Food & Cooking Recipes Recipes by Region Mexican-Inspired Recipes 23 Delicious Taco Bar Toppings That Offer Something for Everyone Take taco night to new heights with these inventive toppings. By Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley is an associate food editor for Martha Stewart Living. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 26, 2024 Close Photo: Cavan Images / Getty Images Tacos—they're really not only for Tuesdays! They're great for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, and they’re also a unique way to host a celebration. Game-day get-togethers, birthday bashes, and even intimate weddings are an opportunity to incorporate a build-your-own taco bar into the menu. Taco bars are great because they veer away from the usual one-size-fits-all taco dinner. Everyone can choose their own taco shells (crunchy or soft), fillings (meat and/or vegetables), and toppings (of which there should be plenty). Because let’s be honest—the toppings are the best part. We've put together a list of all of our favorite taco bar toppings—it includes something for everyone. Some of the toppings are classic, like pico de gallo, and others are more unexpected, like fruity salsas. Trust us—everyone at the table will love this interactive feast. 23 Recipes With Tortillas, From Breakfast Taquitos to Dinner Tacos Taco Bar Essentials Preparing a taco bar is simple. Most of the work is done in warming up tortillas and making a few different fillings. This way, people can pick and choose what they want to add to their tacos. Taco shells: It’s nice to offer guests options when it comes to tortillas. We like to include soft flour and corn tortillas, but crispy taco shells are a great third option. Use store-bought shells or make your own. Fillings: We like to present guests with a few different options for fillings. It’s always a good idea to include something meaty, like ground beef, slow-cooked shredded chicken, or spicy shrimp. Saucy black beans or canned refried beans are also hearty options. Sautéed or grilled peppers and onions are a great vegetable-forward filling to include. Toppings: This is what the party is really about. Include some of the classics (think shredded lettuce, cheese, and a few different salsas or hot sauces) and incorporate a few unexpected additions, such as strawberry salsa or chipotle mayonnaise. To keep tortillas warm, wrap them in a damp kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towels. If they get cold as time passes, you can always pop the stack (still wrapped in the towel) in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until they are pliable again. Ground Turkey Tacos 01 of 23 Cheese Cheese is often the first thing to go on the taco bar, so make sure you have enough to refill the bowls. Add a few cheese options to the taco bar. Shredded blends that have a combination of cheeses like cheddar and pepper jack melt nicely. Crumbled cotija or Oaxaca cheese will add a salty bite. 02 of 23 Shredded Lettuce It’s always nice to have a few fresh elements, and crunchy lettuce fits the bill. Shred up a head of crisp iceberg or romaine. You can shred the lettuce a few hours ahead of time and keep it in bowls in the refrigerator, covered with a damp paper towel. 03 of 23 Tomato Relish You’ll usually find chopped tomatoes on the toppings bar, but why not take it one step further and serve a tomato relish? You get all of the same fresh, juicy tomato flavor as a spoonable spread. Even better, you can use either fresh or canned tomatoes, depending on the season. 04 of 23 Fresh Tomatillos You’ll often find tomatillos lending their acidic flavor to bright green salsa, but they’re also delicious when sliced or diced on top of tacos. When tomatillos are cooked, their flavor mellows out and becomes much sweeter, but when eaten raw, they add a bit of crunch and a mildly acidic flavor. 05 of 23 Sliced Radishes or Jicama Radishes are a great way to add spiciness without leaning on salsa or hot sauce because they have a natural piquancy. Some are milder than others (they’re like the shishito pepper of the root vegetable family). Jicama is similar, though a bit more mild. They both add a little something crunchy, not to mention a beautiful bright color. 06 of 23 Sliced Fresh Chiles We love to include a variety of fresh chiles in the toppings bar, including some milder varieties like jalapeños and spicier ones like habaneros. This way, people can decide how spicy they want to make each taco. The Carolina Reaper Was Just Dethroned as the World's Hottest Pepper—Meet Its Competition 07 of 23 Pickled Onions Pickled onions are a must-have for taco toppings; they are both fresh and acidic, bursting with flavor in each bite‚ and they're not as complicated as you might think. They can be made weeks ahead of time, which is perfect if you have a lot of other prep work to do. We firmly stand in the shortcut or "quick pickle" camp, which means we don't need to work so far ahead. Use a mix of onions, like red and sweet varieties, to make quick, crunchy pickles for your taco bar toppings. 