The Best Taco Bar Party Plan & Taco Bar Checklist!
Here you will find an easy plan to help you make the best taco bar party, including an amazing taco bar checklist you can snag.
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I will show you how to plant the best taco bar party ever!
Trying to plan a taco bar party? Need a taco bar checklist? Well, you’re in the right place!
Who doesn’t love tacos? This type of party can be planned for any occasion and of course my favorite…Cinco de Mayo!
Table of Contents
Create a taco bar party for basically any occasion, some examples are graduation parties, birthday parties, taco Tuesday dinner or lunch, housewarming, retirement party, and just because you want a taco night!
Really, there are tons of reasons to build a taco bar party!
If you consider any of these taco bar party tips to help you out, I know your friends and family will be impressed the next time you throw a taco bar party.
We will help you get all your creative juices flowing with ideas for a taco bar party.
So let’s talk about some tacos! Yummy..
Why a Taco Bar Party is a Great Way to Entertain?
I mean, the word TACOS!..do we need to say more?
This Mexican cuisine food is a fan favorite for many people.
Entertaining with a bar full of veggies, cheese, and all kinds of meat or even fish is a great way to socialize with others.
Reasons why you should have a Taco Bar Party
- Lets people get creative with their own food
- Can be easier to put together for the host, compared to other theme parties
- Taco bar parties get people moving around at your party
- Guests tend to conversate more and get more comfortable in a party setting
- There are tons of ways to decorate and get creative with food options
If you still are not convinced why having a taco bar party is a great way to entertain, look at these statistics:
- According to chd-expert.com, Mexican food is the 3rd most popular type of food people have in a restaurant.
- Southfloridareporter.com reports that Americans eat over 4.5 billion tacos a year
- Kegl.iheart.com, conducted a survey on National Taco Day, and only 5% of people didn’t like tacos!
I even did my own study in my Instagram stories, and as you see in a snapshot of my poll of tacos vs. burritos, it resulted in tacos being the clear winner.
So it’s safe to save, if you haven’t already created a taco bar party you definitely should.
Taco Bar Serving equipment:
Okay, now that you know having a taco bar party (which is an amazing idea), you must ask yourself… what do you really need to make one?
To keep it simple, all you need is food, food supplies, and some Mexican-themed decor.
- Food, of course, you need yummy taco food options, sides, and maybe even some dessert
- Mexcian-themed supplies
Mexican-Themed supplies
- Fiesta outdoor sign
- Taco Bar banner Garland
- Mexican-themed serving bowls
- Fun utensils
- Fun taco bar festive napkin
- Taco bar tablecloths
- Fiesta cups
- Fiesta plates
- Fun taco serving trays
- Serving spoons
- Cooler
Overall, it is quite easy to customize your taco bar how you want it.
But If you want to go the extra mile for your taco bar party, you can try to get the supplies linked below:
- Taco Holders: Plastic or Stainless steel
- Tacoholder stand
- Tortilla warmer
- Electric server warming tray
- Condiment serving container
- Heated topping bar (electric)
- Mexican serape table runner
- Fiesta taco holder plate
- Inflatable Serving tray
- Lazy Susan chip & dip tray
FIESTA DECORATIONS
I love a good fiesta decor set when I see it.
Getting themed decorations is so much fun to hang up for a party like a taco bar party.
Fiesta decorations take your taco bar to the next level and all your party guests in a fiesta mood!
Below are links to some great examples of fiesta decoration you can get for your next fiesta.
How Much Food do I Need for a Taco Bar Party?
Taco Bar Calculator
By using this handy Food Taco Calculator, you can find out the exact amounts of food ingredients you need for a certain amount of people.
From experience, when I feed my family of six and cook with at least 1 lb and a half of ground beef, it is enough for everyone to have at least two tacos each.
The linked calculator is pretty handy and can help you no matter how many people come out to your taco bar party.
What are some healthy toppings to put on tacos?
There are healthy food options that are delicious and still good for you at a taco bar party.
The healthiest foods are homemade, and baked, and use quality ingredients that are unprocessed.
Healthy Taco Toppings
All the foods above and below (when you see our taco filling options) can all be made from scratch and be considered healthy depending on how you cook them.
- Shredded fish
- Shrimp
- Chickpeas
- Greens
- Mixed Vegetables
- Sprouts
- Herbs
- Homemade sauces and dips
- Homemade refried beans
Additionally, all the food recipes linked here are also listed on our taco bar checklist you can great for free.
My last post on How To Stock a Healthy Pantry is a great resource to know what types of food to carry in your home that will help you cook healthier.
The Easiest Way to Build a Taco Bar Party
Step one
The easiest way to build a taco bar is to have a written-out taco bar menu and taco bar decoration ideas so you can give yourself an idea of how you want to decorate your party.
Step Two
After you have a plan and menu in place, get all your hot food prepared and cooked ready to be spread out.
Usually, cooking hot food takes the longest, so by doing this first, you can get it out of the way.
Placing cooked taco toppings in warmers will be your best bet to keep it warm.
