Americans eat tacos, with 95% of the population admitting to their love for them. Moreover, if people choose between burritos and tacos, 71% will go for the latter. Initially a Mexican dish, tacos found their way into American cuisine several years ago. While traditional taco lovers prefer the tortilla soft, others love to sink their teeth into a crunchy corn option. There are many ways to make your family and friends yearn for homemade tacos. Taco Tuesday is a popular hashtag that marks the popularity of making tacos at home a weekly ritual. Fortunately, with the help of the world wide web, you can explore the world of food information on different ways to cook tacos. These are a few ideas on how to upgrade your tacos from regular to superb.

1. Your tortilla can be a cheese shell

Why confine yourself to a box when there are many delicious options to use for your taco. Instead of the more traditional flour-based tortilla, a cheese shell taco is an option you will find exciting to try out. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of cheese to choose from. First of all, don’t use packaged shredded cheese. Shredded cheeses are coated in potato starch which keeps them from sticking to other strands and this keeps it from melting evenly. Shred the cheese fresh from a block right before placing it on one side of the tortilla and melting it in a pan until crispy over medium heat. Shredded cheese holds up very well when used. Another option is the Mozzarella cheese wrap which gives that classic extra stringy texture but melts in your mouth.

If you’re more conscious about how many calories you’re consuming with these cheese options, there is an answer to your concerns. The low-carb keto cheese taco shell doesn’t take away from the ultimate delicious experience. There is one thing to be mindful of, though. Certain cheese types have a very high salt content. Therefore, when using that as your shell, you may not need salt in your taco filling. Using this strategy balances out the taste.

2. Try the beef barbacoa

Carnitas are popular in a taco and so is the option of a fried white-fleshed fish but let’s try something heartier like a healthy heaping serving of delicious beef barbacoa. Having access to the proper cut of meat will make the most delicious beef barbacoa taco filling you’ve ever had. Barbacoa is another authentic Mexican meal, and combining it with its ‘companion,’- the taco-, gives the palate a double dose of taste. If you’re preparing the beef barbacoa from scratch, ensure it is slow-cooked to provide it with its distinctive flavor, taste, and texture. Do not forget to add the right vegetables and authentic seasonings before slow-cooking it. However, if you bought it already made from the store, then you’re good to go.

3. Fry the tortilla for an extra crunch

Have you only used a soft tortilla for your tacos? Why not go out of the ordinary to try something crunchier? Earlier, I suggested a fried cheese crust on the taco to give it dimension but how about another crunchy choice? This is where the fried tortilla comes in. Yes, you can fry your tortilla to give it that signature crunch food ads love to entice consumers with on television. There is a psychology to crisp and crunchy sounds that draw attention to the eater and the food. As long as you can replicate that at home, you will have more people wanting to try out your crunchy fried tortilla tacos. If you prefer to ditch the flour tortilla, try the frybread option. Although the latter is a Navajo tradition, it adds variety and enhanced appeal to your homemade tacos.

4. Add a hearty consomme for dipping

Birria tacos are the newest recipe to cross the border here in the states, it’s not new but it is currently trendy in the mainstream. What makes birria tacos special is that besides the tacos being fried in the fat of the meat that is filling the taco, traditionally goat but more commonly beef, you also dip the taco when filled into a bowl of warm consomme made from the shredded meat, spices, and chiles. It is a next-level experience when it comes to flavor. Have I made you sufficiently hungry? You know you want to try it on your next taco night.

5. Marinate! Marinate! Marinate!

No matter what protein you decide to use to fill your tacos, you need to prepare it. This is not the time for that dry chicken breast you save for your salads and then drown in salad dressing. Let’s respect our food, ok? Prep work makes the dream work. Whether you chose a cut of steak, chicken, goat, fish, tofu to go into your taco start at least 24 hours beforehand to prepare the marinade to go onto your chosen protein. This is not the time to play shy with your seasonings, sour orange, garlic, or dried chiles. All of these have a purpose and make sure they are all in balance when adding them. Mix them all in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate to be grilled or pressure cooked the next day for your authentic taco meal. Bland fillings are not acceptable.

So do you think that you have all the skills to impress on this Taco Tuesday? It’s not hard just imagine what you’d like most to have if you were dining out. Flavorful fillings with fresh vegetables, a choice of soft or crunchy tortillas, and whatever else that you’d want on the side, whether that would be salsa, tabasco, or consomme. There’s nothing to it.

How do you like your tacos? Do you have special nights for particular meals like Taco Tuesday? Let’s discuss!

Until our next rendezvous…

XOXO

Trudy