Name: What To Serve With Tacos
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 portion tacos

Table of Contents

If you’re wondering what to serve with your tacos, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for tacos.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with tacos are cilantro lime slaw, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, elotes, and edamame guacamole. You can also serve Southwestern chopped salad, Mexican black beans, and roasted fajita veggies. Try sopapillas or churros to end your meal on a sweet note.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Pico de gallo

This fresh salsa is one of the easiest sides to put together for your tacos.

There’s no cooking involved, just lots of chopping!

The key to perfecting this simple dish is to let it rest for at least a few hours – the longer you let it sit, the better the flavor will be.

Why we love this recipe: you don’t need any fancy tools to whip up this Mexican classic.

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Easy pico de gallo
Add a fruity note
Spicy tropical pineapple mango salsa
Make it different
Strawberry jalapeno salsa

Roasted fajita veggies

Complete your roster of taco toppings with these colorful fajita veggies – peppers, mushrooms, and red onions.

This dish is chock-full of flavor, thanks to the homemade fajita seasoning.

But if you want a shortcut, use taco seasoning.

Why we love this recipe: you can use any vegetables you want!

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Sheet pan fajita veggies
Ditch the oven
15-minute fajita veggies
Fire up the grill
Grilled peppers and onions

Quick pickled red onions

These pickled red onions are excellent with anything that involves rich, savory meat.

They add a tart flavor that will lift the entire dish.

Plus, their vibrant fuchsia pink hue is guaranteed to make your tacos more Insta-worthy.

Why we love this recipe: they’re such a breeze to make – you just have to let them sit in a hot pickling solution until cool.

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Quick pickled red onions
Add cucumbers
Pickled red onions and cucumbers
Make it spicy
Quick pickled jalapenos

Prawn and chorizo skewers

Tacos are a fun, finger food meal.

So I like to serve other finger foods alongside them like these skewers.

You can have a whole variety of skewers on one plate and let your guests pick their favorites.

Why we love this recipe: they’re easy to make but look nice and fancy.

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Prawn and chorizo skewers
Go fruity
Pineapple and mozzarella bites
Make it keto-friendly
Jalapeno popper skewers

Elotes

Elotes are the best way to enjoy corn on the cob.

Picture this – sweet corn on the cob, slathered with crema, coated with cotija cheese, then finished with lime juice, chili powder, and cilantro.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Why we love this recipe: it features four crema flavors – avocado, habanero, cilantro lime, or chipotle crema.

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Authentic elotes
Keep it simple
Esquites
Make it dairy-free
Vegan elote

Edamole

No taco feast would be complete without guacamole.

It’s great for cooling down any taco that’s slightly too spicy.

But traditional guacamole can be too predictable, why not switch things up a bit and add extra ingredients like edamame beans and miso paste?

Why we love this recipe: it keeps the guac nice and chunky.

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Chunky edamame guacamole
Add a fruity flavor
Pineapple guacamole
Make it crispy
Avocado fries

Cilantro lime rice

Looking for hearty side for your tacos?

Rice is the way to go.

But it doesn’t have to be boring.

This zesty cilantro lime rice will add some brightness to your tacos and keep everything from getting too rich.

Why we love this recipe: this one-pot rice dish is made with easily accessible ingredients.

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Cilantro lime rice
Make it low-carb
Cilantro lime cauliflower rice
Try a different flavor
Greek lemon rice

Potato hash

Tacos aren’t just for dinner.

Make your weekend more exciting with some breakfast tacos and a side of potato hash.

The fluffy potato cubes will soak up all the garlic butter flavors giving you a really tasty start to your day.

Why we love this recipe: you can have it for any meal of the day.

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Potato hash with bell peppers and onions
Make it quick
3-minute hash browns
Ditch the carbs
Breakfast mushrooms

Chili lime watermelon

This watermelon dish may not be a traditional accompaniment to tacos, but give it a try – you won’t regret it!

The watermelon’s super juicy which makes it perfect for summer, and the cheese adds a salty bit to contrast the sweetness.

You can use feta cheese if you can’t find cotija.

Why we like this recipe: it’s super easy but will impress your guests.

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Chili lime watermelon
Try it with mangoes
Chili lime mango
Fire up the grill
Grilled watermelon skewers

Cilantro lime slaw

A crisp, fresh slaw is a must-have for tacos!

And this cilantro lime slaw is my favorite – it’s refreshing, zesty dressing and takes about 5 minutes to make.

Perfect when you’re cooking for a crowd.

Why we love this recipe: it uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise – you still get that creamy texture but with fewer calories.

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Cilantro lime slaw
Ditch the coleslaw mix
Cucumber jicama slaw
Make it vegan
Dairy-free coleslaw

Mexican black beans

A simple combination of onions, garlic, ground cumin, and fresh cilantro is all you need to totally transform a can of black beans.

The resulting dish?

Soft, flavorful beans that will beef up your tacos.

Why we love this recipe: it’s warm and comforting and only takes 20 minutes to make.

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Mexican black beans
Go the extra mile
Instant pot refried black beans
Make a salad
Black bean salsa

Southwestern chopped salad

Enjoy your tacos with a side of this Tex Mex-style salad.

Aside from the lettuce, it’s loaded with classic Tex Mex ingredients like tomatoes, corn, black beans, and avocado.

But what sets this salad apart is its light but creamy yogurt and cilantro dressing.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a hearty salad that isn’t just made up of lettuce leaves.

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Southwestern chopped salad
Make it hearty
Mexican pasta salad
Try some fusion
Mediterranean chopped salad

Zucchini rice

Another way to jazz up some plain rice is to add lots of veggies to it!

Zucchini has a slightly grassy taste that will work really well with chicken or fish tacos, and the corn adds a touch of sweetness.

Psst… I add the zucchini in at the very last minute so it doesn’t get too soggy.

Why we love this recipe: you can make extra and eat it for breakfast the next day (YUM!).

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Zucchini rice with beans and corn
Use a different veggie
Mexican cauliflower rice
Skip the rice
Parmesan zucchini and corn

Tomatillo salsa verde

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8655424277346266/

Do you feel like your tacos need a little extra zing?

Serve some tomatillo salsa verde on the side.

It’s fresh, tangy, and has a subtle fieriness that complements the deep, meaty flavors of tacos (birria tacos especially).

Plus, it’s easy to make and only calls for a few ingredients.

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Tomatillo salsa verde
Make it red
Salsa Ranchera
Go herby
Chimichurri

Churros

End your Mexican feast with some classic churros.

They’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser – after all, who can resist golden, crispy deep-fried pastries coated in cinnamon sugar?

Not me!

Why we love this recipe: you can make these even without doing a grocery run – all the ingredients are basic pantry staples.

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Churros
Make it fun
Oreo churros
Skip the deep-frying
Baked churros

What desserts go well with tacos

Sopapillas and churros are my go-to options for desserts after tacos. For something indulgent and creamy, try flan. If you want to cool off, serve horchata (rum and cinnamon) ice cream or mango sorbet.

The best desserts to serve with tacos