These walking tacos are the perfect recipe for a quick dinner, a fun party snack, or to take to the big game!
Easy prep and totally portable, walking tacos are a creative take on traditional tacos using seasoned ground beef mixed into bags of corn chips or tortilla chips, with all the taco fixings!
What is a Walking Taco?
- Take your favorite bag of corn or tortilla chips, mix in some taco meat, and add toppings!
- Served straight from the bag with a fork or spoon, walking tacos are minimal in prep and cleanup but big on tasty taco flavors!
- Walking tacos are as much fun to make as they are to eat and are perfect to take on picnics, BBQs, or road trips!
- Create a walking taco DIY bar with single-serving bags of chips, cooked taco meat, add-ins, and toppings plus some plastic forks and spoons for easy cleanup!
Ingredients in a Walking Taco
Tortilla or Corn Chips – Use single-serve 1 oz. bags of chips. Single-serve bags of Fritos, Doritos, tortilla chips, or even veggie-based chips can all be used. Keep a pair of scissors handy for cutting open the bags for easier prep.
Meat – Plan for ¼ cup of meat per “taco”. Ground beef is the standard, but even ground chicken or ground turkey can be used. Drained black beans, pinto beans or cilantro rice are perfect meat-free alternatives or can be used to bulk up the meat.
Seasonings – Season with ready-made packets of taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning mix (a blend of chili powder, garlic powder, & other seasonings).
How to Make Walking Tacos
This party menu favorite will be asked for again and again!
- Cook meat with seasonings.
- Gently crush the chips before opening the bag to create more space for the meat and toppings.
- Scoop in 1/4 cup of meat to each bag, then add toppings and stir with a fork before enjoying!
Make a Walking Taco Bar
Turn it into a walking taco bar by setting out your favorite taco toppings!
- Freshness and crunch: Diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, black olives, corn, sliced green onions.
- Spicy kick: Green chiles, sliced jalapenos, poblano or serrano peppers, homemade salsa verde.
- Cheesy goodness: Shredded Monterey Jack, crumbled cotija, queso fresco, shredded cheddar cheese.
- Saucy toppings: Sour cream, guacamole.
- More goodies to add: Lime wedges for a squeeze of lime juice, extra jalapenos.
What to Serve with Walking Tacos
Start the meal off with a quick taco dip for snacking! Walking tacos make a great side dish or main dish, depending on the occasion! Serve them alongside a big bowl of Corn Salad or with Mexican Corn (Elote).
A big pitcher of Lime Margaritas or fresh lemonade is a great refreshing drink with this recipe.
If you’ve got leftovers, use it to make a big plate of nachos!
More Must Make Tacos
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Walking Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 4 tablespoons water
- 4-6 bags of doritos 1 ounce each
Optional Add-Ins (per bag):
- 1 cherry tomato diced
- 2 tablespoons Mexican cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 tablespoon salsa
- ¼ cup shredded lettuce washed & dried
- ⅛ avocado diced, or 1 tablespoon guacamole
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning and water to the skillet and cook until thickened, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- While keeping the Doritos inside the bag, gently crush them until the chips are slightly broken.
- Add a heaping ¼ cup of taco meat to each bag. Layer your desired toppings directly into the bag of chips.
- Toss the ingredients with a fork until well combined.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Beef, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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These are good cold also.
After the meat is cooked, refridgerate it until cold.
Don’t compile until the almost last minute or the lettuce might go soggy.
I prep every thing the night before. Put the meat and messies (tomato, avacado, sliced olives, beans) in a zipper bag, and the lettuce and cheese into separate zipper bags.
When you arrive at the park, beach, etc, crunch the chips, open the bags and assemble.
Maybe even a drizzle of Catalina dressing. Dont forget the sporks.
I haven’t tried these cold before Eunice, that’s a great tip! Thank you for sharing.
So much fun and the kids eat every spec