The taco premise is simple: Layer inexpensive or decadent proteins, assorted vibrant toppings and “pack a punch” salsa and sauces inside a corn or flour tortilla and, voila, you have the makings for a delectable taco and the perfect fast meal. There’s no limit, and as we found out, the extreme reaches of the imagination can create an unexpected tantalizing masterpiece. Regional flourishes, unusual ingredients, and new techniques keep pushing the taco envelope.
It doesn’t matter where you are in America, or if you are a carnivore or a vegan, a great taco experience is out there for you to discover. See what awaits and what some of the chefs have to say about their creations.
Related: 27 Tasty Taco Places Across the Country
Hongos and Huitlacoche Taco
Miami
Standout ingredient: Huitlacoche (corn fungus)
The Coyo Taco experience is as artsy as the hip South Beach locations like Wynwood to experience an unusual taco. Huitlacoche is essentially a fungus that grows on corn, yet has a sweet note combined with seasonal mushrooms and queso cotija.
Related: 27 Unusual Canned Foods You Might Actually Want to Eat
12-Pound Taco
New York
Standout ingredients: 5 pounds of guajillo-marinated chicken
Chef Saul Montiel originally came up with the shareable 12-pound taco for the Cantina Rooftop family meal, but decided to put the enormous taco on the dinner menu when it received such a great reception for everyone’s favorite weekday, Taco Tuesday. It’s loaded with sour cream, chihuahua and queso fresco, and tomatillo, guajillo, morita, and avocado salsas.
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Indian Butter Chicken Taco
Atlanta and Duluth, Georgia
Standout ingredients: Indian lentil pancakes and butter chicken
Robby Gulri of Masti Atlanta said: “In Atlanta, the Butter Chicken Taco or the Uttapam Taco has a light, airy Indian pancake made from lentil and rice batter shell stuffed with grilled chicken tossed in a buttery and creamy tomato curry, topped with rice, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese and served with garlic chili sauce. South Asian meets south of the border with a new twist on a classic street food favorite.”
Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Indian Restaurant in Every State
Edley’s Catfish Taco
Nashville (3 locations) and Chattanooga, Tennessee
Standout ingredients: Catfish and cilantro slaw
Edley’s has a field day with Nashville ingredients and flavors. It uses local freshly caught catfish for a twist on the standard fish taco, creating its own mouthwatering Southern taco replete with a tangy slaw.
Related: 55 Foods Worth Traveling For
Lamb Birria Taco
Atlanta
Standout ingredients: Lamb and banana leaves
Slow food technique for tacos? Yes, says chef Mimmo Alboumeh, who uses Colorado lamb legs and smokes them for six hours, braising them the entire time. Then the lamb is wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the oven until done. Alboumeh adds pickled onions, chickpeas, salsa guajillo, and consomme of lamb juices.
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Korean Bulgogi Taco
Staten Island, New York, plus Sea Bright, Freehold, Princeton, and Clifton in New Jersey
Standout ingredients: Sliced Korean BBQ short rib, kimchi, pickled onion, sriracha crema, and kimchi fried rice
Owner Thomas “Tommy” Bonfiglio said: “We wanted to elevate the short rib concept and merge them with unique Korean flavors for our tacos, like kimchi — while staying true to the flavors in many traditional Mexican foods, like cilantro and hot sauce. We chose kimchi fried rice as an unexpected side.”
Related: Indulgent Dishes Every Meat Eater Should Try
Taco de Lengua (Cow’s Tongue)
San Antonio
Standout ingredient: Cow’s tongue
This taco was good enough for admitted lengua hater Guy Fieri of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” to feature. The tongue taco meat is brined, cubed up, braised, and dressed with traditional jalapeños, onion, fresh garlic, tomato salsa, and avocado. He ate it and he loved it.
Related: Traditional Hispanic Foods Most Americans Don’t Know About (But Should)
Nopal Taco
San Diego
Standout ingredient: Cactus
It’s cactus minus the prickly bits. This piquant taco combines marinated cactus (nopales) with melted cheese, cilantro sauce, fresh tomato, and avocado. It’s a popular local vegetarian taco with just as much flavor as a classic al pastor.
Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Mexican Restaurant in Every State
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Palmitas Tacos
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Standout ingredients: Seared hearts of palm, house-made salsa macha, and house-made mole verde
Chef Julien Gremaud, chef/owner of Avocado Cantina, said: “In South Florida, we have many health-conscious residents and visitors. We wanted to offer creative taco options for vegan and vegetarian diners that give bold favors and a wow factor.”
Related: Hearty Meatless Meals Even Carnivores Will Devour
Tacos Poc Chuc
Tucson, Arizona
Standout ingredient: Achiote-marinated chicken
Tacos Poc Chuc takes its cues from traditional, authentic Mexican recipes. This award-winning taco from the Tucson Taco Festival boasts achiote-marinated grilled chicken dressed with cabbage, cilantro, red onion, and house queso.
The Cod Taco
Venice, California
Standout ingredients: Fresh cod, cabbage dressed with red onion, and avocado crema
This seaside restaurant that specializes in seafood has many famous fans and can boast the best fish taco in Los Angeles, according to online reviews. The secret is in the toppings that adorn the fresh cod.
Related: The Best Seafood Restaurant for Takeout in Every State
Octopus Taco
Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar
Frankfort, Naperville, Schaumburg, and Lincolnshire, Illinois
Standout ingredient: Grilled octopus
Tender young octopus is roasted and served with roasted peppers, sweet corn relish, chipotle aioli, crispy potatoes, radish, and cilantro for a twist on the fish or seafood taco.
Shrimp Tacodilla
Las Vegas, Salt Lake City
Standout ingredients: Jumbo tempura shrimp and house-made spicy slaw
It’s extreme shrimp taco time as puffy jumbo tempura shrimp is doused in house-made spicy slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli, and pepper jack cheese inside a crisp quesadilla shell. Heat and crunch, cheesy additions, and cooling toppings equal shrimp taco perfection. There’s also a turnip taco on the menu.
Related: 11 Top Latin American Restaurants Across America
Queso Veggie Taco
San Diego
Standout ingredients: Portobello mushrooms and cactus
Director Michael Freeby, who was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in 2020, shared his go-to taco favorite. “The greatest veggie taco I’ve ever had is made with black beans, cactus, portobello mushrooms, corn, onions, cilantro, a special sauce, powdered with fresh Oaxaca Mexican cheese all wrapped in a freshly made tortilla layered thickly in mozzarella heaven.”
Tofu Tinga Taco
New York
Standout ingredients: Marinated tofu and tomato-chipotle sauce
This vegetarian taco melds Japanese methods and Mexican ingredients, combining tofu, sesame seeds, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and sauce in a corn tortilla. It’s a true East-meets-Mexican experience.
Japanese Lentil Taco
New York
Standout ingredients: Curried lentils, Cotija cheese, and a gyoza shell
From Brooklyn to Chelsea food halls, this New York East-meets-West taqueria excels in vegan and vegetarian taco options. The curried lentils deliver medium heat and are served with the traditional Mexican cheese and crunchy Napa cabbage slaw in a crisp gyoza shell.
Fried Green Tomato Taco
Lawrenceville and Monroe, Georgia
Standout ingredient: Fried green tomatoes
Southern twists abound here, with fried chicken and barbecue taco options, but the fried green tomato version dressed up with feta and chipotle aioli is a down-home favorite that earns solid reviews. It’s shown on the right above. Also on the menu are a fried mahi taco and a Nashville hot fried-chicken taco.
Falafel Taco
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Standout ingredients: Chickpeas and tahini
Chef Julien Gremaud said: “One of our specialties is the falafel taco and we want to create great options for everyone. The response has been incredible and this particular one is one of our most popular taco selections since opening in November.”
Carnitas Taco
Las Vegas
Standout ingredients: Braised pork, onions, chicharron, cilantro, and salsa verde cruda
At China Poblano in Las Vegas, Mexican food and traditional Chinese fare rub shoulders in a complementary way. The cultures’ shared love of juicy pork and heat with the meat make this a logical twist on a traditional carnitas taco.
