Taco Dinner Ideas

Taco Dinner Ideas

March 30, 2025 by Kari

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Clean Eating, Entreés, Gluten Free, Recipes

These easy-to-make Taco Dinner Ideas are the perfect weeknight dinner or Taco Tuesday. All of these recipes are gluten-free, and there are lots of dairy-free options as well, so there’s a little something for everyone. Many of these taco recipes are budget-friendly but they’re also kid-friendly too. From tacos to taco bowls and more there are endless ways to enjoy your next taco night by simply changing up a few ingredients.

Two white bowls with rice, taco meat, chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced avocados, romaine lettuce, and corn.

I grew up eating classic American-style tacos like most people I know and absolutely loved them! But as I got older and really into food, my taco world just continued to expand with all the options.

All my favorite options are below for taco-inspired dinners and taco combinations for chicken, beef, pork, and seafood.

We make taco bowls in our house more often than tacos, and you’ll find my tips below for how to turn any taco into a bowl.

Five taco shells filled with taco meat, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and diced red onion in a row on a white background.

Taco Recipes for Dinner

Taco meat in a white skillet surrounded by bowls of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocados, black beans, rice and corn.

Along with our favorite American-style taco recipes, I’ve included my fajita and burrito bowl recipes here too. They all make a great taco night.

Build your own taco night

Shredded salsa chicken in a white bowl topped with chopped cilantro.

Taco Night: Meat + Tortillas/Base + Toppings + Sauce

Choose a base

Roasted sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet with a wood spatula scooping some up.

Use these recipes as a base when you make taco bowls. And, of course, you can always pile your favorite taco fillings into tortillas. We love corn tortillas and the almond flour tortillas from Siete.

Add some toppings

Pico de gallo salsa in a white bowl with a corn chip scooping some up.

Salsa of all kinds, guacamole, and some Fajita Veggies add so much to a taco night. Vary the salsa you make depending on the season. In the winter, I make mango and pineapple salsa, but also my Fire Roasted Salsa, which uses canned tomatoes.

Other toppings to add to a taco night

  • Shredded lettuce
  • Shredded cabbage or napa cabbage
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Sliced or diced avocado instead of guacamole
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh or cooked corn
  • Pickled onions, diced onion, or sliced green onion
  • Chopped tomatoes, mango, or pineapple instead of salsa
  • Grated cheese, cheddar & jalapeno jack are my favorites
  • Crumbled Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco
  • Sliced jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, or olives
  • Lime wedges

Finally choose a sauce

Chipotle aioli in a glass jar with a silver spoon in front of the jar.

Combinations for Taco Dinner Ideas

  • Chicken Tacos: Instant Pot Salsa Chicken, Tortillas, Jalapeno Jack cheese, Pineapple Salsa, & sliced avocados, Sour Cream or Chipotle Aioli
  • Beef Barbacoa: Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa, Tortillas, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Shredded Cabbage or Sliced Radishes, and Cilantro,
  • Pork Tacos: Instant Pot Carnitas, Tortillas, Mango Salsa or Pineapple Salsa, Guacamole, Shredded Napa Cabbage, Crumbled Cojita Cheese
  • Fish Tacos: I use the fish from my Fish & Chips recipe or Fish Taco Bowls, Tortillas, Mango Salsa, Shredded Cabbage, Cilantro Lime Dressing, & Chipotle Aioli
  • Shrimp Tacos – Chipotle Shrimp Tacos, Tortillas, Pico de Gallo/Mango Salsa/Pineapple Salsa, Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce

You can make any of these taco combinations into a taco bowl by piling them over steamed rice or sweet potatoes in place of tortillas.

Slaw, mango salsa, and a portion of fish drizzled with chipotle aioli in a white bowl.
Fish Taco Bowls – my favorite way to enjoy fish tacos at home!

FAQ’s

What sides go well with tacos for dinner?

Beans and rice both go well with taco dinners. You can serve cooked black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans. I like to serve my Cilantro Lime Rice for extra flavor. Chips, salsa, and guacamole also round out a taco night for pre-dinner snacking.

What do you serve at a taco dinner party?

Entertaining with tacos is my favorite way to entertain because it’s so easy! Make taco meat, choose tortillas & rice for taco bowls, and add your favorite toppings and sauce. Put everything out buffet style and let each person mix and match their way into tacos or taco bowls.

Classic American Tacos

Five tacos with corn tortillas topped with taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Add some diced onions, or try my budget-friendly taco meat option with black beans. The Taco meat is made with the classic cumin, chili powder, garlic & onion powder, but also gets extra flavor from smoked paprika.

Beef barbacoa in a white bowl with rice, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, corn, and sour cream.

My favorite taco memories growing up were from Saturday dinners. My parents owned a roller rink, and so on Saturdays, we would often get Taco John’s for dinner.

They knew the manager (who lived near the roller rink), and she would deliver our order decades before anything like DoorDash existed!

I had a crazy big appetite and would eat 4 tacos + 1 pound of their Potato Olés. It’s a wonder my parents could afford to feed me really! While

I have fond memories of fast food tacos, homemade is so much tastier, more affordable, and healthier too.

I really hope you enjoy these Taco Dinner Ideas! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

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