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Walking Tacos are taco night made portable! Seasoned ground beef, crunchy Fritos or Doritos and all your favorite taco toppings are piled right into individual chip bags for a fun dinner with almost no cleanup.
This easy Walking Taco Recipe is ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for game day, tailgates, birthday parties or busy weeknights. Set everything out taco-bar style and let everyone build their own.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Walking Taco Recipe
- What Are Walking Tacos?
- Ingredients for Walking Tacos
- Want to Level Up the Taco Meat?
- How to Make Walking Tacos
- Kellie’s Tips for the Best Walking Tacos
- What Kind of Chips Are Best for Walking Tacos?
- Best Walking Taco Toppings
- Walking Taco Variations
- How to Make a Walking Taco Bar
- What To Serve With Walking Tacos
- Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Walking Taco Recipe
- Walking Taco FAQs
Why You’ll Love This Walking Taco Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes. The only real cooking is browning and seasoning the taco meat.
- Perfect for parties. Set everything out buffet-style and let everyone build their own.
- Totally customizable. Choose Fritos, Doritos, different taco fillings and all the toppings you love.
- Kid and adult friendly. Everyone gets to make their own exactly the way they want it.
- Almost no cleanup. The chip bag doubles as the bowl.
- Easy to make ahead. Prep the meat and toppings early, then assemble just before eating.
What Are Walking Tacos?
Walking Tacos are basically tacos in a bag. Instead of filling a tortilla or taco shell, you pile seasoned taco meat and toppings directly into an individual bag of Fritos, Doritos or other crunchy chips.
You can lightly crush the chips first or leave them whole, then add the warm taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream and whatever else you love on tacos. Grab a fork and eat everything right from the bag.
They’re one of my favorite party foods because everyone can customize their own and there are practically no dishes to wash. They’re perfect for tailgates, football parties, birthday parties, potlucks or an easy Taco Tuesday dinner.
Ingredients for Walking Tacos
- Ground beef – Lean ground beef works best so the chips don’t get greasy. Ground turkey or ground chicken can also be used.
- Taco seasoning – Use your favorite packet or my homemade Taco Seasoning.
- Green chiles – They add mild chile flavor without making the taco meat overly spicy.
- Individual chip bags – Fritos are my favorite, but Doritos and other sturdy tortilla chips work, too.
- Toppings – Cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, olives, green onions, cilantro, jalapeños and lime are all fair game.
Want to Level Up the Taco Meat?
The quick seasoned ground beef in this Walking Taco Recipe is perfect when I want dinner on the table fast, but you can absolutely swap in my Best Taco Meat for an even more flavorful filling.
It’s simmered with onion, tomato, spices, chipotle and beef stock for a richer taco filling and is especially good when I’m serving Walking Tacos for a party. You can also make it ahead or freeze a batch so your next Walking Taco night is practically done before it starts.
How to Make Walking Tacos
- Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Season it. Stir in the taco seasoning, water and green chiles. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Prep the chips. Gently crush the chips in the unopened bags, if desired, then open each bag across the top or down one side.
- Fill the bags. Spoon the warm taco meat directly over the chips.
- Add toppings. Pile on cheese, sour cream, salsa and anything else you love.
- Dig in. Give everything a little stir with a fork and eat it right from the bag.
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Walking Tacos
- Don’t assemble them ahead. Once warm taco meat hits the chips, they’ll gradually lose their crunch.
- Drain the beef well. Excess grease is one of the fastest ways to end up with soggy chips.
- Crush the chips lightly. You want smaller bite-size pieces, not a bag full of crumbs.
- Open the bag down the side. Cutting it lengthwise creates a wider bowl and gives you more room for toppings.
- Plan on one bag per person. I always keep a few extras around for bigger appetites.
- Keep party meat warm. Transfer the cooked taco meat to a slow cooker set to warm and let everyone build their taco when they’re ready.
- Keep everything separate. Chips, meat and toppings should stay in their own containers until serving time.
What Kind of Chips Are Best for Walking Tacos?
