The Taco Bar is Open

BUILD YOUR OWN

1. Pick Your Protein

• Mild white fish, such as catfish, cod or tilapia
• Precooked medium shrimp, tails removed
• Browned ground bison or beef
• Grilled, thinly sliced flank steak
• Kroger-brand precooked pork carnitas
• Boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cooked as desired and diced
• Shredded Simple Truth rotisserie chicken
• Plant-based crumbles

2. Pick Your Persuasion

Buffalo
For each pound of cooked protein, add 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce.
Recommended browned ground bison or beef, shredded or cubed chicken

Jamaican
Stir 3 tablespoons of Jamaican jerk spice-rub into 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Coat 1 pound of protein with the rub. Let sit for 10 minutes. Grill or sauté in a cast-iron skillet until cooked through.
Recommended cubed boneless/ skinless chicken, fish, shrimp

Mole
For each pound of cooked protein, add 1/4 cup mole sauce. Heat through.
Recommended shredded pork carnitas or shredded chicken

Mojito
In a bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon rum (optional), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, a hefty pinch of sugar and salt.
Recommended fish (marinate in sauce for 15 minutes; then grill), shrimp (quickly heat in a hot, oiled skillet, add marinade, and bring to a fierce boil)

Korean Gochujang
For each pound of cooked protein, add a few tablespoons each of Korean red chile paste and chicken or beef broth. Heat through.
Recommended cooked pulled pork, shredded chicken, shredded beef

Baja
Mix 1 packet of taco seasoning with juice from 1 lime and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Marinate protein for 15 to 30 minutes. Grill.
Recommended fish, shrimp, cubed chicken

3. Top It Off

Think above and beyond shredded lettuce, cheddar and tomato salsa.

Fruits and Veggies:

• Finely shredded cabbage, spinach or carrots
• Chopped cucumbers, jicama, green apples, roasted green chiles, mangoes, pineapple, avocado
• Whole black beans, pan-roasted corn
• Char-grilled lime, grapefruit or orange wedges

Cheese:

• Dry Monterey Jack
• Aged Gouda
• Cotija
• Queso Fresco
• Añejo
• Crumbled Feta
• Pepper Jack
• Melted Fontina

Sauce:

The deli section is ripe with just about every salsa flavor you can imagine. We’re loving Arriba Chipotle, Muir Glen Medium Garlic Cilantro and White Girl Salsa Cranberry-Mango.

Or make one of these:
Fish taco sauce: Mix 1 cup Mexican crema, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar.

Smoky chipotle sauce: Mix 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 small chipotle in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice.

Avocado lime sauce: Mix 1 avocado, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lime juice, pinch of salt.

Slaw: 

A taco tip from Ree Drummond at thepioneerwoman.com is to make a flavored slaw:
1. For an Asian flavor, mix equal parts rice wine vinegar and sugar.
2. For Southern-style pulled pork, use a mustard-vinegar barbecue sauce as a dressing.
3. For fish or chicken tacos, dress up 1 cup of a basic coleslaw dressing with 1 diced jalapeno and
2 tablespoons salsa.

COPY CAT

At a loss for creativity? Here are two ideas from our test kitchen and a couple from our favorite taquerias in Denver and Seattle.

Buffalo Chicken

Buffalo chicken:
Mix 1/4 cup buffalo sauce with 1 cup shredded Simple Truth rotisserie chicken.

• Shredded lettuce
• Avocado
• Chopped green onion
• Shredded cheese
• Greek yogurt or Mexican crema

Tequila-Lime Shrimp with Peach, Mango, Red Pepper Salsa

Grilled or sauteed shrimp:
Marinate 1 pound uncooked, peeled and deveined shrimp in 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons tequila, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook through in sauté pan or over a grill, about 7 minutes.

• Chopped red pepper
• Chopped mango
• Chopped ripe peach
• Chopped avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Drizzle of lime juice

Chorizo and Garlic Mash Tacos

Inspired by Denver’s Comida taco restaurant
Garlic potato mash:
Boil 2 peeled russet potatoes with 2 cloves of peeled garlic until tender.
Mash up with a little butter, milk, salt and pepper.

• Browned chorizo (mild or hot, whatever you like)
• Salsa verde
• Cotija cheese

Flank Steak Adobada and Grilled Pineapple Tacos

Inspired by Tacos Chukis in Seattle

Sliced flank steak: 

In a blender combine 1 can adobo chiles in sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 cup Mexican beer. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate half of the sauce in a jar. Marinate 1 pound flank steak in the other half for at least an hour or overnight. Remove steak from the marinade and brush with the jarred sauce. Grill steak.

• Precut pineapple spears, grilled 2 minutes on each side and chopped
• Salsa
• Guacamole