying soft tortillas over aluminum foil rolls. If you go with the latter method, you’ll want to brush the tortillas with melted butter and sprinkle them with sugar and bake in the oven at about 400°F for 15 minutes.You’ll be left with a sweetened shell that would taste perfect filled with fruit and ice cream.
Step Two: Choose Your Star Ingredient
Now that you’ve decided on a shell, you’ll want to think about which ingredient (or ingredients) should be the focal point of the taco. Usually, this means picking a protein—and there’s so many things to pick from. Naturally, there’s the usual choices: shredded chicken, ground beef, steak, shrimp and fish, but there’s also breakfast tacos, crab tacos, and bean or tofu-based tacos for vegetarians. You can even take leftovers, like last night’s Kung Pao, and make tacos. The possibilities here are truly endless, so feel free to get adventurous while choosing your primary taco flavors.