How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (2024)

9K Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

What is a Walking Taco? Brace Yourself: A Walking Taco is a Frito bag filled with flavorful chili and toppings! Tacos in a bag are perfect for any party and let’s face it, just so fun to eat. You have to try this easy Walking Taco recipe!

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Walking Tacos
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • What Is a Walking Taco?
  • What You’ll Need
  • How to Make Tacos in a Bag
  • Can I Use Different Chips For Walking Tacos?
  • How to Assemble Your Walking Tacos
  • How To Serve
  • How To Store Leftovers
  • Tips For Making the Best Walking Tacos
  • Try More Taco Recipes
  • Get the Recipe

Walking Tacos

You are in for the perfect Game Day recipe with this easy Walking Taco recipe! Whether it’s for Super Bowl Sunday, or you’re feeding a crowd, walking tacos are the perfect party food.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • These tacos are great for entertaining for about any occasion!
  • We love making this recipe for Super Bowl and other fun game day occasions.
  • The taco/chili makes delicious leftovers!

Be sure to try my Fire-Fly Frito Pie Recipe too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (2)

What Is a Walking Taco?

A walking taco is simply your favorite taco ingredients in a chip bag such as Fritos or Doritos. It’s such a brilliant way to enjoy tacos, especially when you’re entertaining a room full of guests. Such a fun party food!

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make walking tacos at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full instructions.

  • extra virgin olive oil– You’ll use the olive oil to saute the vegetables.
  • onion– Finely chop the onion before sauteing.
  • bell pepper– Bell pepper can be optional, if using finely chop.
  • garlic– Mince garlic before adding to hot skillet.
  • ground beef– Use 80% lean or higher ground beef.
  • kosher salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used for cooking and baking.
  • freshly cracked black pepper– For best tasting results use fresh cracked black pepper.
  • diced tomatoes– I like to use Rotel, mild version.
  • prepared salsa– Use your favorite mild salsa.
  • tomato paste- Tomato paste thickens and adds flavor.
  • pinto beans– Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the meat mixture.
  • black beans– Rinse all beans before adding to meat mixture.
  • kidney beans– Drain kidney beans and rinse before adding to meat.
  • black olives– Black olives can be optional.
  • chili powder– Chili powder adds that nice chili spice to the meat.
  • cumin– Ground cumin adds a touch of smoky flavor to the meat.
  • hot sauce– Cholula works great here.
  • lime juice– Fresh lime juice adds a touch of freshness.
  • cilantro– Fresh chopped cilantro is a great garnish on top of the walking tacos.
  • bags of Fritos– I ordered a large bag of snack size Fritos on Amazon.
  • shredded cheese– Shredded mild cheese works great.
  • sour cream– Use full-fat sour cream.
  • jalapeno– Sliced jalapeno can be optional, but also delicious on top of the walking tacos.
How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (3)

How to Make Tacos in a Bag

Saute Onions, Peppers and Garlic. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and peppers for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Cook and Brown The Beef. Add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until browned. Drain if needed. I usually don’t need to for the lean beef.

Continue Adding Chili Ingredients. Pour in tomatoes, salsa, tomato paste then stir to combine. Add 1 Cup warm water to thin out slightly then add in beans, olives, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic salt. I start with just a pinch of salt then keep tasting until it’s to my liking. Add chopped cilantro and reduce heat to low to simmer until ready to serve.

Spoon Chili into Frito Bags. Open bags of fritos. Spoon in chili, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos. Stick a fork in it and eat!!

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (4)

Can I Use Different Chips For Walking Tacos?

Yes, try Doritos, the Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch varieties work great.

How to Assemble Your Walking Tacos

Assembling a walking taco is easy! Follow these step-by-step photos showing you how to make the best walking tacos ever.

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (5)

Add shredded cheese, jalapenos, or green onions if you can’t take the heat 🙂

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (6)

Here you have it, your perfect little bag of “Walking Tacos!”

