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It's #tacotuesday, or #CincodeMayo, and you don't feel like having the same old (very familiar) tacos? Well have I got 25 Unique Taco Ideas for you! Each taco recipe has an interesting twist (or two), most are really healthy, and all are sure to tickle your taste buds!
I live on the border in McAllen, TX. Tacos are definitely a "thing." In New Mexico, it was all about chile. In south Texas, it's about TACOS.
Tacos are so versatile, flavorful, and easy to customize. By the simplest definition, a taco is food stuffed into a folded tortilla. With one exception (a pita taco), that describes these tacos. I've brought you chicken, fish and seafood, beef, pork, lamb, vegan and vegetarian, and even bison!
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🐓 Chicken Taco Recipes
Take a break from the ordinary and serve up one of these chicken taco recipes for #TacoTuesday, #CincodeMayo, or any day of the week!
Chicken Tacos
Fusion taco recipes with exotic spices and creative salsas... These chicken tacos are sure to shake up your #TacoTuesday repertoire!
An Apple Pico de Gallo and interesting spice combination (turmeric, mustard, cumin) definitely qualify these tacos as "unique!"
Easy, one pan, mouth watering, figure friendly, Indo Mexican fusion recipe! Indian Vindaloo paste provides the flavor for the chicken, but you'll find more traditional toppings like red cabbage, corn, guacamole, and lime too!
🐟 Fish and Seafood Taco Recipes
Healthy fish and seafood make great taco fillings, and cook so quickly... shrimp, fish, and even oysters! These fish and seafood tacos are perfect for weeknight dinners!
Fish and Seafood
From the sea: Fish and seafood are probably my favorite taco protein because they cook so quickly and taste so delicious! I want to try all 8 of them!
Blackened Salmon Tacos - Wild Salmon Tacos with Blackening Spices
The Pickled Radishes and Onions in these Blackened Salmon Tacos caught my eye in these super-healthy fish tacos!
Tequila? Yes please! The fish in these Grilled Tequila Lime Fish Tacos get marinated in tequila and fresh lime juice. Yum!
These cod tacos are not your average fish tacos. The fish has some of your more typical seasoning, but there’s some added zing from the tasty pickled strawberry slaw. An easy, colorful and fresh-tasting meal.
These Grilled Fish Tacos with Pineapple Rhubarb Salsa are stuffed with salt and pepper crusted fish, a piquant fruit salsa and they’re topped with a creamy avocado dip. The rhubarb definitely qualifies as "unique."
Why do I love these Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos? I live near the Gulf of Mexico! Shrimp is a mainstay in our diet, and these flavorful tacos are beyond speedy... ready in under 30 minutes!
These Easy Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos with cabbage slaw are fast, easy and the BEST shrimp tacos you have ever had!
No collection of "unique" tacos would be complete without a tear-producing habanero. IMHO. Proceed carefully with these serious heat chiles! These shrimp tacos have sweet heat, "instant pickled onions," and savory, succulent shrimp. All the yum!
Crispy cornmeal breaded and fried oysters in a soft corn tortilla topped with a fabulous citrus salsa and avocado! Fried Oyster Tacos with Citrus Salsa may rock your idea of taco Tuesdays…
🐖 Pork, Beef, Lamb, and Bison Taco Recipes
Pork, Beef, Bison, and Lamb Tacos
From the land: Wow! We've got 11 taco recipes that include pork, beef, bison, and lamb in a variety of cuts and cooking methods... All include fresh, creative toppings!
Love the taste of pork carnitas, but hate the long cooking time? If so, then these Ground Pork Carnitas Tacos are for you! Quick and easy, these ground pork tacos are ready in about 30 minutes. Ground pork is cooked and seasoned then topped with salsa verde, cotija cheese, cilantro and pickled onions for a tasty Mexican cuisine inspired meal...
Mexican spices - cumin, ancho powder, cinnamon - and a hint of unsweetened cocoa combined with ground lamb (and garlic of course!) make a hearty, flavorful taco filling in just minutes!
With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I just had to include an Irish-Mexican fusion taco! What makes this one "unique?" Guinness of course. 🙂 And nothing beats a slow oven braise in my opinion!
