The secret ingredient to this simple salsa verde? Cucumber. It’s an atypical touch that gives the tomatillo-based sauce a slight sweetness, which works wonders with all the sharp ingredients (onion, lime juice, garlic, etc). The result is an unbelievably fresh-tasting salsa with a good balance of lime, herb, and spices. The salsa comes together quickly in the blender, meaning no chopping required (we’d rather save our energy for the actual tacos). If you have leftovers, cook the sauce until it breaks down, then toss in some chopped fresh herbs and use it as a homemade enchilada sauce.

Get the recipe: Salsa Verde

This pico gets better and more flavorful as it sits, meaning you can make it in advance then set it aside and forget it. The olive oil will keep the herbs vibrant and green, so don’t worry about them browning. Cayenne and jalapeño provide a little kick, but if you prefer your pico mild, simply omit the two. Alternatively, if you want more heat, simply leave the seeds in the jalapeño. Serve leftovers on top of eggs the next morning, or use to top a burrito bowl or a taco salad. Trust us, once you have some in the fridge you’ll find endless uses for it.

Get the recipe: Pico de Gallo

This is officially our new favorite salsa, simply because it’s exactly what salsa should be. Though occasionally we like to get more creative, most of the time we just want a good, go-to salsa—no frills or funky flavors. Using canned tomatoes means you can make it all year long, and accenting it with fresh ingredients (onion, lime juice, jalapeño), as well as garlic and cayenne, rounds it out nicely. You can use it wherever you would use a jarred salsa: tucked into tacos, dolloped on top of nachos, spooned over eggs, etc. We have a feeling you won’t be buying salsa at the store anytime soon.

Get the recipe: Blender Salsa

These tacos are earthy, toasty, and almost meaty thanks to umami-rich mushrooms. In fact, it’s one of those recipes you can serve to meat-eaters, and they won’t miss a bit of the beef. Though a cast iron skillet isn’t essential, it’s great for charring the corn and cooking the mushrooms. Finishing the tacos with raw white onion, leafy green cilantro, and vibrant red chili pepper really makes the tacos pop with color. For best results, try to find large shiitakes (smaller ones will cook before they turn brown).  Any extra mushroom mixture can be added to an omelet or scattered over pizza.

Get the recipe: Mushroom and Corn Tacos

Despite a short ingredient list, this taco is exceptionally complex. Chorizo packs a punch with paprika-peppery kick, sweet onions and garlic add a savory edge, and barely cooked zucchini contributes fresh summer flavor. There’s a ton of texture and color, making this recipe a gorgeous option for entertaining. Feel free to substitute yellow squash for zucchini. The quick pickled onions will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. If you have some extra time, we recommend doubling the recipe because they are a fantastic accompaniment to a charcuterie board, sandwich, or burger. You can also use the same recipe to pickle other thinly sliced vegetables like okra, turnips, radishes, or cucumbers.

Get the recipe: Chorizo-Zucchini Tacos

Chopped cheese sandwiches came into the spotlight recently, but if you haven’t heard of them, here’s a quick explainer. Ground beef, onion, and bell peppers are often cooked together on a griddle, chopped up, covered in cheese, and stuffed into a toasted hoagie roll with some shredded lettuce. Here’s another way to think about them: the Philly Cheese Steak meets the streets of New York. We thought this trend was too indulgent and delicious to ignore, so we turned it into a taco for you. Serve with a cold Modelo or any type of Mexican soda.

Get the recipe: Chopped Cheese Tacos

Battered and fried fish tacos are certainly delicious (we’d be hard pressed to turn them down) but the whole frying part can be a drag to pull off at home on a sweltering summer day. Not to mention that deep fried foods and bikini season don’t always go hand in hand. That’s why these super cool Cali-style tacos, made with firm grilled white fish, might be the ideal taco for summer. Swordfish, mahi mahi, halibut, snapper, or tilapia would work swimmingly in this recipe. A whole half avocado per serving adds irresistible creamy flavor, and grilled scallions take each tortilla over the top.

Get the recipe: Grilled California Fish Tacos

A tasty taco doesn’t always have to be filled with meat. In fact, we’d argue that this purely vegetarian option is just as rich and satisfying. Made from hearty sautéed chard, thinly sliced crunchy radishes, and salty cotija cheese, it gets a lot of flavor from charred poblanos. Broil them in one batch on a sheet tray just until they’re blistered, and gently peel away their outer skin. The results will be irresistible and smoky. Finally, a quick homemade queso sauce, basically a béchamel with Monterey Jack cheese mixed in, tips this recipe into the realm of truly indulgent.

Get the recipe: Creamy Rajas and Greens Tacos

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe so we recommend buying the highest quality chicken you can find, whether it’s a free-range organic bird or a kosher chicken. Starting the chicken on the stove in a cast iron skillet ensures that the skin turns deeply golden brown and crackly. Skin-on boneless chicken thighs aren’t always available at the supermarket. If you can’t find them, ask your butcher to debone them for you or simply run a paring knife along the bone and pop it out yourself (it’ll take just a couple of minutes). In a pinch, use store bought salsa verde—although taking a few minutes to make it yourself adds unbeatable fresh flavor.

Get the recipe: Crispy Chicken Skin Tacos

When sautéed or grilled, pineapple chunks take on a richer flavor that’s a little sweet, a little tart. Scoop a generous serving atop seared steak (don’t forget to add a sprinkling of cilantro and lime juice, too!) for a surprisingly fresh taco.

