What are tacos and how do i make them?

[MorrisZapp]

11 year old DS has asked for tacos.

Do I buy the crunchy taco holders and fill them with mince? He's a fussy sod and won't tolerate visible vegetables, but will happily scarf down spaghetti bolognaise.

Do you pick the whole taco up and eat it like a sandwich? Or do you put grated cheese over it and eat with knife and fork?

I've literally never had them. Can anyone give me a taco 101?

Usually tacos means in soft wraps, like burritos, but the small ones. When we have taco night everyone fills their own - I usually make some kind of base filling (lots of ideas online) and have stuff like chopped avocado etc to add also (plus hot sauce, salady things for those who might like them). In terms of how to eat them, just fill (resist the urge to overfill), vaguely fold over/roll up so it can be picked up, stuff in to mouth! The crunchy ones are also fun but much harder to eat and not really the default meaning of taco, though they used to be in this country at least so might be worth asking what he's expecting

I would make a chilli base using meat or beans (mine fry onion garlic chilli add beans and tinned tomatoes and paprika and cumin coriander squeeze of lime)
Warm taco shells in over then put in chilli add shredded lettuce grated cheese salsa peppers guacamole or wherever and eat messily lime a sandwich

Fish tacos also super easy. Make a spice rub for fish pieces bake for a bit build taco as before

I would get the soft “stand and stuff” taco shells - they’re great for kids, much easier to pick up and eat with their hands!

I just get a kit like this and follow the instructions.

Brilliant! Many thanks taco people

Buy the crispy taco shell kit by Old El Paso and follow the instructions. It's usually mince fried with the sachet of powdered spices and a little water. Once that's done you heat the shells in the oven for a few mins to crisp them up.

Then arrange some bowls containing grated cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped spring onion, salsa, chopped avocado, sour cream or creme fraiche. That kind of thing.

Pop some of the meat mixture into the shell, just under half way and hand to your son so he can put whatever of the other toppings he fancies in the top. Kids usually are full after perhaps 3 tacos.

It's a good fun thing to eat if he's got a friend or two round for tea and the toppings don't get wasted that way either.

Watching with interest as I made tacos the other week and oh my God they were vile, I don't know what I did wrong

The soft ones are nice too but more filling. More bready.

Ask him what he thinks he might like before you buy.

You need to see Rick Stein's Road to Mexico

We had tacos the other night. Two meat options of chicken and mince. Both were lovey. I didn’t use the el paco spices, just the taco shells. I bought a separate spice mix which was much tastier.

Topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, freshly made guacamole and melted cheese. Yum

I think you should definitely try one of the Old El Paso kits for your first attempt. They do different kits - normal crunchy, the stand and stuff crunchy and the soft tortilla types. They come with the salsa and a seasoning sachet for you to mix with the mince.

When my kids were younger I used to only put half the sachet in as otherwise they found it a bit spicy but just add according to your son’s taste. I normally do salad, chopped cherry tomatoes, avocado, grated cheese and yoghurt or sour cream for toppings. They are fun to eat and a regular meal in our house.

Definitely get fresh sour cream for topping from the fridge section, not the long life kind off the shelf.

Definitely get fresh sour cream for topping from the fridge section, not the long life kind off the shelf.

Ditto the guacamole, DD came home with some in a squeezey bottle, didn't even realise long life guacamole was thing. It was beyond disgusting.

Fish tacos are gorgeous, but I suspect aren't what the average child is thinking of when they say tacos.

Lots of inspiration on the photos of this restaurant...
m.facebook.com/pg/eatpuesto/photos/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0

Some shops sell a Mexican dip selection with guacamole, salsa and sour cream all in one tray and it's just the right amount for 4 of us.

There is a programme on Netflix about tacos. There are two seasons! It's called the taco chronicles,

You will know everything about tacos if you watch that.

Tacoooo's, omg they're so good. We eat them all the time as they're one of the very few things my youngest will eat the same as the rest of us.

I use this recipe. Never fails and is quick and easy.

Tacos are life!

I'm Mexican-American so I eat tacos almost every day.

I had some breakfast tacos on Tuesday, which consisted of egg, sausage, cheese and spinach with a touch of salsa on corn tortillas, see attached photo.

I had salmon tacos for yesterday's lunch, again on corn tortillas, with a kiwi "pico de gallo" (kiwi, tomatoes, spring onion, lime juice, jalapeños) to add a burst of flavor. See second photo.

Tacos are filled with any vegetable, any kind of protein and are simply folded in a tortilla. As you can see, I prefer corn but flour/wheat tortillas are good too. They are eaten with your hands.

What makes it a taco is that it's folded.
A burrito is usually a flour/wheat tortilla but it's rolled.
A tostada is a tortilla that's been lightly fried and flat, usually a corn tortilla and topped with fillings.

I second the person who suggested the Taco Chronicles. It's an absolute love story about the taco and it's glorious!

I'm off to consider making a few tacos for lunch. Perhaps, guacamole.

I buy the tacos kits with crunchy shells.

The kit comes with packet mix, salsa, shells. You buy mince, cheese and iceberg lettuce to serve it with.

You fry mince with the packet mix in the box. Shells go in the oven for 2 minces.

You fill the shell with the savoury mince, salsa, grated cheese, shredded lettuce then pick it up and eat it with you hands.

Its a reasonably nice 20 minute meal.