Memorial Day cookouts can get busy fast, especially when people want something more filling than chips and cold sides. These 19 taco recipes cover the kind of food that works across a backyard table, from beef tacos and shrimp tacos to taco dip, taco salad, taco pizza, and baked shells. Some are quick skillet recipes, some are better for passing around, and a few are built for guests who want something a little different. It gives the cookout more range without making the menu feel overplanned.
Beef Tacos
Ready in 30 minutes, Beef Tacos keep the main part simple with lean ground beef, tomato paste, water, and a taco seasoning mix. The recipe serves 4 and finishes with warm tortillas or taco shells, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded Mexican cheese, red onions, and optional avocado or sour cream. Set the beef out with toppings so guests can build their own plate without slowing down the cookout table.
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Air Fryer Beef and Potato Burrito (Taco Bell Copycat)
Crispy potatoes make Air Fryer Beef and Potato Burrito (Taco Bell Copycat) a heavier option for guests who want more than a few tacos. It takes 45 minutes and serves 5 with russet potatoes, ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, flour tortillas, and taco seasoning. The potatoes cook in the air fryer, while the beef cooks in a skillet before everything gets rolled and crisped in a pan.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Beef and Potato Burrito (Taco Bell Copycat)
Taco Salad Cups
Baked in a muffin tin, Taco Salad Cups give you 12 small servings with street taco-style tortillas, ground turkey, salsa, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, avocado, and lime. They take 30 minutes from start to finish, with the shells baked until crisp before the filling goes in. These work well on a cookout table because guests can pick one up without needing a full plate right away.
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Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos
With 1.5 pounds of salmon and 35 minutes total time, Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos bring a seafood option to the spread without getting complicated. The recipe serves 4 and uses street taco tortillas, corn, red cabbage, jalapeño, cotija cheese, sour cream, lime, and a paprika-cayenne seasoning blend. The salmon cooks quickly in a skillet, then gets layered with cabbage, corn, lime crema, cilantro, and cheese.
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Chicken Taco
Lean ground chicken keeps Chicken Taco quick, with a 20-minute total time and 4 servings. The filling uses taco seasoning, ground chicken, tomato sauce, and olive oil, then gets served in tortillas with Monterey Jack, salsa verde or roja, avocado, lime, sour cream, romaine, and onion. It is a good cookout choice when you want a lighter filling that still works with the usual toppings people expect.
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Sweet Potato Tacos
Roasted sweet potatoes give Sweet Potato Tacos a different kind of filling, with 45 minutes total time and 4 servings. The recipe uses sweet potatoes, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, lime, red cabbage, corn tortillas, chipotle sauce, green onions, and cilantro. The sweet potatoes bake until soft and browned, then go into tortillas with cabbage and sauce for a cookout plate that is still filling.
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Taco Casserole
Layered in a 9×13 baking dish, Taco Casserole takes 45 minutes and serves 6 people. It uses corn tortillas, lean ground beef, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, tomato, red onion, black olives, black beans, Mexican shredded cheese, spring onions, and cilantro. The tortillas bake into crunchy pieces before going over the beef mixture, which makes this one easy to scoop onto plates when guests are moving through the food table.
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Bite-Sized Mini Tacos
Small tortillas make Bite-Sized Mini Tacos easy to pass around, and the recipe takes 25 minutes for 8 servings. The filling uses lean ground beef, Mexican seasoning, tomato paste, and water, then gets topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, red onions, and a green salsa made with avocado, sour cream, lime, cilantro, and garlic. They work nicely when people want something smaller before grabbing a bigger plate.
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Mushroom Tacos
Done in 15 minutes, Mushroom Tacos serve 6 with cremini or button mushrooms, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, tortillas, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro. The mushrooms cook in a skillet until golden, then get seasoned and finished with lime. This is a useful cookout option for guests who want something lighter but still want the same taco setup as everyone else.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Made with 2 pounds of lean ground beef, Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf takes 6 hours and 10 minutes and serves 6. The mixture includes onion, green chiles, taco seasoning, crushed nacho cheese chips, Monterey Jack, eggs, milk, taco sauce, and Colby Jack cheese. Since it cooks in the slow cooker, it can stay out of the oven while the rest of the cookout food takes shape.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Shrimp Tacos
Fast seafood is covered with Shrimp Tacos, which take 15 minutes and serve 4. The shrimp get seasoned with cayenne, paprika, garlic, salt, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro, then served in taco tortillas with avocado, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and more cilantro. They are best assembled close to serving, which makes them a fresh option once the main food table is ready.
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Street Steak Tacos
Marinated steak gives Street Steak Tacos a stronger main-dish feel, with 40 minutes listed on the recipe card and 6 servings. The recipe uses steak, olive oil, garlic, lime, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pickled red onions, queso fresco, cilantro, and warm flour tortillas. Slice the steak thin and serve it with the toppings nearby so guests can build each taco how they like it.
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Taco Dip
A 15-minute appetizer, Taco Dip serves 6 with sour cream, cream cheese, taco seasoning, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives, cheddar cheese, guacamole, and extra toppings. The base gets mixed until smooth, then spread into a shallow dish before the fresh layers go on top. Put it out with tortilla chips near the start of the cookout so people have something easy to scoop while the rest cooks.
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Loaded Taco Pizza
Baked on pizza dough, Loaded Taco Pizza takes 30 minutes and serves 6. It uses ground beef, taco seasoning, refried beans, salsa, Mexican blend cheese, sliced olives, and optional toppings like tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and red onions. The crust gets par-baked before the beans, beef, cheese, and olives go on, then it finishes in the oven for an easy slice-and-share cookout dish.
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Taco Salad
Served in crispy tortilla bowls, Taco Salad takes 30 minutes and serves 4. The recipe uses large flour tortillas, lean ground beef, taco seasoning, romaine lettuce, black beans, tomato, cheddar cheese, avocado sauce, and cilantro. The tortilla bowls are shaped after a quick fry, then filled with the beef and salad mixture. It gives guests a full plate option without needing a separate side salad.
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Zesty Taco Seasoning Mix
Homemade spice blends come in handy, and Zesty Taco Seasoning Mix takes 5 minutes to make 4 tablespoons. The recipe uses chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Keep a jar nearby for beef, mushrooms, beans, rice, burritos, taco soup, or nachos when the cookout menu needs one more fast taco-style dish.
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Taco Soup
A bigger pot option, Taco Soup takes 1 hour and 15 minutes and serves 4. It uses canola oil, ground beef, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, taco seasoning, corn, black beans, and toppings like cheese, red onion, avocado, and sour cream. This is the one to add when the cookout stretches later and you want something spoonable next to the grilled food.
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Vegan Birria Tacos
A longer recipe at 1 hour and 30 minutes, Vegan Birria Tacos serve 4 with dried guajillo, ancho, arbol, and pasilla chiles, garlic, onion, vegetable broth, oregano, cumin seeds, spices, mushrooms, corn tortillas, vegan mozzarella, cilantro, onions, and lime. The mushrooms get shredded and paired with a chile broth sauce, then cooked into crisp tacos with dipping sauce on the side.
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Baked Beef Tacos
Crisp shells make Baked Beef Tacos easy to line up in a pan, and the recipe takes 45 minutes for 4 servings. It uses hard taco shells, beef, taco seasoning, water, olive oil, onion, garlic, cheddar cheese, tomato, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, sour cream, and lime. The filled shells bake until the cheese melts and the edges brown, which helps them hold up better for serving.
Get the Recipe: Baked Beef Tacos