This Spicy Tacos Al Pastor recipe is perfect for serving a crowd. You can bake it in an oven or on the grill. It's impressive to see and even more delicious to eat. I love the combination of achiote paste, guajillo chile, and pineapple juice in the marinade!
Juicy grilled pork chunks and a tangy pineapple salsa pair up for a grill-inspired twist on Mexican tacos al pastor. Grilling boosts the flavor of both the pork and the pineapple! Cool idea. 🙂
Pork Belly Tacos with Pickled Onion, Roasted Pineapple, and Avocado Lime Sour Cream
Pork belly slow cooked in beer? Yes please! Yes, pork belly isn't the most "healthy" taco ingredient, but an occasional indulgence makes discipline easier... Plus, look at the healthy toppings!
Get dinner on the table in 20 minutes with these Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Tacos! A Mexican twist on the classic bulgogi recipe replaces the sliced steak with a ground beef & mushroom blend, then it’s piled into fresh tortillas with rice, veggies, kimchi, and a drizzle of sriracha!
Turmeric and cumin are a great combination, but brushing the tortillas with the spice mixture definitely qualifies as "unique." And NY strip steak isn't too shabby either. 😉
Lengua Tacos With Salsa Verde and Caramelized Onions? Yea or nay? An ultra fresh corn tortilla (tortilla de maiz) is stuffed with crispy diced and seasoned beef tongue (lengua), caramelized onions, salsa verde made with roasted tomatillos, Hatch green chile, onions, and garlic, crumbled fresh cheese and cilantro. Delicioso!
Lean bison steak is tender and deeply flavored with a simple coffee-rub. The steak is sliced thinly and served on corn tortillas topped with a dollop of spicy avocado crema, a tangy red cabbage slaw, and sprinkled with green onions for unforgettable tacos.
Delicious Slow Cooked Lamb smothered in fun and flavorful harissa sauce and served with an easy avocado smash, fresh pomegranate salsa, and crunchy jicama sticks.
🌶️ Vegan and Vegetarian Taco Recipes
Vegan and Vegetarian Tacos
These healthy, creative vegan or vegetarian taco recipes include a decent amount of protein, and are bursting with flavor!
With the Mediterranean flavors of a falafel, these pita tacos combine chick peas and spices with healthy toppings like cucumber, tzatziki, and avocado hummus. They're vegetarian and can be ready in just 20 minutes!
These Enchilada Lentil Tacos have incredible depth of flavour! The lentils are cooked in a spicy enchilada sauce on the stove or in the slow cooker, then tucked inside tacos & topped with zesty lime slaw.
I really do love tempeh in most preparations, and the spice combo in these vegan tacos - cumin, ancho powder, coriander - caught my eye. If you're looking for a vegan option for #tacoTuesday, you can't beat the protein in tempeh!
Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa
Thanks to the spicy and salty tomatillo salsa and the sweet mango pomegranate salsa, these tacos have the perfect mix of salty, sweet and spicy. Lentils bring the protein, and roasted cauliflower adds flavor and more veggies to a healthy vegetarian taco option!
Did you find a few you want to make? I hope to try them all! Pour a cold one and enjoy!
🍹 Cocktails to Pair with Tacos
- Salsa Sunset: A Savory Margarita from Beyond Mere Sustenance
- An Exotic Tropical Margarita from Beyond Mere Sustenance
- Blood Orange Margarita with Smoky Salt from Fox and Briar
- The Campanella - A Paloma Cocktail Variation from A Tipsy Giraffe
- Hot and Bubbly Margarita Recipe from Midlife Croissant
- The JH Hibiscus Margarita from Little Sugar Snaps
- Blood Orange Mezcal Negroni from Beyond Mere Sustenance
mjskitchen says
What a diverse collection of tacos! I don't know which one to start with. I did just buy a pound of Gulf shrimp, so that shrimp tacos are looking good.
Tamara says
Tacos come in so many flavors and colors! Definitely try the shrimp tacos if you have some good shrimp. That's one of my blogger friend's most popular recipes!
Mark says
These look fantastic! I'm really looking forward to trying every single recipe in this roundup.