How to Throw a DIY Taco Party
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A DIY taco party offers countless ways to enjoy this popular food and have fun! And entertaining family and friends is both easy and affordable when you follow these easy taco party ideas.
Setting up a taco fiesta is a great way to add an interactive element to any family dinner or celebration with friends. There are no rules when it comes to these delicious handheld treats, making them simple and fun for feeding large groups.
On the other hand, tacos can be the perfect party food for a fancy event too. And the best part is everyone loves them!
A festive taco bar will entertain adults with fun drink pairings and creative sides. And younger children can enjoy kid-friendly options and Mexican sodas. These festive gatherings are fun for guests of all ages!
3 Reasons to Throw a DIY Taco Bar Party
While there are many reasons a taco extravaganza is great for entertaining, these are a few reasons why it’s my go-to for feeding groups of all sizes:
Budget-friendly entertaining
It’s a great choice if you’re on a budget because the ingredients are affordably priced. I like to make a batch or two of my crockpot taco meat and then add tortillas, salsa, shredded cheese and a couple of toppings – easy peasy!
It’s simple to prepare
Most of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store and it’s easy to set up for a taco bar. You can add as many or as few toppings as you prefer. And if you serve on disposable taco plates the cleanup is easy.
Fun for any occasion
A DIY taco party is a versatile option for any occasion. Whether it’s a family dinner, birthday party, graduation parties or a holiday gathering like Cinco de Mayo, tacos are always popular. And don’t forget game days, team dinners and Taco Tuesday. You can even customize the toppings and drinks to match the theme of your event.
How to Do a Taco Bar for a Party
With this Mexican buffet idea, you can eliminate the stress of planning and spend less time in the kitchen during your next event. And one of the best things about setting up a taco bar is that there are no hard and fast rules.
You can incorporate as many toppings as you like or stick with the basics. We’ll go into more detail later but here’s a quick rundown to help you get started.
- Choose 1-2 main fillings: Chicken, beef, pork or tofu are popular choices.
- Select the toppings: Lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes are the basics, but I like to offer a variety of options to keep it interesting. Serve toppings in individual bowls for easy access.
- Offer different tortilla options: Hard shells, soft shells or even lettuce wraps for those who want a lighter option.
- Don’t forget the sides: Mexican Rice, beans and tortilla chips are perfect additions to any taco bar.
- Provide fun drink options: Margaritas, Mexican beer or non-alcoholic Mexican sodas are good choices.
- Make it festive: Add colorful taco party decorations to creative a celebratory atmosphere.
Before you host your next taco extravaganza get more of my favorite tips for How to Throw a Killer Taco Bar Party.
How to Set Up a DIY Taco Bar at Home
Whether you’re planning to host a Cinco de Mayo party, enjoy a Tex-Mex feast, or have a Mexican fiesta birthday, setting up a taco bar at home is the way to go.
First you’ll want to decide where to set up the food. Setting up buffet-style on a kitchen island or table works well because it allows guest to move around while they make their own tacos and fill their plates.
Next you’ll want to decide on your taco party menu:
- Start with tortillas: You’ll want to place these at the beginning of the taco buffet. I like to offer 2 choices, typically soft flour tortillas and street taco-sized corn tortillas, but you can also use crunchy taco shells or lettuce wraps.
- Add taco fillings: Ground beef, pork carnitas, seasoned chicken, grilled steak, shrimp, or a combination of these are favorites. Use a crockpot to keep proteins warm for serving.
- Next add the cheese: Shredded or crumbled cheese is best for easier serving. You can use cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, pepper jack or Cotija for a more traditional option.
- Salsa: You can keep it simple by offering a spicy or mild sauce but more is better when it comes to salsa offerings. And don’t forget about specialty sauces like pico de gallo, mango salsa and salsa verde.
- Toppings for the win: This is where you can get creative! There is so much more than the basic shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Consider offering black olives, black beans, corn, sauteed peppers, onions, jalapeno slices and creamy guacamole for more popular choices.
- Finish with a sauce: You’ll want to provide sauces with a variety of heat levels or try my homemade Taco Bell Baja sauce recipe to add a burst of flavor to your taco creations.
Perfect Sides to Complement Your Tacos
If you’re searching for the perfect sides, you can’t go wrong with rice and beans. However, there are many ways to get creative if you want to take it to the next level.
Some of my favorite side dishes for taco dinners include my 6 ingredient fiesta salad and cilantro lime slaw. Both dishes incorporate fresh vegetables and lots of flavor.
There are no rules about what to serve with tacos, but including a few tasty side dishes will bring more fun to your DIY taco fiesta.
Kid-Friendly Taco Ideas
This is a great party idea for kid-friendly celebrations because tacos are customizable, which is perfect for picky eaters. Kids can add as many or as few ingredients to their taco creations to get exactly what they will enjoy and avoid the toppings they don’t like.
If I have younger guests I like to include a make-ahead, kid-friendly dish like cheese quesadillas and 5-ingredient Arepas con Queso.
Serving Suggestions
These meals are easy to serve, which is great for parties. Guests can enjoy them with festive paper plates, paper taco holders, or taco wraps for simple cleanup. For family dinners you can use a taco serving set and for swankier affairs, serve them from melamine trays or wooden taco racks.
Keep a stack of tortillas warm with a slow cooker or a tortilla warmer while you set up your buffet. Warm meats in a crockpot or serve them in disposable foil containers warmed with Sterno cans.
Toppings are best served in individual bowls to keep things neat, tidy, and easy for guests to serve themselves. You can also use divided serving trays to help create the perfect DIY taco buffet. Serve cold toppings by filling a disposable foil container with ice and placing another foil container for the toppings on top.
Beverage Pairings: What to Drink with Tacos
There are many delightful beverages to enjoy with your favorite tacos. Some of my favorites include The Best Skinny Margarita by Wholesome Yum and Jarritos sodas with Natural Flavor. These Mexican sodas come in lots of authentic flavors for everyone to enjoy. Or make a batch of Tequila Sunrise Jello shots for the adults.
Cleanup Tips: Keeping Things Neat and Tidy
The only potential downside I can think of to hosting a taco fiesta is the cleanup (and it’s not bad as far as party cleanup goes). If it’s a larger gathering you may have used a lot of serving dishes. And that means washing lots of dishes at the end of the night.
Fortunately, I’ve got a few tips for keeping things tidy during the party to make clean-up simple.
- Consider using disposable serving dishes for easy cleanup.
- Use divided serving trays for the toppings to cut down on the number of dishes.
- Have guests use disposable plates and cutlery for serving.
- Send your guests home with leftovers to eliminate time spent putting away leftovers.
Final Thoughts
A taco bar party is a fun and easy way to serve delicious and customizable Mexican food at any gathering or event. However you decide to set up and serve this Mexican dish at your next party, I know your guests will have fun.
