Take your next cookout south of the border with this festive Tex-Mex taco menu. Choose from three tasty fillings—chicken, beef, and shrimp—or serve them all. For the best flavor, make your own corn tortillas from scratch and then toast the meal with citrusy, tequila-spiked sangria.
Grilled Tamarind Chicken Tacos
Shredded Brisket Tacos with Chipotle Dressing
Tex-Mex Grilled Shrimp Tacos
by Robb Walsh
In these tacos, chicken thighs are marinated in sweet-sour tamarind soda, garlic, and soy sauce, and then rubbed with a coriander-chile # rub. The tacos are great garnished with chopped red onion, avocado slices, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Yields 15 tacos
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lb.)
1 12.5-oz. bottle tamarind soda (such as Jarritos brand)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs. ground coriander
2 tsp. pure chile powder, such as ancho
Sea salt
Tip: If you can’t find tamarind soda, use lemon, orange, or ginger soda, preferably made with real cane sugar.
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Shredded Brisket Tacos with Chipotle Dressing
by Robb Walsh
This luscious, # taco filling is based on salpicon, a shredded or chopped cold beef salad popular in Tex-Mex cuisine.
Serves 10 Yields about 30 tacos (6 cups of filling)
For the brisket
4 lb. trimmed beef brisket, preferably the flat half
1 large yellow onion, chopped
10 black peppercorns
4 dried bay leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 serrano chiles, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. kosher salt
For the chipotle dressing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 7-oz. can chipotles in adobo
To serve the tacos
30 6-inch
fresh corn tortillas, preferably homemade
Toppings of your choice, such as: sliced avocado or guacamole, chopped ripe tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, crumbled queso fresco, small sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped fresh or pickled jalapeños
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Tex-Mex Grilled Shrimp Tacos
by Robb Walsh
Soy sauce, pineapple juice, and lime juice may sound like an unusual combination, but it’s actually a very common Tex-Mex fajita marinade. These tacos are excellent dressed with sliced avocado and tangy tomatillo salsa.
Yields 15 tacos
For the shrimp
48 extra-jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per lb.; about 2-1/2 lb. total), peeled and deveined
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the grill
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 medium lime
To serve the tacos
15 6-inch fresh corn tortillas, preferably homemade
Toppings of your choice, such as: sliced avocado, tomatillo salsa, shredded iceberg lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, chopped ripe tomatoes, lime wedges
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