Fritos are my favorite for Walking Tacos because they’re sturdy enough to hold up under warm taco meat and a serious pile of toppings. Nacho Cheese Doritos are another classic, but there’s no rule saying you have to choose just one.
Try:
- Original Fritos
- Chili Cheese Fritos
- Nacho Cheese Doritos
- Cool Ranch Doritos
- Spicy Doritos
- Sturdy tortilla chips
For parties, grab a variety pack and let everyone choose their own. Individual snack-size bags work best because the bag becomes the bowl.
Best Walking Taco Toppings
This is where Walking Tacos get really fun. Set out a mix of cheesy, creamy, crunchy, fresh and spicy toppings and let everyone go to town.
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Diced avocado
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Sliced black olives
- Green onions
- Diced red onion
- Pickled jalapeños or fresh jalapeños
- Queso
- Cilantro
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges
You definitely don’t need all of these. Pick a handful of favorites and let everyone customize their own bag.
Walking Taco Variations
- Doritos Walking Tacos – Use Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch or your favorite Doritos flavor.
- Frito Walking Tacos – Original or Chili Cheese Fritos are sturdy and perfect for loading up.
- Best Taco Meat Walking Tacos – Swap the quick ground beef filling for my Best Taco Meat when you want an extra-flavorful version.
- Turkey Walking Tacos – Substitute ground turkey for the beef.
- Chicken Walking Tacos – Use ground chicken or shredded seasoned chicken.
- Pulled Pork Walking Tacos – Pulled pork makes a great game-day variation.
- Vegetarian Walking Tacos – Skip the beef and use seasoned black beans, pinto beans or your favorite plant-based ground meat.
- Spicy Walking Tacos – Add jalapeños, spicy salsa, hot sauce or spicy chips.
- Extra Cheesy Walking Tacos – Spoon warm queso over the meat before adding the rest of the toppings.
How to Make a Walking Taco Bar
A Walking Taco Bar is one of my favorite ways to feed a crowd because almost everything can be prepped before anyone arrives.
- Put individual bags of Fritos, Doritos and other chips at the beginning of the buffet.
- Keep the taco meat warm in a slow cooker set to warm.
- Arrange toppings in small bowls or a divided serving tray.
- Keep cold toppings chilled until you’re ready to serve.
- Put forks, napkins, lime wedges and hot sauce at the end of the line.
- Leave the chip bags sealed until serving so they stay fresh and crunchy.
For a larger party, my Best Taco Meat is a great filling option because it can be made ahead and scaled up for a crowd. I’ll make the meat first, transfer it to the slow cooker and then forget about it while I finish setting out the toppings.
How Much Do I Need for a Walking Taco Bar?
As a general rule, plan on:
- 1 individual bag of chips per person
- About 1/4 pound uncooked ground beef per adult
- 2–3 tablespoons shredded cheese per person
- 1–2 tablespoons salsa per person
- 1–2 tablespoons sour cream per person
- A few spoonfuls of any additional toppings per person
I always buy a few extra chip bags because they’re easy to save if you don’t use them and somebody inevitably wants seconds.
What To Serve With Walking Tacos
Walking Tacos can absolutely be dinner all by themselves once you pile on the toppings, but they’re also perfect as part of a bigger game-day or party spread.
I like to add something fresh, something cheesy and something everyone can snack on. Mexican Street Corn Salad, homemade Guacamole and White Queso Dip are all perfect alongside them.
For the adults, a Prickly Pear Margarita or Frozen Piña Colada makes the whole thing feel a little more like a party.
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- The Very Best Guacamole
- The Very Best White Queso Dip
- Prickly Pear Margarita
- Frozen Piña Colada Cocktail
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Make Ahead – Cook the taco meat up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Most toppings can be prepped ahead, too. Wait to cut avocado and open the chip bags until just before serving.
- Storage – Store leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Refrigerate the toppings separately so everything stays fresh. Unopened chip bags can stay in the pantry. Don’t store fully assembled Walking Tacos because the chips will get soggy.
- Freezing – Freeze cooked taco meat in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. My Best Taco Meat is also freezer-friendly, so it’s a great option if you like having taco filling ready for quick dinners.