How To Serve

Serve these convenient bags of tacos for your next party or game day get together. There’s minimal mess to clean up and your guests love them!

How To Store Leftovers

Store any chili and topping leftovers in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat chili in a heat proof bowl, loosely covered for 60-90 seconds in the microwave until hot.

Tips For Making the Best Walking Tacos

  1. You can also use snack size bags of Doritos instead of Fritos if you’d like.
  2. Cut the tops off of your bags of Fritos before your guests arrive so it’s easy to fill them with your homemade chili.

Try More Taco Recipes

  • Smashburger Tacos Recipe
  • 5 Ingredient Salsa Verde Beef Tacos
  • Chicken Enchilada Baked Soft Tacos

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (7)

5 from 1 vote

How To Make A Walking Taco

These Walking Tacos are Frito bags filled with flavorful chili and toppings! Tacos in a bag are perfect for any party!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 10 bags

Author: Jenny

Cost: $30

Print Pin Rate

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

  • chef knife

  • cutting board

  • measuring cups

  • measuring spoons

  • mixing spoon

Ingredients

Chili

  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 6-8 little sweet peppers or 1 green and 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Herdez Salsa or your favorite salsa
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 Cup warm water
  • 3 cans of beans drained (I used black, pinto and red kidney)
  • 1 can black olives sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon hot sauce Tabasco
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Pinch of Kosher salt fresh cracked black pepper and Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley (to taste)
  • 1/2 Cup fresh chopped cilantro
  • Bags of Fritos

Toppings

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped Jalapenos or green onions

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and peppers for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until browned. Drain if needed. I usually don’t need to for the lean beef. Pour in tomatoes, salsa, tomato paste then stir to combine. Add 1 Cup warm water to thin out slightly then add in beans, olives, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic salt. I start with just a pinch of salt then keep tasting until it’s to my liking. Add chopped cilantro and reduce heat to low to simmer until ready to serve.

  • Open bags of fritos. Spoon in chili, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos. Stick a fork in it and eat!!

Keywords: easy party food, easy taco recipe, game day food, game day recipes, party food recipes, superbowl food, walking taco, walking tacos, walking tacos recipe

Pin Walking Tacos To Your Favorite Recipe Board!

How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (8)
How To Make a Walking Taco | The Best Taco Recipe For Parties! (2024)

FAQs

How many pounds of taco meat per person for walking tacos? ›

I would get 6.5 to 7.5 pounds of ground beef for tacos for 20 people if the tacos are going to be most of the food for the meal. A group of 20 college age football players might eat 7.5+ pounds and 20 little old ladies might eat 5 pounds or less.

How much shredded lettuce for 100 walking tacos? ›

How do I calculate how much lettuce I need for 100 tacos?
  1. Determine the number of tacos you'll be making.
  2. Multiply this number by the required weight of lettuce per person (1.3 ounces or 36.85 g).
  3. The result is the total amount of lettuce you'll need for your tacos.

What goes well with walking tacos at a party? ›

The best side dishes to serve with walking tacos are guacamole, pico de gallo, spanish rice, refried beans, pineapple salsa, ranchero sauce, tostilocos, churros, chicken burrito bowl, lazy enchiladas, cheese dip, steak fajitas, chicken enchiladas, carne asada, menudo, and sauteed mushrooms.

How many pounds of taco meat for 50 guests? ›

The average taco actually only has 1 to 1 1/2 oz of meat on them. If I was making tacos for fifty I would calculate 3 tacos per person. So 150 tacos, so 150 x 1.5 oz so 225 oz. or 14 pounds of ground beef. I would use a lean ground beef so that there would be too much grease to dispose of.

How many tacos will 5 lbs of meat make? ›

Each taco shell or small soft taco-size tortilla fits about 2 ounces or 1/4 cup of meat. If you add diced onions, you could stretch a pound of ground beef to make about a dozen tacos. With just the meat and spices, you can make about 8 tacos from a pound of meat.

