Don’t let taco night pass by without adding a few of our favorite side dishes for tacos! Get all the easiest and most delicious ideas for what to serve with tacos in this recipe collection.
It’s so much more than rice and beans! You’ll find 16 easy recipes for Mexican inspired salads, appetizers and more.
You can easily round out your favorite taco recipes with delicious, wholesome sides that the whole family will love!
It’s my hope that these recipe collections will help make your weeknight dinners easier, and give you inspiration to try something new!
With that said, today we’re giving you all the very best side dishes for tacos. You’ll find something to please every palette, and you might even find something unexpected!
Sometimes tacos are a whole meal within themselves, am I right? If you top them with lettuce or salsa or crunchy cabbage, that can count as your vegetable I think.
Regardless of how you feel about that, sometimes you just want to round out a meal with another option or two. We’ve got it covered!
20 Easy Side Dishes for Tacos
Choose from a variety of dips, vegetables, salads and more! Click through for all the details, and find the printable recipe card at the end of each post.
Cilantro Lime Salad
Add a little avocado to this incredible homemade dressing and you’ve got a fiesta! Give your salad a kick with this easy and delicious cilantro lime vinaigrette recipe!
Salads Dressings & Soups
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Give your salad a kick with this easy and delicious Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette recipe! This Cilantro Lime Dressing is the perfect Southwest Taco Salad Dressing. It is made with fresh cilantro, olive oil, and jalapeno and easily blended in the food processor. Read More
5 mins
Corn Sides
Corn is a great side dish for tacos. It’s a little sweet to balance the heat! Choose from classic elote, our new street corn salad, corn salsa and even a homemade Mexicorn mix!
Queso Blanco
Queso Blanco is made on the stovetop (or in a CrockPot) with just four ingredients; white cheese, heavy cream, jalapeño and tomato!
Appetizers
Queso Blanco
Queso Blanco, a recipe for a restaurant-style white queso dip without a lot of effort. This creamy, cheesy Queso Blanco is made on the stovetop (or in a CrockPot) with just four ingredients; white cheese, heavy cream, jalapeño and tomato! Read More
10 mins
Velveeta Cheese Dip
Ours is better than the classic Rotel dip – it’s made with fresh cream, and fresh vegetables including diced tomatoes, poblano and jalapeño peppers, onion, cilantro, and lime.
Appetizers
Velveeta Cheese Dip
Velveeta Cheese Dip is the perfect appetizer for any event! Velveeta Dip is made with Velveeta cheese, fresh cream, and fresh vegetables including diced tomatoes, poblano and jalapeño peppers, onion, cilantro, and lime. Quick and easy to make and ready to serve in 10 minutes! Read More
10 mins
Cream Cheese Bean Dip
This bean dip is made with just four ingredients! It’s delicious as a dip, or slathered onto tacos, burritos, bowls and more.
Recipes
Cream Cheese Bean Dip
This is an easy five minute cream cheese bean dip recipe made with just four ingredients! It’s beyond simple to make, and absolutely delicious to serve. Read More
10 mins
Pico de Gallo
Make pico de gallo for an easy, flavorful mixture that can easily be a topping or a side dish.
Cinco de Mayo
Fresh Pico de Gallo Recipe
Pico de gallo is a classic, traditional Mexican dip (or topping, or sauce, or slather-it-everywhere zesty and fresh flavor explosion). Basically, it’s an incredibly simple chunky, vibrant chopped salsa, and it’s ready in just minutes. Read More
10 mins
Cabbage Salad
Our cabbage salad is wonderful in a variety of settings, but it’s great as a Tex-Mex inspired side dish, too. It’s a great way to pack some veggies in alongside your tacos.
Salads Dressings & Soups
Classic Cabbage Salad
This delicious, refreshing Cabbage salad recipe is the perfect choice for potlucks, barbecues and so much more. Learn the secrets to this light and tangy side dish! Read More
5 mins
Seven Layer Dip
This is a great taco side dish because you can serve it alongside salads, chips and other dippers.
Recipes
Seven Layer Dip
This is a classic Mexican inspired 7 layer dip that is seasoned to perfection! With this updated and flavorful 7 layer dip, your friends and family will be clamoring for more. Read More
10 mins
Tex Mex Pasta Salad
Mix up this light and delicious pasta salad recipe! It’s so flavorful and it makes the perfect side dish for tacos or even a stand alone meal.
Recipes
Mexican Pasta Salad
Tantalize your taste buds with a delicious and refreshing twist on traditional pasta salad – Mexican Pasta Salad! This colorful lunch, dinner or side dish is full of zesty Mexican flavor. Read More
21 mins
Fiesta Ranch Roasted Cauliflower
This Fiesta Ranch Baked Cauliflower is going to spice up your life! (Or at the very least, spice up your dinner!) This effortless Roasted Cauliflower with ranch is a deliciously healthy side dish.
Side Dishes
Fiesta Ranch Roasted Cauliflower
This Fiesta Ranch Roasted Cauliflower is going to spice up your life! (Or at the very least, spice up your dinner!) Read More
35 mins
Cheese Quesadillas
Get the secrets to make the best cheese quesadillas with crispy tortillas and creamy melted cheese. These are great for a taco bar and especially great for vegetarians!
Dinner & Lunch
Cheese Quesadillas
Get the secrets to make the best cheese quesadillas with crispy tortillas and creamy melted cheese. They are full of amazing flavor with the best accompaniments! Read More
8 mins
Sautéed Peppers
Sautéed peppers are a quick and easy way to add veggies with color, flavor and texture to an array of dishes. So simple to make, sautéed bell peppers are perfect for a taco topping and a healthy side dish, too.
Side Dishes
Simple Sautéed Peppers
Sautéed peppers are a quick and easy way to add veggies with color, flavor and texture to an array of dishes. Read More
12 mins
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Add a little homemade taco seasoning to these smashed potatoes and you’ve got a delicious taco side dish! Boiled, baked and sprinkled with spices, these smashed potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside.
Christmas
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
This is an easy smashed sweet potatoes recipe that is a new twist on crash hot potatoes. Boiled, baked and sprinkled with brown sugar and fresh cracked salt, these smashed potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. It’s a healthy side dish that pairs perfectly with any dinner or holiday meal. Read More
55 mins
Easy Nachos
Quick to make with minimal prep and easy to adapt with your favorite toppings. These baked sheet pan chicken nachos are seriously the best!
Appetizers
Easy Chicken Nachos
Easy chicken nachos are a great weeknight dinner recipe or crowd pleasing appetizer. Read More
35 mins
Guacamole
Last but not least, guacamole! Gluten free and FULL of zesty flavor, guacamole is always a crowd pleaser. Serve guac with fresh veggies if you’re looking for a healthy, quick side dish for tacos!
Frequently Asked Questions
Serve tacos with a variety of chips and dips, as well as rice, beans, salads, and even corn on the cob and veggie dishes.
Yes, you can absolutely serve fruit alongside your favorite taco dinners! Fruit is a wholesome, kid friendly addition to a variety of Mexican inspired meals. Try these fabulous fruit skewers or even a fruit platter.
