Taco night at home: fillings, salsas, toppings and planning

In Mexico you don't eat tacos at a set table with a knife and fork, but standing at a food stall, with a warm tortilla in your hand and a row of salsa bowls in front of you. You can easily recreate that feeling at home: a stack of corn tortillas in a cloth, two fillings that have been simmering for hours, and around them onion, coriander, lime and a few salsas for everyone to choose from. Just like at a Korean barbecue, the real work happens at the table, because everyone builds their own taco. In our shop in Amsterdam, everything you need is together, from the tortillas from Guanajuato to the salsas from La Costeña and Herdez and a bottle of Valentina: the same brands you see in supermarkets in Mexico. If you want to know more about the cuisine itself first, start with Mexican cuisine 101.

What do you need for taco night at home?

Corn tortillas, two or three fillings, a few salsas, fresh toppings and something refreshing to drink: you don't need anything more for taco night at home. Beans, rice and a bottle of hot sauce complete the table.

Corn tortillas Guanajuato · 12 cmThe real taco sizeCorn tortillas Guanajuato · 15 cmThe basis of every tacoAl pastor marinade La Anita · 300 mlChili, spices and pineapple for porkChipotle in adobo La Costeña · 199 gSmoky kick for tinga and salsaSalsa verde La Costeña · 475 gFresh green tomatillo salsaJalapeños La Costeña · slicedSour and spicy, as a toppingRefried beans La Costeña · pintoBean puree to serve on the side

Which tortillas do you use for taco night?

Guanajuato Corn Tortillas 12cm are the tortillas we recommend for taco night: the real taco size, soft and just need to be warmed up. Otherwise you take the 15 cm. For a large group the kilogram bag of Guanajuato is handy, and with the blue corn tortillas you add a second color to the table. We don't have wheat tortillas at the moment.

You warm them up in a dry, hot pan or on a comal: half a minute per side, until the tortilla becomes pliable and gets brown spots here and there. Then place them in a stack in a clean tea towel or in a tortilla warmer, then they keep each other warm and stay soft. Many taqueros place two tortillas on top of each other, so that a juicy filling does not leak through. Read more about corn and pressing yourself in Tortillas and masa.

White corn 12 cm · 30 piecesThe real taco sizeWhite corn 15 cm · 10 piecesFor an evening with two or three peopleWhite corn 15 cm · 1 kgAbout forty tortillas, for a full tableBlue corn 15 cmA little fuller of flavor and beautifully dark

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Which fillings do you make for taco night?

Tacos al pastor are a good first choice, and besides that you make one filling that simmers slowly, such as carnitas or tinga. Choose fillings that differ from each other: something from the grill, something stewed and something with chicken.

For al pastor you marinate thin strips of flank steak with La Anita Carne al Pastor Marinade and achiote paste, and fry them hot until the edges are almost black. In Mexico the meat turns on a vertical spit, the trompo, a way of grilling that Lebanese immigrants brought with them. For carnitas you stew flank steak or shoulder for two hours in its own fat until the outside becomes crispy. Those who prefer chicken make tinga de pollo: chicken thigh fillet that you shred and scoop through a sauce of roasted tomato and chipotle in adobo.

For carne asada you grill flank steak or bavette briefly and hot, and you cut the meat across the grain. Barbacoa of beef cheek and birria of chuck require more time, but you simply make them a day earlier. Fancy tortillas with chicken in a dark sauce another time? About enmoladas you read more in Mole explained.

Tacos al pastorPork marinated in achiote and pineapple, then grilled.Tacos de carnitasPork braised in its own fat, with crispy edges.Tinga de polloShredded chicken thigh fillet in smoky chipotle tomato sauce.Tacos de carne asadaFlank steak or bavette from the grill, with onion and lime.Tacos de barbacoaBeef brisket slowly braised with ancho and pasilla.

Ready-made taco filling

Itacate Tacos al Pastor is a filling that is completely ready: heat the bag for one minute in the microwave and scoop the meat onto the tortilla. Itacate also makes carnitas, tinga, and cochinita pibil, handy as a second filling next to one you make yourself. For a quick filling, fry ground beef or strips of chicken thigh fillet with Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix and a splash of water.

Al pastor Itacate · 300 gPork marinated in pastor marinadeCarnitas Itacate · 300 gPork prepared Michoacán styleTinga de pollo Itacate · 300 gChicken in chipotle tomato sauceCochinita pibil Itacate · 300 gPork with achiote from Yucatán

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Which salsas do you put on the table for taco night?

Pico de gallo and a green salsa are the two salsas that are almost always on the table for taco night, and a red salsa completes the set. For salsa verde, cook or roast your tomatillos with serrano; with canned tomatillos, it goes quickly. Salsa roja is made from roasted dried peppers such as guajillo and ancho; what each pepper does, you read in Dried Mexican Peppers.

Pico de galloFresh salsa of tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime.Salsa verdeTomatillo and serrano, fresh and a little sour.Salsa rojaOf dried guajillo and ancho, deep and round.GuacamoleCoarsely mashed avocado with lime, onion, and cilantro.

Salsa from a jar

La Costeña Salsa Verde is the jar you open when you don't have time to make salsa yourself. Put a spicy red salsa taquera next to it and a mild salsa casera for those who take it easy.