- Reheating – Warm the taco meat in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until hot. If it seems a little dry, stir in a splash of water or beef broth.
- For Parties – Reheat the taco meat before serving, then transfer it to a slow cooker set to warm. Keep the chips and toppings separate and let everyone assemble their own Walking Taco.
More Easy Taco Recipes
If tacos are always a yes in your house, you’ll want to try these easy favorites next. From classic taco night to party-friendly recipes, there’s plenty here to keep Taco Tuesday interesting.
- Birria Tacos (Quesa Birria)
- Lobster Tacos with Cilantro Lime Aioli
- Baked Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
- Easy Cod Fish Tacos
- Cheesy Taco Pinwheels
- Taco Spaghetti
- Taco Soup
For more easy dinner ideas, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Walking Taco Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning, or 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 10-ounce can diced green chiles
- 5 1-ounce individual bags Fritos, Doritos or other sturdy chips
For Serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, olives, avocado, limes, salsa and sliced green onions, for serving
- sour cream
- olives
- avocado
- limes
- salsa
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Season. Stir in the taco seasoning, water and green chiles. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Prep the chips. Just before serving, gently crush the chips in the unopened bags, if desired. Open the bags across the top or down one side and fold over the edges.
- Fill. Spoon the warm taco meat directly into each chip bag.
- Top and serve. Add your favorite toppings and serve immediately with forks.
Notes
- Nutrition information will vary depending on the chips and toppings used.
- Ground turkey or ground chicken can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Fritos, Doritos and other sturdy chips all work well.
- For a more flavorful filling, substitute a batch of my Best Taco Meat.
- Taco meat can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and reheated before serving.
- Cooked taco meat can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- For parties, transfer the hot taco meat to a slow cooker set to warm.
- Keep the chips and toppings separate until serving so the chips stay crunchy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Walking Taco FAQs
What is a Walking Taco?
A Walking Taco is a taco served directly in an individual bag of chips instead of a tortilla or taco shell. Add taco meat and your favorite toppings to the bag, grab a fork and dig in.
Are Walking Tacos better with Fritos or Doritos?
Both are delicious. Fritos are a little sturdier and are my personal favorite, while Doritos add even more flavor. For a party, I like offering both.
Do you crush the chips for Walking Tacos?
You can. I like to gently crush the unopened bag a few times with my hands so the chips are easier to eat with a fork. Don’t go crazy or you’ll end up with crumbs.
Can I make Walking Tacos ahead of time?
Make the meat and toppings ahead, but wait to assemble the chip bags until serving. Warm meat will eventually soften the chips.
How do you keep taco meat warm for a Walking Taco bar?
Transfer cooked taco meat to a slow cooker and keep it on the warm setting. Guests can spoon the meat into their bags whenever they’re ready to eat.
Can I use homemade taco meat?
Absolutely. The quick ground beef filling in this recipe is great for busy nights, but my Best Taco Meat is another delicious option. It has a richer, slow-simmered flavor and is especially good when you’re feeding a crowd.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken?
Yes. Ground turkey or ground chicken can be cooked and seasoned the same way as the beef. Shredded chicken and pulled pork work well, too.
Can I make vegetarian Walking Tacos?
Yes. Replace the meat with seasoned black beans, pinto beans or your favorite plant-based ground meat.
Can I double this Walking Taco Recipe?
Yes. Double the meat mixture and toppings and plan on at least one individual bag of chips per person. For a large crowd, keep the cooked meat warm in a slow cooker.
Can I freeze Walking Taco meat?
Yes. Freeze the cooked meat in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before assembling.
Why did my Walking Tacos get soggy?
The tacos were probably assembled too early or the meat contained too much liquid or grease. Drain the ground beef well, let the seasoned mixture thicken and don’t add it to the chips until you’re ready to eat.
Can I make Walking Tacos while camping?
Yes. Cook the taco meat in a skillet on a camp stove or over a campfire, then set out the chip bags and toppings. Since you eat them right from the bag, Walking Tacos are an especially easy camping dinner with very little cleanup.
