Best Sweet And Spicy Chicken And Steak Taco Bar Recipes

TACO BAR

Taco Bar image

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h15m

Yield 12 tacos

Number Of Ingredients 31

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
12 to 16 taco shells or warmed soft tortillas, as desired
Grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar, for garnish
Diced tomatoes, for garnish
Minced jalapenos, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Shredded iceberg lettuce, for garnish
Guacamole, recipe follows, for garnish
Salsa, recipe follows, for garnish
Chopped red onion, for garnish
3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly minced cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large tomatoes, about 21/2 pounds, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup chopped white onions
5 teaspoons minced garlic
4 serrano peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, place the onions in the pan and saute until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin to the pan and continue to saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef to the pan and cook, breaking the pieces up as they cook, until the meat is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with the chipotle pepper and the salt. Add the beef broth and tomato paste to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with the garnishes for guests to assemble their tacos to their liking.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the avocado with the onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth.
Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap (pressed directly onto the surface of the guacamole) and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Let salsa sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Serve as an accompaniment to fish tacos, or other dishes, as desired.

CHIPOTLE-GRILLED MUSHROOM TACO BAR

Chipotle-Grilled Mushroom Taco Bar image

You won't miss the meat when you build a taco with spicy and sweet grilled portobellos. Be sure to let the mushrooms get a good char on the cap side before you flip them; they just taste better that way. The corn salsa is a riff on elote, the Mexican grilled corn rolled in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, and it makes a mild, creamy partner to the spicy mushrooms.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 40m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 to 2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large portobello mushroom caps (about 2 pounds), stems removed
Corn Salsa:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the grill grates
4 ears corn, shucked
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
24 soft corn tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups prepared pico de gallo or salsa
1 cup thinly sliced red radishes
2 avocados, diced
2 limes, cut into 8 wedges each

Steps:

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
For the mushrooms: Pulse the orange juice, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, brown sugar, chipotles and adobo sauce and1/2 teaspoon salt in a mini-food processor or blender until smooth and emulsified.
Put the mushroom caps in 1 or 2 large resealable plastic bags and pour in the marinade. Rub the marinade into the caps, seal the bags and marinate at room temperature while you make the corn salsa, turning the bags over occasionally.
For the corn salsa: Lightly oil the grill grates. Brush the corn evenly with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until the kernels are cooked through and charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly; keep the grill at medium-high heat.
Whisk the mayonnaise, Parmesan and lime zest and juice in a large bowl until combined. Cut off the corn kernels with a paring knife and stir into the mayonnaise mixture. Mix in the cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon salt and set aside.
Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and season on both sides. Pour the marinade into a bowl. Put the mushrooms on the grill cap-side down and grill until very charred, rotating them a few degrees to keep one spot from charring too much if necessary, about 4 minutes. Flip, brush with a little marinade and grill until the bottoms are charred and the mushrooms are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 4 more minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board, slice thickly and transfer to a platter.
For the taco bar: Serve the mushrooms immediately with the tortillas, corn salsa, Monterey Jack, pico de gallo, radishes, avocados and limes, letting diners build their own tacos.

SWEET-AND-SPICY STEAK

Sweet-and-Spicy Steak image

Provided by Bobby Flay

Time 15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons horseradish, drained
6 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Rub four 8-ounce filets mignons with Pepper-Ancho Rub on one side; drizzle with vegetable oil. Grill rub-side down over high heat, about 4 minutes; flip, reduce the heat to medium or move the steaks to a cooler spot and grill 4 more minutes (for medium-rare), brushing often with Mint Glaze (recipe below). Top with more glaze.
Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Whisk the mustard, honey, horseradish and mint in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set aside a few tablespoons for the finished steaks.

TAKE-TO-SCHOOL TACO BAR

Take-to-School Taco Bar image

It makes sense why tacos are enjoyed during any time of the day in Mexico. They're easy to make and there's an infinite amount of ways you can customize them. If your kids love taco night, surprise them with a do-it-yourself taco bar that fits neatly into a lunch box.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 20m

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

4 thin slices roast beef (about 3 ounces)
4 (6-inch) soft flour tortillas
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey jack or "Mexican blend" cheese
1/4 cup Quickie Guacamole, recipe follows, or store-bought fresh guacamole
1/4 cup Speedy Salsa, recipe follows, or store-bought fresh salsa
2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt, optional
Mini bottle hot sauce
Multi-compartment lunch box
2 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved
1/4 small red onion or white, halved
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves or fresh mint leaves, optional
1 ripe Hass avocado, halved and seeded
1 lime, halved
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup diced tomatoes, mango, or quartered seedless grapes, optional

Steps:

Fold 1 slice roast beef inside each of 2 soft tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Pack in the biggest compartment of the lunch box. Pack other compartments with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and other favorite toppings. Seal and send off to school.
Grate tomatoes on the largest holes of a box grater into a bowl all the way down to the skins. Discard the skins. Grate the onion into the tomato. Stir in olive oil. Season with salt, to taste. Serve with cilantro leaves on the side, or stirred in, if desired.
Scoop the flesh from the shell with a spoon into a medium bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over the avocado and stir to coat evenly. Add the salt. Use a fork to stir and mash into a chunky guacamole. Stir in tomatoes or fruit, if desired.