Tacos are the ideal tailgate food. Fillings can be made days ahead, everything holds in a slow cooker or foil pan, and guests assemble their own plates without utensils.
Make-ahead fillings that travel
- Barbacoa or birria. Braise two days ahead. It reheats better than it cooks fresh and holds for hours in a cooler-warmed pot.
- Carnitas. Cook at home, crisp in a pan on a portable burner at the lot.
- Chipotle chicken thighs. Shred and store in their braising liquid so they do not dry out.
- Taco meat for walking tacos. Seasoned ground beef, the easiest crowd option there is.
Walking tacos
Single-serve bags of corn chips, split open, filled with hot taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño and crema, eaten with a fork straight from the bag. No plates, no cleanup, and popular with everyone under 40 and most people over it.
Grilled at the lot
Carne asada is fast on a portable grill: marinate at home, sear on site, chop on a cutting board. Grill scallions and jalapeños alongside.
Keeping things hot
- Slow cooker plus a power inverter or generator.
- Insulated food carrier or a cooler used in reverse to hold heat.
- Foil pans over a chafing burner for the grill-side proteins.
- Tortillas double-wrapped in foil, warmed on the grill in stacks of ten.
Cold sides and toppings
Pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded cabbage, pickled onions, cotija, crema and two salsas. Pack toppings in squeeze bottles and deli containers so nothing spills in the truck.
Quantities for a tailgate
Plan 4 tacos per person, 6 ounces of cooked protein each, and always bring more tortillas than you think. Leftover filling freezes; leftover disappointment does not.
The packing list
Tongs, cutting board, sharp knife, gloves, trash bags, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and a folding table you are not precious about.
Feeding a crowd? Our taco party calculator tells you exactly how much meat, tortillas, cheese, and toppings to buy for your guest list.