Salsa verde La Costeña · 475 gTomatillo salsa, fresh and spicySalsa taquera La Costeña · 450 gRed, spicy, and with garlicSalsa taquera Herdez · 240 gA spicy red salsa for tacosSalsa casera Herdez · 453 gMild red salsa with tomato and onionPico de gallo San Miguel · 450 gTomato, onion, and pepper from the jarSalsa de guacamole Herdez · 445 gCreamy green salsa with avocado

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Which toppings go with taco night?

Pickled jalapeño's, finely sliced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges are the toppings that cannot be missing at taco night. A squeeze of lime right before the first bite makes everything fresher, radish gives a crunchy bite, and al pastor calls for fried pineapple cubes. If you want more heat, grab pickled serrano's, which are hotter than jalapeño.

Jalapeños La Costeña · slicedSour and spicy, straight from the canNacho jalapeños La Costeña · 199 gThin rings, also delicious on nachosSerranos La Costeña · 199 gHotter than jalapeños, for those who want it really hot

Which hot sauce goes well with tacos?

Valentina Salsa Picante is the bottle you put on the table when you want one hot sauce for everyone: red, slightly sour, and more flavor than heat. A chipotle sauce adds smokiness, while a habanero sauce from Yucatán is for those who want it really hot. The little line under each card is our own estimate of the heat, so always taste carefully first. You can find more bottles in Mexican hot sauce, and in Which hot sauce goes well with what, you can read what goes well with which dish.

Valentina Tamazula · 250 mlRound and tangy, for everything2/5Cholula Original Cholula · 150 mlClassic table sauce with spices2/5Cholula Chipotle Cholula · 150 mlSmoky, great with tinga and carnitas3/5Red Habanero El Yucateco · 120 mlHot and fruity, with habanero4/5

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Which beans and rice do you eat with it on taco night?

La Costeña Refried Pinto Beans is the easiest way to put beans on the table at taco night: you heat the puree in a pan with a splash of water or oil and stir until it is smooth. Spread a spoonful under the taco or put the beans in a bowl on the table. If you have more time, make frijoles de la olla, black beans that cook until tender in their own broth. White rice next to it is nice for children and for those who like less spice. Everything about black, pinto, and baked beans is in Mexican beans.

Refried pinto La Costeña · 400 gSmooth bean puree, ready to heatRefried black beans La Costeña · 400 gThe same puree of black beansWhole black beans Isadora · 454 gCooked in broth, in a bag

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What do you drink at taco night without alcohol?

Horchata and agua de jamaica are the classic non-alcoholic drinks with tacos. Horchata is a sweet rice drink with cinnamon, agua de jamaica a cold, deep red tea of hibiscus. You can make both yourself; with dried hibiscus flowers you make the jamaica a day in advance. If you want it fast, you lengthen a concentrate of horchata or jamaica with cold water. For those who like bubbles there is Jarritos. For something tasty before or after eating you look in Mexican snacks.

HorchataCold rice drink with cinnamon, soft and sweet.Agua de jamaicaCold hibiscus tea, deep red and fresh.

Horchata Mexquisita · 700 mlConcentrate, dilute with waterJamaica Mexquisita · 700 mlHibiscus concentrate for a pitcherJarritos Mandarin Jarritos · 370 mlMandarin sodaJarritos Mango Jarritos · 370 mlMango sodaJarritos Guava Jarritos · 370 mlGuava soda

How do you plan taco night for 4 to 6 people?

For taco night with 4 to 6 people, you can expect three to four tacos per person, so about 20 to 25 tortillas, and for six people about a kilo of meat, divided into two fillings. The recipes above are for 2 people; for six people, make them about three times as large.

The day before, slow-cook the carnitas, barbacoa, or tinga, marinate the al pastor, and make the salsa roja and the agua de jamaica. On the day itself, make the pico de gallo and the guacamole in the last hour, so they stay fresh and green. Half an hour before dinner, heat up the slow-cooked meat and cook the rice, and only fry the al pastor when everyone is here. Heat the tortillas in batches.

Where can you find everything for taco night?

You can find everything for taco night with us by category, from tortillas and salsas to beans, marinades, and ready-made fillings. Choose below what you want to continue with.

Tortillas and masa harinaCorn tortillas and flour to make them yourselfShop nowSalsa and hot sauce green, red, spicyFrom mild salsa casera to habaneroShop nowReady-made fillings and tamalesTaco filling that you only need to heat upShop nowIngredients achiote, chipotle, tomatilloMarinades, canned peppers, and moreShop nowBeans frijolesBlack beans, pinto, and refritosShop nowSpices mixes and rubsSpice mixes for carne asada and moreShop now

Frequently asked questions

Taco night is ultimately not about the perfect filling, but about the moment when everyone is sitting together folding, scooping, and tasting, with warm tortillas being passed around and a table full of little bowls of salsa, onion, cilantro, and lime. Feel free to make the slow-cooked pot a day earlier, grab a jar of salsa from the cupboard when things get busy, and let everyone find their own favorite combination, because that is how they eat it in Mexico too. Feel free to pop into the toko in Amsterdam if you want to discuss which salsa or pepper suits your filling, and if you want to get further into the kitchen with these tacos, start with Mexican cuisine 101.