Spice up your taco experience with this awesome walking tacos recipe. The perfect blend of seasoned meat, crunchy veggies, zesty salsa, and creamy toppings, all tucked inside a crispy bag of chips. Ideal for parties or laid-back get-togethers, these handheld treats will satisfy your cravings and have you coming back for seconds. Get ready to embark on a flavor-filled adventure that will leave you wanting more!
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Pin RecipeWalking Tacos are just about the best meal ever. How many times do you cook a meal knowing that it’s meant to be eaten as you carry it around? Everything you thought you knew about table manners is out the window with this simple taco recipe!
Speaking of fun foods, make certain that you check out these recipes next – Taco Soup and Caramel Apple Nachos. Because why not go all out with recipes that you know are going to be amazing?!
Walking Tacos Recipe
So, what are walking tacos?
Not only is this walking taco recipe easy to make, but it’s certain to be a treat for the kids, too. This is one of those carnival foods that you can bring right into the comfort of your own home. Talk about a great way to put a spin on Taco Tuesday!
While this recipe is really, really simple to make it’s even more fun to set up your walking taco bar. This is an area that you can pack full of toppings that everyone in the family is going to love. It’s a fun party recipe that everyone will devour!
Then, once they grab their bag of Doritos, they can start piling on the toppings as their tastebuds see fit. Some may want spicy while others may want pounds and pounds of cheese. The best part? Each person gets to decide on their own!
Why Tacos in a Bag?
Even though this recipe was started out as a fun treat, it’s actually one that we do quite frequently. It’s too simple not to!
If you’re running short on time and simple dinner ideas, you really can’t go wrong with this walking taco! It’s the perfect weeknight dinner that is fun to make and eat!
Make certain to check out our Dorito’s Taco Salad, 4-Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Tacos and Taco Ring as well because you can never have too many good taco recipes on hand.
Grab My Favorite Tools
Click on the products below to see my favorite tools for making this recipe!
Ingredients for Easy Walking Tacos
- Fritos or Doritos – Both types of chips will work. Fritos are a little saltier while Doritos are super cheesy. Try making walking tacos both ways and see which you like best!
- Ground beef – Ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken will all work well.
- Taco Seasoning Recipe – You can also use packaged taco seasoning.
- Salsa – Spicy or mild salsa are both great. Choose your favorite!
Walking Tacos Toppings
- Cheese – Shredded Mexican blend of cheese is my favorite.
- Sour cream
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes – I like to use cherry tomatoes cut into quarters.
- Black beans – Use canned black beans that are drained and rinsed.
- Jalapeno, sliced
- Green onions
- Black olives, sliced
- Avocado – A ripe avocado will give a little when squeezed and be a dark green color.
- Pico de Gallo – Look for fresh pico de Gallo in your local grocery store.
How To Make Walking Tacos
- Cook the beef: Cook ground beef in a skillet on the stovetop until no pink remains. Drain the grease if needed.
- Season the beef: Sprinkle with taco seasoning and add salsa, stir well, and heat through.
- Scoop and serve: Scoop the meat into bags of Fritos or Doritos and toppings of your choice.
Quick Tip
Make the ground beef as spicy or as mild as you would like. Extra taco seasoning or a little ground cayenne pepper mixed into the ground beef can totally transform the walking taco into a hot, zesty meal. I know I love my tacos with a little extra spice!
How to Store Walking Tacos
Walking tacos are best assembled fresh. If you have extra taco meat, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you are ready to make a walking taco, reheat the meat in the microwave until warm, and then scoop the warm meat into the chip bags.
FAQs
To make a walking taco bar, all you need to do is assemble your favorite taco toppings – cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc. – into bowls along with your favorite small bag of chips. Doritos and Fritos are great options for a taco bar! Then, all you need to do is open the bag, add your taco meat and toppings and you’re good to go!
Honestly, this is a meal in itself. But if you’re wanting to serve something with you, you can always start out with some homemade guacamole and chips beforehand.
Because since this is made to walk and eat, there really aren’t too many other food items to add that are mobile.
What a creation, right?! This delicious recipe was actually invented in 1982 at the World’s Fair in TN. It’s quite famous all over now and you’ll find quite the variations as well.
Most people will change out the flavor of chips to make it more unique.
More Kid-Friendly Recipes
Walking Tacos
Ingredients
- Small bags of Fritos or Doritos
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning Recipe or 1 packet store-bought (1 ounce)
- 1/2 cup salsa
Instructions
- Cook ground beef in skillet on stovetop until no pink remains
- Drain if necessary
- Add beef back into pan
- Sprinkle with taco seasoning and add salsa, stir well and heat through
- Serve immediately with bags of Fritos or Doritos and toppings of your choice
Notes
- Cheese
- Sour cream
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Black beans
- Jalapeno, sliced
- Green onions
- Black olives, sliced
- Avocado
- Salsa
- Pico de Gallo
Nutrition
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Actually, Frito-Lay published the first recipe for this dish in 1937. The dish was created by Daisy Doolin, mother of the company owner, Charles Doolin. The marketing department decided to include it in their 1937 recipe book made available to Frito-Lay customers.
This not only predates the Tennessee claim, but also the Santa Fe claim that it was invented at a local Woolworth’s dining counter.
The Doolin family has been able to put to rest this dispute by providing documents to confirm their publicity department served Fritos chili pie to a Dallas Dietetic Association in 1949 as well as a copy of the 1937 recipe book.
I grew up with these being called Fritos Pies. You could order them at dairy queen type drive-ins, high school sporting events, or just make them at home. So good. Thank you for reminding me how good walking tacos/fritos pies can be.