What do I put in tacos/wraps?

runswithascript

I shall be going to Dunnes later this evening to pick something out for the Dinner. I had tacos a few times in someone else's place but they were soft so maybe they're called wraps instead?

Mince meat with some sauce?
Sour cream
Diced onion
Salsa? Does it go in the main sauce or as a dip afterwards?
Grated cheese
Mushrooms?


I can't recall exactly what was in them other than what I listed above so I'm hoping you can tell me what I'm missing and how to make it and what exactly it's called and if there are brand names what I'm looking for in the supermarket?

Thanks

Faith

Tacos are typically hard corn shells (you can buy them premade) filled with minced meat flavoured with taco spices, lettuce, grated cheese, tomato, sour cream and/or salsa. Fajitas are the ones made with soft "wraps", and are more commonly made with chicken IME. Fillings are mostly the same as above. You can add jalepeno peppers if you like things really spicy. Refried beans are also popular with both, and guacamole. Really, you can put anything you like into both of them.

Brand names to look for are Old El Paso and Discovery, off the top of my head. You can buy kits, and it'll suggest fillings for you.

runswithascript

Faith wrote: »

Tacos are typically hard corn shells (you can buy them premade) filled with minced meat flavoured with taco spices, lettuce, grated cheese, tomato, sour cream and/or salsa. Fajitas are the ones made with soft "wraps", and are more commonly made with chicken IME. Fillings are mostly the same as above. You can add jalepeno peppers if you like things really spicy. Refried beans are also popular with both, and guacamole. Really, you can put anything you like into both of them.

Brand names to look for are Old El Paso and Discovery, off the top of my head. You can buy kits, and it'll suggest fillings for you.

Very helpful, thank you Faith.

Do I just fry the chicken, dice it and stick it in a bowl, I had thought there was some sauce on it?

ha-ya-said-what

Prefer the Buritos myself, wayyyyyy nicer than a taco or faijta!

electrogrimey

My favourite Mexican to cook is enchiladas: get some of those wraps, fry up some chicken marinaded in paprika, cayenne, chilli powder and whatever else you want, and leave it to the side. Then, fry some garlic, onion and peppers, and throw in some tinned tomatoes and spices to make a sauce. Put the chicken in the wraps, along with some cheese, then put the wraps side by side in a baking tin, cover with the sauce, and some more cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Unbelievable.

Faith

LA3G wrote: »

Very helpful, thank you Faith.

Do I just fry the chicken, dice it and stick it in a bowl, I had thought there was some sauce on it?

It's probably too late now, but you can get packets of taco or fajita seasoning in the supermarket. You dice the chicken, fry it, then add the seasoning with a little water and cook a little longer.

You can also make the seasoning yourself, but you probably wouldn't have all the necessary spices (and packets are far easier for this!).

runswithascript

electrogrimey wrote: »

My favourite Mexican to cook is enchiladas: get some of those wraps, fry up some chicken marinaded in paprika, cayenne, chilli powder and whatever else you want, and leave it to the side. Then, fry some garlic, onion and peppers, and throw in some tinned tomatoes and spices to make a sauce. Put the chicken in the wraps, along with some cheese, then put the wraps side by side in a baking tin, cover with the sauce, and some more cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Unbelievable.

Faith wrote: »

It's probably too late now, but you can get packets of taco or fajita seasoning in the supermarket. You dice the chicken, fry it, then add the seasoning with a little water and cook a little longer.

You can also make the seasoning yourself, but you probably wouldn't have all the necessary spices (and packets are far easier for this!).

We bought the wrong thing. We bought an Old El Paso Cheesy Baked Enchiladas kit.

We were supposed to mix the contained tomato purée and spice packet in a bowl which is then added to the chicken and what turned out to be tortillas before being placed in a baking tray.

Instead we fried the chicken with the puréee and spice and just put it in a bowl and ate the tortillas with fresh red pepper, tomato, grated cheese, fried mushrooms and sour cream with salsa.

It was nice but I think it would have been better if we just had fried the chicken alone or with a light sauce/spices? Also it seemed wrong using salsa when the chicken already had purée all over it?

pickarooney

Do you mean tortillas (the soft wraps used for burritos/fajitas/carnitas etc.) or tortilla chips (hard, fried corn chips?)

When I make them I always spice the chicken/beef before frying, spice the peppers/onions before frying, spice the beans before frying and blending, spice the guacamole...

I usually don't bother with a salsa, but if I did it would be added at the last minute along with the sourc cream, guacamole and cheese.

peepeep

My 2 favourite way to eat wraps:

1. Get a chicken breast and sprinkle it with ground cumin and chilli powder. Add salt, pepper and a glug of olive oil and rub the spices into the chicken. Cook this on a medium-high heat, preferably on a griddle pan if you have one. Chuck on some chunks of yellow pepper to cook on the pan as well.

While thats cooking, remove the seeds from a tomato and cut it into small pieces. Finely chop some red onion and avocado and mix them in with the tomato. Add some salt, pepper and lime juice and you have a gorgeous salsa.

When the chicken is done, take it off the pan and remove the pepper. Put your wrap on the hot griddle pan for about 20 seconds each side until its hot and soft. Fill it with the sliced chicken, peppers, and salsa and eat it with a big silly smile on your face.

2. Cook chicken the same way. Spread your wrap with natural yogurt and add the sliced chicken, spring onions, slivers of cucumber and chunks of tomato. Bloody gorgeous.

electrogrimey

Thought I'd clear up the differences in the difference types of Mexican wraps. Correct me if I'm wrong, but:

1) A quesadilla is a tortilla wrap filled with chicken (or other meat), vegetables, cheese and salsa, folded in half (into a half moon), then cut in half, making 2 triangles.

2) A burrito has the same filling, plus rice, and when you put in the filling, you slightly fold over the ends, and then fold over the other sides, making a wrap with closed ends.

3) An enchilada starts the same as a quesadilla, except you fold over the sides, leaving the ends exposed, then throw a few in a baking tray, cover with cheese and tomato sauce, and bake.

4) A tortilla is the actual wrap used in all of these

5) A Chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito

6) A taco is a crispy taco shell filled with the same as a quesadilla.

7) Nachos, or tortilla chips, and the little delicious triangular crisps.

8) Fajita doesn't seem to mean much, it seems to be a general term for food served in a tortilla wrap.

9) Taquitos are small, fried tortillas filled with the normal stuff.