Best Taco Recipes

Recipe Courtesy of Rojo’sTaco salads are often served in a fried-tortilla fashioned into a bowl, which really distorts their nutritional information. In their purest form, however, taco salads are nothing more than seasoned meat, lettuce, black beans, and cheese. This recipe is a perfect example of how a taco salad should be made. 

With this week's recipe SWAT theme, feta, I decided to work the ingredient into one of my most prevalent cravings — tacos. At restaurants, I find it is hard to find a taco that is still fresh and somewhat healthy tasting, and not drowned in sauce. These tacos pack in flavor and don't pack in the extras, making them a simple, fresh, and all-season favorite. 

Nothing's better than a fish taco, and this recipe takes it to the next level. A savory blend of spices gets a little extra something from a touch of sweetness, and adds a nice crust to the fish, while a pinch of red pepper flakes awakens the taste buds. I keep the garnishes to a minimum so the flavor of the fish prevails, but all of the usuals will go great on these. Click here to see Tasty Tilapia Recipes for Any Night of the Week.

It was more than a decade ago that I fell in love with the flautas at Chico's Tacos in El Paso, Texas. That visit started a craving that was finally, finally sated, in New York City no less. Chico's Tacos were brought back from Texas, special delivery, packaged in Tupperware that was more expensive than the actual tacos, frozen until I could get to them, and finally reconstituted (Thanks, Mom). Eating Chico's Tacos once again did two things. First, it made the need to be able to eat them more consistently a necessity. Second, tasting the original rendition reestablished the flavor profile required to be able to do that. Crispy fried taquitos, covered in thinly shredded cheese, and drenched in red watery sauce — dripping, crunchy, melted cheese-drink-the-sauce flautas goodness. Creating a recipe for a renowned dish is tricky. You can theorize, you can do trial and error, or you can do what was done here: Look to see what's out there already. There's no official site for Chico's Tacos and, as far as anyone can seem to tell, no officlal recipe out there for how to best make these signature tacos. The two most prominent recipes out there are by The Stanton Magazine and Mexican American Border Cooking. They provide some really insightful guidance on different possible approaches to a successful dish. This recipe uses a home fryer and fresh ingredients for all components for a rendition that looks and tastes pretty close to the original. Oh, and don't forget the toothpicks. You need them to keep the taquitos closed when frying them. (If anyone knows a better way, please chime in.)