08 of 23 Pickled Chiles If you’re pickling onions, you might as well pickle some chiles too. Jalapeños and serranos are spicy but not so spicy that most folks won’t be able to handle the heat. Plus, the vinegar and sugar tame some of the heat as the chiles pickle. 09 of 23 Diced Onions Odds are that you’re using onions in one or more of your filling recipes. If you have some leftover onion from cooking, cut it up into small pieces for people to sprinkle over their tacos. White and red onions are ideal for this. If you’re sensitive to raw onion, you can soak it in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes to remove some of the harsh flavor. 10 of 23 Fried Onions or Shallots Fried onions are good for more than just green bean casserole. Rings of fried onions or shallots add something crispy and salty to tacos. These are particularly delicious when paired with shrimp or other fish in tacos. 11 of 23 Queso Dip If you don’t want straight-up cheese on your tacos, creamy queso is the next best thing. It's perfect for drizzling over the tops of tacos or serving on the side for dipping. Some queso dips, like our slow-cooker queso, can be made ahead and kept warm–perfect for when you're readying the other toppings. 12 of 23 Green Salsa Salsa is a taco bar essential and part of the beauty of adding salsa is that you can use your favorite store-bought salsa or make your own. If you like to make your own, know that most salsas can be made a few days ahead of time, refrigerated, and put out when it's time to eat. Green salsa is made with tomatillos, and you can make it with fresh tomatillos or cook them before blending them into a sauce. 13 of 23 Red Salsa The same is true for red salsa, which is made with tomatoes instead of tomatillos. Some red salsas are blended with raw ingredients, while others roast or broil the tomatoes and aromatics first. There are plenty of great salsas on the market, too, so this is the place to take a shortcut if you want to. How to Build a Salsa Board, an Easy, Colorful Appetizer Perfect for Sharing 14 of 23 Pico de Gallo Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato component that everyone loves and an easy salsa to make from scratch. It's nice to have in addition to red and green salsa. All you have to do is chop up a handful of fresh ingredients and give them a stir; that's it. Easy and delicious. 15 of 23 Corn Salsa Corn, whether fresh or thawed from frozen, is a great ingredient to mix into salsas. It can be added to salsas that are already made, or you can use it as the base for a new one. Add the usual suspects–diced onion, cilantro, and fresh lime—and you'll have a fresh, slightly sweet relish to sprinkle on top of tacos. 16 of 23 Fruit Salsa Who says salsa has to be savory? Fruits like pineapple, mango, strawberry, and kiwi add something bright and sweet to salsa. Whether on their own or paired with something like creamy avocado, they are particularly nice with super spicy or fatty taco fillings. 17 of 23 Guacamole and Avocado If there’s anything you have to add to your taco bar, it’s guacamole. There are seemingly endless ways to make it—chunky or smooth, add or omit tomatoes, even add herbs like fresh mint or other veggies, like tomatillos. For the avocado purists out there, consider putting out bowls of sliced or diced fresh avocado for people to layer into their tacos. The Right Way to Store Avocados, Whether They're Ripe, Unripe, or Already Sliced 18 of 23 Spicy Mayo Adding a quick homemade mayo drizzle is one way to instantly elevate your taco bar. Simply add a splash of lime juice and some smoky sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo to mayonnaise. Or create a sweet and tangy mayo with some Sriracha and honey. 19 of 23 Tortilla Strips Stow away a few corn tortillas so you can make homemade tortilla strips. These can either be fried or baked and add an extra bit of crunch to your tacos. If you don’t want to make your own, buy a bag of tortilla chips from the store and crumble them into smaller pieces. 20 of 23 Fresh Herbs Fresh herbs can really elevate tacos, breathing fresh life into each bite. Cilantro is the obvious choice, but you can also use parsley, chives, or even scallions, which are technically an allium, not an herb. 21 of 23 Coleslaw Coleslaw can be creamy or more light and acidic; either pair well with tacos. You can keep it simple by just using cabbage or incorporating other elements, like shredded carrots and scallions. 22 of 23 Fresh Citrus Bowls of limes are a must on your taco bar since no taco is complete without a squeeze of fresh lime juice. But other citrus fruits, like oranges or lemons, can have a similar effect. Lemon is vibrant against spicy shrimp, and orange pairs well with rich braised meat fillings. 23 of 23 Hot Sauce We know you have a few bottles of hot sauce hanging around in your refrigerator. Put a variety out so folks can choose their favorites. Updated by Lynn Andriani Lynn Andriani Lynn is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit