Cheesy Homemade Soft Tacos

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These customizable Mexican-style Homemade Soft Tacos are perfect for a refreshing homemade weeknight treat! Easy to make and quick to put together!

She’d probably not be thrilled to hear it but I think of this as one of my mom’s classic dishes. Of course, “homemade soft tacos” was complicated for baby-me.

So we called them cheesy tortillas. Every time we had a weeknight treat, these soft, flavorful tacos were on the menu. And if we were at the grocery store and mom asked what she should make on Wednesday, my answer was always “cheesy tortillas!”

Looking for another Mexican-inspired dish? Try this fall-twist: Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Shrimp and Butternut Squash!

Looking for a healthier Mexican alternative? Try this Spicy & Cheesy Baked Basa with Tomatillo Sauce!

TLDR:

I know, you looked at this long post and thought, “I just want tacos! Why is it so long?! They can’t be that complicated!” They aren’t, simply follow the steps below!

• Cook ground meat with onions and seasoning
• Heat up some refried beans
• Chop up fresh avocado, tomatoes and veggies for a relish
• Melt some cheddar cheese over tortillas
• Create a taco buffet!

Jump to Recipe

What makes a good taco?

That’s strongly a matter of personal preference of course, which is why this recipe is so great! It’s highly customizable. So if you feel like having meatless Monday tacos, skip the ground meat. Not a fan of fresh veggies? Don’t make the relish.

I’m partial to a very full, nearly exploding taco. But that may just be the way mom raised me.

So I always include:

• Ground meat
• Refried Beans
• Fresh Veggie Relish
• Cheese
• Salsa
• Soft Tortillas

The Meat:

Any ground meat will work. Try it with turkey, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, quail (can you even get ground quail?). Even fried white fish or shrimp would work! I chose chicken in this recipe because my local grocery store was having a sale. 

The real key here is the seasoning. Plain old ground chicken is very sad. You need to add quite a bit of seasoning to make it worth it. Plain old beef is less sad, so add a little less seasoning.

I chop up some onions, fry them in a little oil, then add the meat in to cook. You can also add in chopped mushrooms if you want something even a bit more unique.

Sprinkle the meat with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cayenne (chili powder).

Refried Beans:

Pet Peeve Alert! I hate when restaurants serve black beans or kidney beans or pinto beans with Mexican dishes. What is wrong with those people!? That’s some sort of East Coast/West Coast Americanized bastardization of the good stuff.

Do not do that. 

Go for the real stuff, the refried, extra heart-unhealthy refried beans. There so much more flavor, and they just spread more easily. That’s the way you should serve these tacos. (Hey, I never said they were healthy!) 

Veggie Relish:

This is an optional part of the meal, but I always like to add some fresh veggies to my taco. It just brightens up the whole meal and adds a different flavor profile. And tricks my brain into thinking I’m eating healthy.

My favorite combination is avocado, tomato, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro, and lime. These are classic Mexican-food/TexMex flavors. And create the perfect color replica of the Mexican flag! 

Of course if you hate spice, don’t add in the jalapeño.

Don’t forget to season with a bit of salt, pepper, and paprika as well.

Cheese:

I prefer sharp cheddar or pepper jack for these cheesy tortillas, since those flavor combinations pair best with Mexican food. You can either use grated cheese, which melts better, or thin slices. It’s really up to how much time you want to spend preparing.

Just sprinkle your preferred cheese amount in the center of the tortilla and heat in a 250°F oven for about 8 minutes.

Salsa:

Always add a salsa! I prefer a hot spicy red salsa. But I only had a bit of green tomatillo salsa today, so we used that instead!

Soft Tortillas:

Everyone is used to those Taco Bell, crispy shell, crunchy tacos. That’s fine, I guess. But the real joy of a taco comes from the soft tortilla. Why?

Soft tortillas expand. They allow you to fit more, to really pack in all that yummy flavor. To fill them so much you make yourself sick. 

Also, they taste better. Those hard shell versions have their place. But if you want to go with hard shell tacos, you might as well have nachos. At least the cheese is melty in a nacho.

Corn Tortillas vs Flour Tortillas?

Technically, these should be corn tortillas to really make them authentic. But I hated corn tortillas as a kid, so I’m used to this recipe with flour tortillas. (They also make flour tortillas in more sizes up here in NY so you have options.)

But you could also fill any soft wrap, spinach, wheat, that weird red pepper wrap…seriously what is that?

Substitutions and Variations:

• Meatless and Vegetarian – Make it meatless. Remove the meat entirely. Or fry up some portobello mushrooms or tofu instead!
• Healthier Beans – I know I said I hate those fake-healthy black bean options. But if you really feel the need to cut back on the joy in your life…I suppose you can. Choose a kidney or black bean option for fresher flavor
• Relish – Any combination of veggies will work. Avocados add a light creamier texture, so I’d recommend keeping them in. But you could even make these more like fajitas by frying up some onions and peppers instead.
• Dairy-Free – Get rid of the cheese entirely. Or choose a dairy-free options.
• Tortilla Options – Any soft tortilla option will work here: corn, wheat, spinach, etc. There are even gluten-free tortillas out there!  You can also make them any size you wish.

What wine goes with Soft Tacos?

Like most Mexican meals, a nice semi-sweet Gewurztraminer is an excellent choice. Slightly sweet wines are the perfect antidote to a little spice in the meat.

Alternatively, settle for a bright, crisp, zesty Albariño. It’s citrusy and peppy and perfect for a summer meal like tacos.

(Or just go with an ice cold beer here. Your choice.)

What sides go with Soft Tacos?

A light salad like this Watercress and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing or this Fresh Watermelon and Herb Salad would be perfect!

Or just make it a taco-saturated evening with this Easy Spicy Santa-Fe Style Taco Salad!