How many pounds of meat do I need for 150 people tacos? ›

For instance, plan for about 3-4 ounces of ground beef taco meat per person, which means a pound of ground beef can feed roughly four people. Use a similar scale when shopping for other proteins, and remember, it's easier to have a little extra at the end of the party than to run out of food for your guests!

How many heads of lettuce do I need for 100 people? ›

Some greens weigh more than others, however, so you'll need to tailor this figure to the specific recipe. For example, to prepare Caesar salad for a crowd of 100, start with about 20 pounds of romaine lettuce, which translates into 15 heads.

How many servings in a 5lb bag of shredded lettuce? ›

Sample Yields: Shredded lettuce 1/8" taco cut yields 160 half-ounce servings per 5 lb. bag. Salad cuts yield 26 3-ounce or 20 4-ounce servings per 5 lb. bag.

What makes tacos taste better? ›

Not enough people use cilantro. Iceberg lettuce can be refreshing in a burrito, but when it comes to tacos, cilantro, onion and lime are king. I know Tex-Mex enthusiasts love their dairy on a taco. Big pinches of cheddar cheese that lack flavor or the ability to melt.

What can I add to tacos to make them better? ›

Toppings
  1. Shredded cheese.
  2. Shredded lettuce.
  3. Pickled red onion.
  4. Jalapeño slices.
  5. Chopped tomatoes.
  6. Sliced black olives.
  7. Shredded Mexican cheese.
  8. Diced white onion.

What is the order of ingredients in a taco? ›

To assemble tacos, layer beef mixture, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes in each taco shell. Serve with salsa; top with sour cream.

What sides go with a walking taco bar? ›

10 Flavorful Sides to Go with a Taco Bar
  • Refried Beans. Refried beans, or "frijoles refritos," have been a staple in Mexican cuisine for centuries. ...
  • Traditional Mexican Rice. ...
  • Taco Slaw. ...
  • Seven-Layer Dip. ...
  • Mexican Street Corn Salad. ...
  • Zesty Black Bean Salad. ...
  • Grilled Corn on the Cob. ...
  • Jalapeño Poppers.
Jul 11, 2023

What is the difference between a taco and a walking taco? ›

What is a walking taco? A walking taco consists of a bag of chips (often Fritos, Doritos, or tortilla chips) filled with taco fillings or similar ingredients. Walking tacos are typically eaten directly from the bag (often with a spoon).

How do you keep street tacos warm for a party? ›

“After you have cooked your taco meat, put it in a large slow cooker set to medium heat, then place the tortillas in a 9-inch pie plate. Place the pie plate on top of the slow cooker so that it rests on top of the sleeve. Cover with the lid so that the steam heats up the tortillas and keeps the meat warm.”

How much does 2 pounds of taco meat feed? ›

As a general rule, you should plan for about 1/4 to 1/2 pound of meat per person when making tacos. So for a family of four, you'll need around 1 to 2 pounds of ground beef.

How many tacos will 10 pounds of ground beef make? ›

The "conservative" amount of ground beef in a typical taco is 2.5 ounces, but because of the other taco fillings we can estimate 2 ounces of beef for the average taco. So that being said, probably about 8 tacos per pound of ground beef.

How many pounds of taco meat do I need for 25 people? ›

How Much Meat Per Person?
# Servings#TacosRaw Meat
242/3 lb.
5101 2/3 lb.
10203 1/3 lb.
25508 1/3 lb.
3 more rows
Jun 16, 2023

How many pounds of ground beef to feed 100 people tacos? ›

I figure about 15 pounds of meat per 100 people, but that may depend how hungry your guests are and what sides you serve at your party. You could think about steak too, but that could get pretty pricey depending on this size of your crowd!

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Horacio Brakus JD

Last Updated:

Views: 6533

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Horacio Brakus JD

Birthday: 1999-08-21

Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

Phone: +5931039998219

Job: Sales Strategist

Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.