Taco Bar Ideas For Kids
A taco bar is one of my favourite family dinners. I provide a range of taco fillings and they get to decide which and how much goes on their plates from that selection.
When it comes to Taco Bar Ideas, honestly almost anything goes. I've pulled together some of my favourites but you can mix and match to build your own taco bar.
Why I love Taco Bars
- They are fun!
- You can use up leftovers from other meals
- They are perfect for family style dining
- They fit with my division of responsibility philosophy when it comes to feeding my kids.
- Anything goes!
Taco Bar Ideas
Protein toppings
- Taco meat
- Mexican ground beef
- Vegetarian bean nacho mix
- Tufo taco fillings
- Leftover bolognese sauce or vegan bolognese
- Prawns
- Pan fried fish
- Pan fried chicken
- Hard boiled eggs chopped
- Poached chicken breast shredded
- Left over roast chicken
- Popcorn chicken
- Homemade fish fingers
- Homemade chicken nuggets
- Black beans
- Baked beans
- Refried beans
- Hummus
- Cheddar cheese
When it comes to protein fillings, you can of course have the traditional taco toppings but you can also get creative with what is on the table. Leftovers and side dishes from other meals can get revitalised when you serve them as a taco filling. Don't panic if your kids don't choose the more traditional fillings like beans, fish or steak, they can still get their protein requirements at the meal with things like cheese, hummus or eggs.
Vegetable fillings
- Lettuce
- Coleslaw
- Baby spinach leaves
- Roasted sweet potato/ kumara
- Roasted cauliflower florets
- Carrot fries,
- grated carrots
- pickled carrots
- Corn kernels canned or frozen
- Tomatoes diced
- Cucumber diced
- Pickled cucumbers
- Capsicum diced
- Red onions
Any vegetables make great fillings for tacos, and they don't necessarily have to be fresh. Canned or frozen corn is awesome, or leftover cooked vegetables or salads from a previous nights dinner can be great too.
Sauces, Dips and Condiments
- Salsa
- Avocado
- Guacamole
- Avocado aioli
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Herbs: Cilantro/Coriander
- Sriracha aioli
- Chilli oil
- Fresh lemons or limes
Tacos are better with sauces I reckon! My kids' don't love overly spicy foods at this stage, so I use condiments and hot sauces to add some extra chilli and flavor to the tacos I make. My kids are happy with the basics, mayonnaise, sour cream and on some occasions a little tomato sauce/ketchup.
Tortillas & Tortilla Alternatives
- Flour tortillas
- Corn tortillas
- Taco shells
- Taco bowls
- Wraps, flat breads
- Tortilla chips, corn chips
- Tostidas
- Rice
Use which ever tortillas you prefer, soft, crunchy, flour, corn it's all good! Or branch out and serve taco bowls with rice, or have a nacho bar and have corn chips instead.
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Top Tips
Here is how you can make the best family friendly taco bar!
- Include a selection of proteins, vegetables and condiments. Have some things on the table that you know your kids are familiar and comfortable with eating, but feel free to have other stuff on the table that they might still be learning to like!
- Lead by example, sit with your kids, load up your tacos with all the things, role modelling is great when it comes to trying new foods.
- Don't panic if your kids don't try all the things and maybe build what you would consider quite a plain taco, it's ok. Relax and enjoy the family time
- Don't reserve this meal style just for Taco Tuesday. Eating family style and build your own meals can be a great way to dine for busy families. DIY tortilla pizzas, rice paper rolls , loaded baked potato and sushi bowls are great as well.
- Use a taco bar as a vehicle for clearing out the fridge of leftovers and items that need to be eaten asap. Waste not want not I say!
Taco Bar Ideas
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Ingredients
Protein Fillings
- Mexican mince
- Vegetarian bean nacho mix
- Mexican tufo crumble
- Hard boiled eggs chopped
- Poached chicken breast shredded
- Left over roast chicken
- Popcorn chicken
- Homemade fish fingers
- Homemade chicken nuggets
- Black beans
- Baked beans
- Refried beans
- hummus
- Cheese grated
Vegetables
- Lettuce
- Coleslaw
- Baby spinach leaves
- Roasted sweet potato k?mara
- Roasted cauliflower florets
- Carrot fries
- Carrots grated
- Pickled carrots
- Corn kernels canned or frozen
- Tomatoes diced
- Cucumber diced
- Pickled cucumbers
- Capsicum diced
Sauces and Condiments
- Salsa
- Avocado
- Guacamole
- Avocado aioli
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Cilantro/Corriander
- Chilli oil
- Sriracha aioli
- Fresh lemons or limes
Tortillas & Tortilla Alternatives
- Tortillas, Wraps, Flat breads Flour or corn
- Taco shells
- Taco bowls
- Tortilla chips, corn chips
- Tostidas
- Rice
Instructions
- Choose a variety of toppings from the list above. It's awesome if you can have mixture of proteins, vegetables and condiments on the family table.
- Serve with tortillas and let everyone build their own tacos
- Have fun!
Notes
Protein Fillings
When it comes to protein fillings, you can of course have the traditional taco toppings but you can also get creative with what is on the table. Leftovers and side dishes from other meals can get revitalised when you serve them as a taco filling. Don't panic if your kids don't choose the more traditional fillings like beans, fish or steak, they can still get their protein requirements at the meal with things like cheese, hummus or eggs.Vegetable Toppings
Any vegetables make great fillings for tacos, and they don't necessarily have to be fresh. Canned or frozen corn is awesome, or leftover cooked vegetables or salads from a previous nights dinner can be great too.Sauces, Dips & Condiments
Tacos are better with sauces I reckon! My kids' don't love overly spicy foods at this stage, so I use condiments and hot sauces to add some extra chilli and flavor to the tacos I make. My kids are happy with the basics, mayonnaise, sour cream and on some occasions a little tomato sauce/ketchup.Tortillas and Alternatives
Use which ever tortillas you prefer, soft, crunchy, flour, corn it's all good! Or branch out and serve taco bowls with rice, or have a nacho bar and have corn chips instead.
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Healthy. Tasty, love it
Tacos are my fave foods.for flavour, eye appeal and healthy nutrition.