Labor Day is the last big outdoor cook of the season and the produce is at its peak. Skip the burger routine and build the whole thing around tacos.
The menu
- Carne asada with grilled onion and salsa roja.
- Pollo asado in achiote and citrus for people who want lighter.
- Grilled shrimp with chipotle crema, cooked to order in three minutes.
- Grilled zucchini and corn tacos with cotija for the vegetarians, and everyone else will eat them too.
- Elote or esquites as the side that ties it together.
Late-summer produce to use
Corn, tomatoes, zucchini, poblanos, and tomatillos are all at their best. Char tomatillos and jalapenos on the grill for a salsa that costs you nothing extra in effort or fuel.
Drinks
A pitcher of margaritas, agua de pepino for anyone not drinking, and micheladas for the afternoon. All three can be batched ahead.
The timeline
- Day before: marinate meats, make salsas and crema, chill drinks.
- Two hours out: prep toppings, cut limes, set the table.
- One hour out: light the fire, char vegetables for salsa.
- Thirty minutes out: grill chicken, then steak, rest under foil.
- Serve: warm tortillas, slice meat, and cook shrimp to order while people eat.
The trick that saves the day
Cook the steak and chicken before guests arrive and rest them wrapped in foil in a cooler. They stay hot for well over an hour and you get to talk to people instead of standing at the grill.
Our grilling guide and elote recipe cover the rest of the menu.
Feeding a crowd? Our taco party calculator tells you exactly how much meat, tortillas, cheese, and toppings to buy for your guest list.
