How to Host an Awesome Taco Bar Party with Recipes – Taco Bars are a fun & informal parties that accommodate a variety of diets & tastes.
Welcome to the Taco Bar Fiesta!
Taco Bars also get people really excited to come to the party and make their own tacos. I’ve always loved the idea that you can put your favorite fillings into your tacos and make them into whatever you like!
Accommodates a variety of diets and tastes
One of the other things I really love about them is that a taco bar party can accommodate a variety of diets, from meat eaters to vegans, from gluten-free to lactose intolerant, to just plain picky eaters!
A make-your-own taco bar party is easy on the host too! Most of the foods can be made ahead, kept in crock pots, reheated and kept in chafing dishes, or simply served cold. Hosting a taco party allows you to have fun hanging out with your guests, provide and eat a variety of yummy foods, and to try new tastes.
Take a look at our video:
How to Host an Awesome Taco Bar Party
Serving
Make it colorful and fun! Serving bowls and plates don’t have to match. And make sure to have spoons or tongs in each dish to make it possible to serve them.
The taco bar area should begin with plates, and keep in mind paper plates make for easy clean up. Next up, you’ll want to put out the tortillas; a selection of tortillas like flour, corn, and even tortilla chips works well.
Taco Fillings
Follow the tortillas with the fillings. You want a variety of fillings to accommodate all those tastes. Some suggestions for great fillings (and be sure to click on the names to get to the recipe!):
- Crock Pot Carne Asada
- Crock Pot Vegan Sofritos
- Mushroom Asada (always one of the first things to disappear at our parties!)
- White Bean – Potato Taco Filling
- Crock Pot Mushroom Asada ( an easy crock pot version of the mushroom asada)
Vegetables
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Shredded green and red cabbage
- Chopped white onion & cilantro
- Sautéed bell peppers and onions
- Pickled Onions
Salsa and Sauces
Next place the salsa and sauces: variety is key here as well. Some people don’t care for hot, while some like it spicy. You may want to label a hot salsa so that no one is surprised. I also like to do a variety of flavors, from a tangy tomatillo to a mild tomato pico de gallo.
- Easy Restaurant Style Salsa
- Roasted Tomato Salsa (my absolute favorite!)
- The Best Avocado Sauce
- Avocado Cotija Dip
- Tomatillo salsa
- Enchilada Salsa
- Traditional Tomato Salsa using canned tomatoes
- Easy Enchilada Sauce
- Guacamole from Culinary Ginger
- Tabasco, Sriracha, Chuhula, and other hot sauces
Condiments
- Shredded cheese
- Nacho Cheese
- Crumbled Cotija cheese or other Mexican cheese
- Sour cream (I like to serve mine in squeeze bottles)
- slices of lime (allow guests to cut their own if you’d like)
Side Dishes
Side dishes can either be served on the side or inside the taco. I love to put a little Mexican Corn Salad in my taco, and beans are so good in a taco. While, some people prefer to eat their rice and beans on the side.
- Chipotle Seasoned Rice
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Cilantro Lime Rice from Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch
- Rice Cooker Cilantro Brown Rice
- Seasoned Black Bean Mash
- Refried beans or black beans
Want more Mexican food recipe ideas? Check out my Mexican food Recipes tab here.
At the end of the table provide the utensils, again consider easy clean up with disposable ones, and lots of napkins.
Next up, eat and have fun!
P.S. I consider myself a taco bar expert seeing as we host the traditional Easter taco bar every year for up to 40 people. So we’ve gotten really good at it. Here’s our full menu with lots of details.
Don’t forget to pin this on Pinterest. Find my pin here. You’ll want to make sure you have all these tips and recipes for next year’s Cinco de Mayo party as well as for every Taco Tuesday!
Other party ideas:
Click on the photo to get to the guide & recipes
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Diana Johnson says
Taco Bars are so fun. Great vivid pictures. Makes me hungry!
Jillian says
This is very helpful. We do a Mexican-themed meal on Christmas eve every year.
Garlic + Zest says
I just made turkey tacos tonight, but now I see I have to step up my game!
fearlessdining says
This is our kind of dinner. My kids like different toppings, making this a great way to make everyone happy.
CookingOnTheWeekends (@cookingweekends) says
Taco bars/parties are the best! My family request them about once a week. 🙂 Great post!
Maria says
I ran out of New Year’s Even serving ideas, so this will be perfect for me thank you!
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health says
I would love to be invited to your Taco party 😉 Everything looks so delicious. My hubby is huge taco lover. Have to check out all the recipes! hehe Sharing this! Happy Holidays!