Walking Taco Recipe (Perfect for Parties!) + Video
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Walking Taco Recipe allows guests to enjoy their favorite Mexican flavors without the mess. It’s the perfect meal for your next potluck or outdoor event! Learn how to make walking tacos, including all the toppings you’ll need for a walking taco bar. It’s easier than you might think!!
Table of Contents
Walking Taco Recipe
If you’ve got a crowd to feed on a budget, then this is the recipe for you!
Also known as “taco in a bag,” walking tacos are simply seasoned meat and all of your favorite toppings inside an individual-sized bag of corn chips or Doritos.
Once everything is mixed together, it tastes just like a taco!
This walking tacos recipe is especially helpful for potlucks and outdoor events since people can easily walk around with their food. Plus, all that’s needed to eat this is a fork, so cleanup is a breeze.
All of the toppings can be prepared ahead of time, and the meat can be kept warm in the crockpot until your guests arrive and you’re ready to eat.
In fact, you can cook the ground beef in the slow cooker to begin with! Just swap the spices listed in that post for your favorite store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
For more big-batch options with south-of-the-border flavor, take a look at my cheesy taco or steak fajita pasta salad recipes.
Recipe Video
To see us make this walking taco recipe from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
I love that all your favorite taco toppings are in one simple chip bag! This is super cute to make for birthday parties, football games, or an easy meal for Taco Tuesday.
Walking taco chips are even great for families at the end of a long day or as an easy campfire dinner for those who like to spend summer at the campground.
The whole family can add their favorite taco ingredients to make the perfect quick meal. It’s such a fun idea — and just what you need to put a spin on taco night!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Beef – Opt for a leaner blend so there isn’t too much grease. I love using 80/20 in my recipes — just enough fat for flavor and moisture!
- Taco Seasoning – Grab a couple of your favorite packets from the store or use my homemade seasoning blend.
Best to stick with mild heat when making walking tacos for a crowd. If it’s just for your family, add extra cayenne for a spicier version. - Garlic – I love the extra punch of savory flavor, though this is entirely optional when making this walking taco recipe. Swap with garlic powder if needed, or leave it out if you prefer.
- Water – This keeps the meat moist and makes it a bit saucy when combined with the seasoning. Make sure to drain off any excess grease before adding the water!
- Chips – The best walking taco chips are the individual serving size bags — the kind that come in a large pack for school lunches. Fritos and Doritos are the best options.
- Toppings – Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream are my go-tos, and I’ll usually have green onion or cilantro available too. Really, anything you like on your taco is a winner!
How to Make Walking Tacos
For a simple family meal, you can set everything on the counter and let people dish up the meat from the stove.
But I love setting up a walking taco bar for larger events — even at my own house!
- Set up a table with all of your toppings in bowls with spoons.
A long counter or kitchen island would work as well. - Place a basket or container with small bags of chips at one end of the table.
I also place a basket of plastic forks nearby. - Have a slow cooker with the ground beef next to the chips, and add a small plate to rest the serving spoon on.
- Serve! Guests can start at one end and add whatever they would like right into their walking taco chips bag!
Prep Ahead
- Cook and season ground beef
- Prep toppings
- Set up taco bar (if needed)
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Skillet – I like a wide, deep pan for browning ground beef, especially when making large batches for this walking taco recipe!
- Slow Cooker – Use this to keep the meat warm when setting up a taco bar.
- 2-cup Bowls – These are perfect for prepping toppings since each bowl comes with a lid, and you can easily stack them in the fridge!
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
Topping Suggestions
Here are a few ideas to get you started, but the sky is the limit when it comes to making walking tacos for a crowd. Feel free to include anything else that may be missing from this list!
- The Classics: Shredded cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa, cilantro
- Extra Veggies: Diced tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado, green onion, red onion, black olives
- Heartier Options: Black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, Mexican or cilantro rice
- Sauces and Spreads: Guacamole, hot sauce, pico de gallo, chili, nacho cheese sauce
Walking Tacos Recipe FAQ
Fritos are the most popular choice since they taste closest to a classic corn tortilla shell. However, Doritos will give you a few different flavor options — especially if you’re a fan of Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos!
Chili Cheese Fritos are popular too, and if you can find individual bags of tortilla chips, those would be pretty perfect!
Sure! Shredded chicken, ground turkey, and pulled pork are all excellent alternatives for a walking tacos recipe.
Plan for about ¼ cup of meat per person, which means 2 pounds of meat will yield 16 portions.
That said, you won’t get as much out of it if someone decides to load theirs up with extra meat. If your head count is right around 16 people, you may want to cook extra just to be safe.
You can always save any leftover ground beef for later. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Walking Taco Recipe (Perfect for Parties!) + Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning, homemade or from the store, 2 regular sized packets
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounces bag chips , 16 1-ounce bags, Doritos and Fritos recommended
Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Instructions
- Prepare all vegetables and toppings and set aside or refrigerate anything that needs to be chilled.
- In a large, non-stick skillet, brown ground beef over medium high heat until slightly pink. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Return to heat and stir in ¼ cup taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and cover or transfer to a slow cooker on the warm setting.
- Serve with small bags of chips and your favorite toppings. To create a walking taco, crush your bag of chips, then open and top with meat, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, or any of your other favorite toppings. Serve with plastic forks and enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2021, updated and republished July 2025
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
Welcome!
Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
I love this idea. The only suggestion I'd make is to use a 1/4 cup scoop instead of a spoon. It might slow down those who might want to use lots of meat. Great recipe for summer gatherings in your yard or a picnic at the lake, beach, river.
Isnโt that more like a salad?
Someone used this recipe at my work potluck, and I had to get it from them! It was so good.
This walking taco recipe was a hit at our party! Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Hi Hadley!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn