This super easy walking taco recipe takes all the flavors you love — spiced beef, fresh toppings, and crispy chips — and serves them up in a fun, portable way. It’s a simple, no-mess meal that’s perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and backyard parties.
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Why I Love This Walking Taco Recipe
I first discovered walking tacos at a fair and couldn’t believe how easy they made taco night. I love that walking tacos are not only quick to make, but also a total hit with the kids and adults alike. It’s so much fun to eat straight out of the bag and everyone can easily customize our own bags with all their favorite toppings! Here’s why I know you will love this recipe:
- Portable and fun to eat: These tacos are served right in a bag, making them perfect for on-the-go meals or outdoor events.
- Super easy to make: All you need is a few simple ingredients and a few minutes to prep, making these walking tacos perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Full of flavor: The seasoned ground beef pairs perfectly with the crunchy chips and fresh toppings, giving you that classic taco taste in every bite.
- Budget-friendly: Using affordable ingredients like ground beef and chips, this meal stretches far and won’t break the bank.
Looking for even more easy taco recipes? I’ve got ’em! Crockpot chicken tacos, juicy flank steak tacos or these beef birria tacos are just a few fun ways to change up taco night..
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for walking tacos. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Ground Beef: While ground chuck is a good, flavorful option, I’ve been going with lean ground beef these days. I like the fact that you don’t have to drain it much, if at all! You can use whatever ground beef you like, though.
- Taco Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning, or store-bought. It’s your call! I like this McCormick Taco Seasoning and buy it in bulk since we use it so often!
- Salsa: I like to use a good chunky salsa so that the walking tacos don’t get too soggy. You could also use fresh pico de gallo.
- Water: As needed, to make the beef just a bit saucy. You can also leave the water out.
- Chips: We love corn chips, like Fritos or Doritos. You will need the small individual bags.
How to Make Walking Tacos
Grab your favorite bag of chips and get to work! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Brown the Beef. Heat up a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, and once it’s hot, add the ground beef. Let it cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
- Season the Beef. When the beef is nicely browned, sprinkle your taco seasoning all over it, along with the salsa. Stir to combine, and if it seems a little dry, ad a splash of water. Let this simmer until it thickens.
- Make Tacos! Open up your chip bags, being careful not to rip down the sides of the bags. Each person can spoon in some ground beef, and add any desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Crush the Chips: Not everyone loves it this way, but we personally like to lightly crush the chips before adding everything in. It makes a little more room in the bags and gives a better chip to toppings ratio!
- Watch the Heat: Since these will be hand-held tacos in small chip bags, make sure your taco meat and any other warm toppings have cooled down a bit before you serve them. Piping hot toppings could burn if spilled, or even through the bag.
- Swap the Protein: These walking tacos are also delicious with beef Texas chili, pulled pork, crockpot salsa chicken, or this spicy taco meat stuffed inside!
- Sideways Bag: You can use a pair of scissors to cut the bag open sideways, instead of from the top. This will give you a wider, shallower walking taco with more room for toppings (but it will be slightly easier to spill).
- Chip Variations: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Funyuns, Ruffles… you can honestly make this with almost any chip, not just your typical corn chips. Use what you love! Keep in mind that thinner chips will soften up faster and lose their crunch.
What to Serve with Walking Tacos
Walking tacos don’t necessarily need any side dishes – it’s all in the bag! Maybe just don’t forget the margaritas, or mangonadas for the kids, if it’s that kind of party! But if you would like to add something extra to your meal, I recommend something light and simple to balance out the savory, highly-seasoned taste of the chips and meat. These recipes would fit the bill perfectly:
- Fresh Fruit: Pull together a quick fruit salad, or set out a tray of your favorite fruit with a dish of homemade marshmallow fruit dip. It’s a retro favorite your family will love.
- Rice and Beans: If you aren’t adding Mexican beans, charro beans, or black beans, to your bags, you can serve them on the side with some Mexican rice!
- Pasta Salad: If it’s a potluck or a party, pasta salad is always a great addition! I have quite a few pasta salad recipes, but these three are always crowd pleasers: dill pickle pasta salad, Greek pasta salad or Puerto Rican macaroni salad with ham!
- Toppings: Beans, cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, black olives, jalapeños, avocados, guacamole, sour cream, Mexican crema and salsa are all amazing toppings for these customizable walking tacos.
Yield: 6 Servings
Best Walking Taco Recipe
This super-easy Walking Taco recipe is a fun, zesty dinner option that the whole family will go crazy for! Individual bags of chips make the perfect base for taco-seasoned beef and all your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Basic Walking Taco Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1 oz packet taco seasoning (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cups chunky salsa
- ¼ cup water, optional
- 6 small individual bags Fritos or Doritos
Optional Toppings:
- Beans, black or Mexican pinto beans, warmed
- Queso or shredded cheese
- Cilantro, diced
- Diced Tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
- Onions or green onions, diced
- Lettuce, chopped
- Black Olives, sliced
- Jalapeños, sliced
- Avocados or Guacamole
- Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
- Salsa
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Instructions
- Cook the beef in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink, breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
- Add the taco seasoning and salsa and stir to combine. If needed, add the water and simmer until the meat is thickened. (Depending on the salsa you use, you may need to add water. Add the water if your meat is too dry/thick and you want to thin it out.)
- Open the chip bags and allow everyone to assemble their walking tacos with the beef and all the optional toppings.
Notes
- Storing: You won't really be able to refrigerate an assembled walking taco without it becoming mushy, but you can definitely store the seasoned beef! It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days, sealed in an airtight container. Warm it up in a covered skillet, or just in the microwave, before serving.
- Freezing: Taco meat can be frozen in a freezer bag or airtight container for 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Crush the Chips: Not everyone loves it this way, but we personally like to lightly crush the chips before adding everything in. It makes a little more room in the bags and gives a better chip to toppings ratio!
- Watch the Heat: Since these will be hand-held tacos in small chip bags, make sure your taco meat and any other warm toppings have cooled down a bit before you serve them. Piping hot toppings could burn if spilled, or even through the bag.
- Meat: Ground chicken or turkey could also be used here, or you could make a meatless version with Mexican Beans, lentils, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, etc.
- Chili Walking Tacos: This recipe is also amazing with your favorite Beef Chili in place of the taco meat. Yum!
- Pulled Pork Walking Tacos: Yep, that’s right – throw some Pulled Pork on that walking taco for yet another twist!
- Chicken Walking Tacos: Another fun option is to use my favorite Crockpot Salsa Chicken. The chicken goes especially well with white queso and lots of cilantro!
- Sideways Bag: You can use a pair of scissors to cut the bag open sideways, instead of from the top. This will give you a wider, shallower walking taco with more room for toppings (but it will be slightly easier to spill).
- Chip Variations: Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Funyuns, Ruffles… you can honestly make this with almost any chip, not just your typical corn chips. Use what you love! Keep in mind that thinner chips will soften up faster and lose their crunch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 386kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 662mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g
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