Okay, so I’m getting adventurous and decided to cook tacos tonight, but I’m a little stuck…what goes well with tacos? I mean, yeah, you can eat them all by themselves, but for some reason, it seems like something’s missing. Beans are always a stapple with Tex-Mex, but I hate beans, so give me something else to work with. Thanks.
The glory of tacos is that everything that goes well with them is inside them.
I usually make some sort of grilled meat, fish, or fowl, and slice it up; a pot of refried beans; a salad of chopped lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro, dressed with lime juice and salt.
At dinnertime I steam the tortillas. Everybody takes one and spreads on some of the beans, drops a helping of meat or fish on top of that, throws on a handful of salad…sour cream or white cheese or additional salsa optional…slathers liberally with hot sauce, rolls, and eats. Messy, delicious, and fun.
Margaritas.
Oh, you meant FOOD items. OK:
Rice of some variety. It’s easy to make lime/cilantro rice, just throw some lime juice and minced cilantro in with your cooked rice. Spanish rice is nice, but a little more work. I often use those box rice mixes in some sort of mexican flavor if I’m low on time.
Chips and salsa.
Chips and Guacamole.
A green salad. Make it mexican-y by dicing avacados into it and use a lime dressing.
One of my favorites sides involves beans, but I’ve had many non-bean eaters really like it so I’ll include it here. A lot of people like black beans even if they don’t like other types, so maybe it’ll appeal to you:
Southwestern Bean and Corn Salad:
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can sweet corn.
A bit of diced red onion
A shake or two of cumin
A tablespoon or so of lime juice
Salt and Pepper
Mix it all together. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve.
I all for veggies and ranch dip as a side dish for tacos. You’re going to be eating the taco’s with your fingers, so include the veggies as another finger food.
Also, just a nice salad would be good too.
Beer
Cebollitas - The bulbs of small green onions, cooked up on a griddle with Maggi seasoning sauce, and then lime juice once cooked.
Nopales - Cactus either grilled whole with Maggi, with some Oaxaca cheese on top if you like, or steamed and cut in a salad with dried chiles, oregano and crumbled queso fresco.
I like roasted corn on the cob dripping with butter. That way you don’t even have to put a fork on the table.
Beer.
More tacos.
More beer.
The cebollitas are nice, too. Also, I vote for Baja fish tacos.
Grilled pineapple makes a nice dessert. Dissolve 1/2 c. brown sugar in a couple tablespoons of warm water. Put fresh pineapple slices on grill, grill 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with brown sugar just before finishing grilling.
I’d forgotten all about cebollitas. DAMN, those things are good. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I’ll be a chef one day yet, just you wait and see.
I grew up on the border so my preference is refried beans and beer as companion dishes for tacos.