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Need to feed a crowd without much effort? Here’s the perfect recipe for you: Game Day Walking Tacos.

Walking Tacos are the perfect snack for game day parties, picnics, and camping. Serve them with other hand-held snack foods like Jalapeno Poppers, Roast Beef Sliders, and Baked Irish Nachos.

chip bags, hands holding a bag with taco meat, cheese
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What’s a walking taco?

A walking taco is a deconstructed crispy taco in a bag that you can literally hold in your hands so you can walk and eat at the same time. Its made with a snack-size bag of chips, like Doritos or Fritos, taco meat, and your favorite taco toppings.

They are super easy to make, and kids and grown-ups love them. You can customize to your heart’s content and there’s no sitting required – you can mingle all you want!

The best part is there are no plates needed and clean up is a breeze!

Fritos bag with taco toppings

Ingredients for Walking Tacos

This recipe makes enough for 8-10 servings.

  • Ground beef – I choose lean ground beef but any kind will work, just be sure to drain it really well.
  • Minced garlic
  • Taco seasoning – 1 packet will work or use 2 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning.
  • 8-10 1-ounce bags of Fritos or Doritos chips – I like to set out a mix of both.
  • Taco toppings – Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, avocado, or guacamole.
  • Dressing – You can totally just set out salsa and sour cream, but I like to make a spicy ranch dressing from ranch, sour cream, and salsa.

How To Make Easy Walking Tacos

Cook the taco meat. If you’ve ever made Ground Beef Tacos or Ground Beef Enchiladas, cooking the meat is a no-brainer. Cook over medium-high heat and crumble as you go. Drain the grease and stir in taco seasoning, salt and water, then simmer for 10 minutes.

ground beef taco meat in a skillet

Mix up the dressing. Combine equal amounts of Ranch dressing, salsa, and sour cream. You can adjust the amounts however you like.

salsa and ranch dip

Set up for assembly. I like to set up a “taco bar” with all the toppings, meat, and bags of chips. Open each bag and carefully roll down the sides a little, or just slice off the top, then add some taco meat and any toppings you like. Finish off with the dressing.

Favorite Toppings

The best toppings for tacos in a bag are the ones you love to put on tacos! We’ve got the usual suspects, like cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, but here are some of our favorite ideas that go a little beyond the traditional:

  • Beans: black beans or pinto beans
  • Chili: Skip the taco meat altogether and add a scoop of thick and hearty chili.
  • Green onions
  • Cilantro
  • Sliced olives
  • Corn
  • Avocado
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Mexican Rice
  • Limes, for squeezing
  • Radishes
  • Sliced jalapenos
walking tacos in bags of chips in a basket

More Game Day Snacks

Recipe

Walking Tacos

5
Need to feed a crowd without much effort? Here's the perfect recipe for you: Game Day Walking Tacos.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup taco seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • 8-10 1-ounce bags of Fritos or Doritos chips (use both)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Sliced olives

Dressing

  • ½ cup Ranch dressing
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ½ cup sour cream
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Instructions
 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling with a spatula, until no longer pink. Drain as much grease as possible. Stir in minced garlic, taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce is thickened and slightly reduced.
  • Combine ranch dressing, sour cream and salsa.

Assembly

  • Grab a bag of chips and gently crush them. Open the bag and spoon in some taco meat, and add any toppings you choose. Finish with a drizzle of salsa ranch dressing. Add a fork and eat while you walk around.

Notes

Serving idea: Set up a taco bar and let everyone make their own walking tacos.
Store leftover taco meat in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. 
Make the meat ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Reheat it or serve cold, taco salad style. It’s perfect for camping and picnics!
Keyword walking tacos

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 24gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1263mgPotassium: 452mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 867IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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