Get the recipe: Beef and Pineapple Tacos

A homemade chili paste is easy to make—garlic, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper—but delivers a bold, smoky taste that pairs beautifully with a sweet-and-spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa. Grill the tortillas before filling to add char and make them more pliable.

Get the recipe: Grilled Chili Shrimp Tacos

Mix things up: Serve tacos for breakfast or breakfast tacos for dinner. Here, toasted tortillas hold creamy scrambled eggs rather than ground beef. Sliced avocado, salsa, cheese, and cilantro round out the meal. For an extra-special treat the whole family will love, serve with breakfast potatoes.

Get the recipe: Scrambled Egg Tacos

Plantains, the starchier and less sugary version of a banana, are generally green and can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. Here, the slightly sweet potato-like texture of the plantain provides the perfect complement to the tangy cabbage slaw.

Perfect for kids or the less-than-adventurous eater, the texture and taste of white fish, like tilapia or halibut, is a good foray into a deeper appreciation for seafood. Here, the fish is seasoned, grilled, and then paired with a crunchy marinated cucumber and radish mixture.

Get the recipe: Tilapia Tacos With Cucumber Relish

Sour cream, ripe avocado slices, and lime provide a cool, tangy contrast to the warm, smoky crunch of the cumin-spiced carrots. A few sprigs of watercress, a leafy green with a slight bite, add an extra punch of nutrients.

Get the recipe: Steak and Roasted Carrot Tacos With Avocado

Who needs sour cream, when you can top fresh shrimp tacos with a simple (all you need is avocado, lime juice, and salt) yet flavor-packed guacamole cream instead? An olive salsa (yes, really!) adds zest and salt to each and every bite.

Get the recipe: Shrimp Tacos With Guacamole Cream and Olive Salsa

Chili-spiced tofu, which is seared until golden brown and crispy around the edges, adds staying power to a taco brimming with vegetables. Add the crumbled goat cheese while the rest of the ingredients are still warm, so it becomes nice and creamy.

Get the recipe: Vegetarian Tacos With Goat Cheese

If you prefer a slaw with bold taste, prep this part of the recipe first. That way, the cabbage has more time to soften up and the flavors have more time to develop. Top each fish taco with a generous serving of the tangy salad.

Get the recipe: Salmon Tacos With Cabbage Slaw

As long as the tortilla is made with 100-percent corn, tacos can make for a satisfying gluten-free meal. Here, corn tortillas are filled with an unexpected but incredibly delicious combination of coriander-spiced white fish, chopped grapefruit, diced avocado, and chives.

Get the recipe: Bass Tacos With Grapefruit Salsa

Spanish chorizo, a sausage made from smoked pork and red pepper that is seasoned with chili and paprika, makes these tacos ideal for someone who likes a little heat. Incorporate a bit of ground turkey to add bulk, without the extra calories and fat.

Get the recipe: Turkey-Chorizo Tacos

This nutrient-dense taco is filled with an unexpected combination of ingredients, but butternut squash and black beans pair surprisingly well together. The rich, earthy flavors of the combo are offset by the zesty bite of the red onions and the creamy goat cheese.

Get the recipe: Butternut Squash and Bean Tacos

Mix up taco night by giving fish tacos a slight Asian flair. Salmon marinates in a mixture of soy sauce and brown sugar for just 10 minutes before it’s cooked on the stovetop. A spicy Sriracha mayo balances out any residual sweetness from the marinade.

Get the recipe: Seared Salmon Tacos With Sriracha Mayo

A marinade of garlic, lime juice, vinegar, and red pepper infuses skirt steak (a fatty, quick-cooking cut of meat) with bright, zesty flavors. After an hour of marinating time, grill the meat until charred and medium-rare, then top with a chunky avocado-lime salsa.

Get the recipe: Citrus-Marinated Steak Tacos

This recipe combines two Mexican favorites—enchiladas and tacos—into one delicious meal. Golden brown, cumin-spiced bites of pork are smothered in a green enchilada sauce and then topped with pinto beans, crumbled cotija cheese, and sliced red onions.

Get the recipe: Pork and Pinto Bean Enchilada Tacos

Quick pickled onions (just let them sit in vinegar for five minutes) are tossed with chopped Persian cucumbers, sliced grape tomatoes, and seasonings to create a topping that’s bursting with fresh summer flavors. Spiced steak and crumbled Feta complete the part Greek, part Mexican meal.

Get the recipe: Skirt Steak Tacos With Greek Salsa

Tomatillos, a green variety of tomatoes encased in a papery husk, have a more tart taste than their red counterparts. Broil the tomatillos to produce a char that gives the resulting salsa a slightly smoky taste. A big dollop atop shredded chicken will have the whole family asking for seconds.

Get the recipe: Blistered Tomato Salsa and Roasted Chicken Thigh Tacos

Beets and carrots are chopped into matchsticks and then tossed with parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings to create a slaw like you’ve probably never tasted before (but will make over and over again). Sprinkle it over white fish to add a tasty crunch to each taco.

Get the recipe: Smoky Flounder Tacos With Beet and Carrot Slaw

Cocoa powder… in tacos? The pantry staple—for baking, that is—is actually the secret ingredient in this dinnertime favorite. The cocoa adds a rich depth and umami flavor to the pork, while it cooks in the slow cooker. Once it’s done, the meat will be tender and shred easily.

Get the recipe: Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Tacos

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