8x tips for the best tacos from your own kitchen
Fantastic taco spots are thankfully becoming increasingly easy to find in the Netherlands, which is great news for everyone who, like us, loves sliding one of these delicious things into their mouth with their head tilted to the side. But even if you’re not able to support your local Mexican restaurant, these tips will help you take your tacos at home from mediocre to top-notch!
Whether you’re a fan who seeks out the most authentic ingredients or someone who prefers convenience and reaches for a semi-ready-made kit, everyone who loves tacos can learn something from these tips:
Get marinating
Almost any kind of meat becomes tastier if you marinate it for a while beforehand. Carnitas (pulled pork that is roasted until crispy in the oven in Mexico) may not be on the menu today, but marinating your meat beforehand in a simple mixture of one teaspoon each of chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, plus the juice of 2 limes and 3 tablespoons of oil, will make a world of difference.
Corn tortillas
Okay, flour tortillas are delicious too. But if you’re using the corn variety, don’t forget to fry them briefly in a layer of oil. None of that ‘dry frying pan’ nonsense—just toss them into the oil. This makes them less likely to fall apart, and brings them closer to chip perfection too!
Grate it yourself
If you choose cheese for or in your taco, freshly grated cheese tastes better than pre-grated. It doesn’t contain any anti-caking agents, and with this cooking spray hack that makes grating cheese easier, the job will be done in no time. You can’t go wrong with cheddar!
Underneath, not on top
A dollop of sour cream on top looks nice, but when you take a bite of your taco (let’s be honest: the first half), you don’t want a whole mouthful of it all at once. Just spread it over the tortilla before adding the filling, so it’s distributed evenly.
Melt potential
If you’ve chosen cheese, make sure it ends up just below or above the hot meat. Cold grated cheese on top of your taco is mediocre; warm, melting cheese that gets deliciously stringy is fantastic. We wouldn’t recommend it for every taco, but with a filling of spicy seasoned ground meat, it’s a must!
Give that onion some love too
Since your meat is marinating anyway, put the onion rings in a bath too! It’s super easy, and pickled red onion on a taco is so much tastier than raw onion. Simply slice one (or half) a red onion into thin rings and put them in a jam jar with equal parts water and vinegar (about 120 ml each), 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave to stand for fifteen minutes and you’re done.
Avocado
We completely understand if you don’t get your molcajete for guacamole out for a few tacos. But a few slices of avocado will also get you a long way, and under the guise of eating healthy, you’ll have smuggled in some good fats too!
Semi-quesadilla
Another delicious option: fill your soft taco, fold it in half and place it in a frying pan. Fry it briefly while pressing it flatter with a spatula, and the melting cheese will neatly hold everything together.
And if you’re eating a soft taco (secretly our favorite)? Abandon any illusion that you can eat it neatly without making a mess, tilt your head to the side, and slide the taco upright into your mouth in two or three bites. Ultimate happiness!
Also read:
- From taco to enchilada: what are the differences?
- Recipe: grilled shrimp tacos
- Vegan BBQ recipe: Tacos with jackfruit and avocado salsa
Source: Eat This
