If you are looking for a fun, delicious and affordable way to feed a group, consider a taco bar! We do them often and have started to find the right pieces in the our kitchen that help make it an easy group dinner. Here are a few tips to make your taco bar great!
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- Go hard and go soft! Some people have a preference for the soft flour tortillas, while others like the crunchiness a hard shell can bring. Consider serving both at your buffet and let your guests choose one or the other, or both!
- Warm your tortillas! Go the extra mile and heat up your tortillas to pair with your piping hot meat. I have two containers we always use to keep our tortillas warm while we eat and go back for seconds:
- (for hard tortillas) Collin Bread Basket from Pier 1. With the advice from bloggers Kevin and Amanda, I bought this basket to keep bread or rolls warm, but it also works great for our warm shells on taco night. While I love the warming stone it comes with, I do have a hard time sliding it in and out of the built in pocket when it’s warm. Instead we lay it on the bottom of the basket and fold a kitchen towel over and around the tortillas. I still love it!
- (for soft tortillas) Tortilla Warmer 12″ – Insulated Fabric Pouch by Camerons. I bought this fabric pouch for Derek for Christmas last year and everyone who has enjoyed one of our Taco Bar nights has asked us where we got it! It takes under a minute to warm in the microwave and your soft tortillas stay warm until you’re done! I think they work better than the others at the restaurants as your tortillas don’t get dry, have condensation or get too moist while waiting to be enjoyed! We got the “sun face” design but there are several others sold! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
- Get colorful! There are LOTS of different things you can mix and match for your taco bar, so why not dress it up with some color? Fresh cut tomato, lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream are usually our staple options for toppings. We also often serve chips on the side with guacamole and fresh salsa for dipping. People have also been known to make themselves a nacho plate with all these colorful fixings!
- Protect Your Surfaces! The act of making and eating tacos can get messy. To remove the grease before putting the meat in a serving bowl, we place this Calphalon 13″ Splatter Guard over our frying pan and it helps drain out the bad and keep in the good! Tip: Line a cereal bowl with aluminum foil, place in the sink and pour the grease into the bowl. Once cooled, you’ll be able to close up the ball and it out in the regular garbage. I make sure to also cover our table with a washable tablecloth or placemats and put out plenty of napkins for guests!
Do you have any other tips to share for hosting a great taco bar? Leave them in the comments!
Stopping by from The Project Stash. Thanks for sharing! I love that splatter guard that you show. I always try to use a lid to pour the grease out into a container and it’s usually super messy. Looks like a great tool. Taco bars are one of my favorites – I could eat Mexican every night!