You can also cook your hot taco food toppings in crockpots and leave the food in it to keep it warm during your party.
Step three
When your main fillers are cooking, you can use that time to place all the decorations up and make your sides.
Step four
Lastly, when all the taco filler foods are ready to be placed, arrange all food in an assembly line on a party table.
A good rule of thumb is to place your sides around the assembly taco fillers and add some deco around it all if you have any.
Have a separate location for desserts, drinks, and extra supplies for your guests like utensils and plates.
Using a taco bar checklist also comes in handy when planning any size taco bar party.
Mexican Drinks
Adding some authentic Mexican drinks shows attention to detail at your taco bar party.
Letting your guests try something new and bring some Mexican culture into your party will leave a great impression too.
Taco Bar Party Drink Recipes
- Agua de Avena (oatmeal drink)
- Agua Fresca (fruit drink): watermelon, strawberry, cucumber/lime
- Mexican coffee
- Lola horchata
- Raspberry Mojito punch
Taco Bar Tortilla Recipes
Homemade simple Flour tortilla recipe
Filling ideas for Taco Bar
Salsa
Salsa is a must-have for any taco bar party and there are so many salsa recipes to choose from too.
I have chosen the best salsa recipes for you to try out below.
The best homemade salsa recipe
Beans
Beans is another taco bar staple that is a must-have at your taco bar party.
Click any amazing bean recipe below to try it out.
Some other great taco fillings are below!
- Various types of Shredded cheese: Monterey jack, Cheddar, Mexican Blend
- Lettuce (chopped)
- Corn or a corn salad mix
- Onions (chopped)
- Peppers (chopped)
- Tomatoes
- Jalapeno peppers
- Cinatro
- Cabbage slaw (red or green)
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
- Pineapple (diced)
- Green chilies
- Sweet onions
Meat fillings for taco bar
- Pico de Gallo
- Shrimp (meat replacement)
- Ground beef
- Shredded chicken
- Steak strips
- Pork (chopped)
Taco Bar Side Dish Recipes
- Chips and salsa
- Corn on the Cobb
- Guacamole
- Rice and beans
- Coleslaw
- Salsa verde
- Refried bean dip
- Cilantro lime rice
- Sweet corn
- Quinoa salad
- Avocado black bean salad
- Avocado Tomato Salad
- Cheese dip
- Cauliflower rice
- Seasoned Veggies
- Shrimpo de Gallo
- Loaded Tortilla chips
- Mexican street corn
- Corn salsa
- Salad Bar
- Fajita Veggies
- Homemade queso dip
- Mexican rice
Experimental Taco Bar TOPPING dishes:
- Calamari
- Sausage
- Eggs
- Pepperoni
- Pork rinds
- Tuna
- Chilli
- Sweet potatoes
- Black olives
- Hot sauce
How to Make a Walking Taco
Your own taco bar can also have walking tacos for a graduation party, Cinco de Mayo party, family dinner, or any other big party.
Walking tacos are a great addition to a taco party, that is the beauty of a taco bar you can get creative.
All you need is a buffet table, the best taco toppings you can find, and any taco bar ingredients we mentioned above that can fit in any corn chip bag you can carry around and eat from.
It is a simple concept, just use a large skillet to cook ground beef and add homemade taco seasoning to it.
You can add any Mexican classic taco bar toppings and dump them in a bag of corn chips.
Here are three great recipes that show great walking taco ingredients:
1.) WALKING TACO
2.) Taste of Home: Walking Tacos
3.) Julie Blanner: How to make a Walking Taco
BUILD THE ULTIMATE TACO BAR with our Taco Bar Checklist
Our taco bar checklist will keep you organized, and provide you with great ideas for when you create your own taco-inspired party.
NOTE: Be sure to check your spam or promotional folder if you don’t see it in your regular inbox*
FAQ
What is a common topping for tacos in Mexico?
The most common topping for tacos in Mexico is ground beef.
Specifically, carne asada is my favorite and is a great topping to add if you want tons of flavor in your taco.
What can you put in tacos instead of meat?
Adding fish instead of meat is a good alternative for non-meat eaters.
Beans and cauliflower are also two great substitutes for meat in tacos as well.
Well overall, I hope all this information on how to create a taco bar party and taco bar checklist helps you out.
Let me know in the comments below how your taco bar party went, I would love to know!
The Best Taco Bar Party Plan
Equipment
- Mexican Food
- Mexcian-themed Serving supplies
- Mexcian-themed Decor
Ingredients
- Taco Bar checklist
Instructions
- Print out your taco bar checklist and shop for items if you need to do so.
- Have a written-out taco bar menu and taco bar decoration ideas so you can give yourself an idea
- Cook your main filler foods. Use food warmers if needed.
- Place all the decorations up and get table settings ready.
- Make all you taco bar sides.
- Arrange all food in an assembly line on a party table.
- Have a separate location for desserts, drinks, and extra supplies.
For more food-inspired post, check out the recipe below.
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PIN FOR LATER
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Fun, yummy and healthy! Great ingredient and party ideas!
Thank you!