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Wondering what to serve with tacos? Here’s a collection of recipes that are the perfect side dish for your next taco dinner. Whether you’re planning a taco bar party with friends or doing a simple taco dinner at home for your family there are plenty of options including salsas, dips, rice, beans, veggies and more! Plus some ideas for drinks, both cocktails and non-alcoholic. We’ve also included some easy dessert ideas that go with tacos to finish off your meal.

Plate of tacos made with ground beef.


 

There are many options for side dishes when planning a taco dinner. Sometimes what you want can depend on which type of taco you are making, if you’re using beef for Birria, carne asada, or simply ground beef. You might be using pork to make carnitas, or using seafood like fish or shrimp. Classic side dishes include rice and beans. While sometimes it’s nice to have a fresh vegetable option to serve alongside the tacos, especially with fish tacos!

Bean Side Dishes:

Dutch oven filled with cooked borracho beans topped with cilantro and lime wedges.

Beans are a great side dish for any taco meal. They are inexpensive and easy to make. Authentic refried beans are the most popular version, however the Borracho beans and charro beans are more commonly served in most Tex Mex restaurants in Texas. For a healthier alternative the Refried Black Beans are a nice option and pair wonderfully with the cilantro lime rice.

Skillet filled with refried beans, topped with cilantro and lime wedges.

Authentic Refried Beans

4.97 from 227 votes
These Authentic Refried Beans are so simple, only a handful of ingredients are needed. These are the perfect side dish to any Mexican or Tex Mex meal.
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Bowl filled with homemade refried black beans.

Refried Black Beans

5 from 1 vote
Tender and flavorful these Homemade Refried Beans cook up in 15 minutes and are the perfect Tex Mex side dish.
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Dutch oven filled with cooked borracho beans topped with cilantro and lime wedges.

Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)

4.99 from 61 votes
Borracho beans, or frijoles borrachos are flavorful, savory, and the perfect Tex Mex side dish! Pinto beans cooked up with bacon, onion and garlic all simmered in a dark beer broth for even more flavor. 
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Pot of charro beans topped with cilantro and crispy bacon.

Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

4.99 from 158 votes
Charro beans are a Tex Mex favorite. These pinto beans are tender and simmered in a flavorful bean broth seasoned with onion, garlic and bacon. Jalapeño adds just a touch of heat. These charro Beans are the perfect side dish for any meal! 
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Rice Side Dishes:

Skillet filled with white rice garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Rice is a wonderful side dish for tacos, there’s a reason why it’s a classic. Plus there’s lot of options when it comes to flavoring and seasoning your rice. I love serving the classic Mexican Rice when I’m serving ground beef tacos. Cilantro Lime Rice is my favorite when serving Carne Asada tacos since it pairs nicely with the flavors of the marinade. It’s also a wonderful pairing for the lighter flavors of fish and shrimp tacos. The green rice (arroz verde) is a nice match with carnitas tacos.

Cast iron pot filled with cooked white cilantro lime rice.

Perfect Cilantro Lime Rice

5 from 14 votes
Cilantro Lime Rice. This tender, fluffy rice is flavored with fresh zesty lime juice and chopped cilantro. Perfect for serving alongside chicken, fish, or shrimp. 
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Overhead shot of white bowl filled with green rice.

Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

5 from 2 votes
Mexican Green Rice. Take your cilantro lime rice up a notch and make this Arroz Verde! Full of flavor thanks to roasted poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and of course lots of cilantro and fresh lime juice. 
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Close up view of Mexican Rice or Arroz Rojo, showing the fluffy texture and pale red color of the rice.

Mexican Rice

4.93 from 39 votes
Mexican Rice!The best side dish for all your Tex Mex and Mexican meals! This rice is flavorful and fluffy! This is a great base recipe that you can add to and customize to make your own. 
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A wooden spoon scooping into a skillet with cilantro lime rice.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

5 from 1 vote
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. Soft and fluffy cauliflower rice with a tex mex twist of cilantro and lime.
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Sides that aren’t rice and beans:

Plate with homemade elotes topped with chili powder, cotija and cilantro.

Sometimes you want something different. Some side dishes that go with tacos that aren’t rice and beans include grilled veggies, salads, grilled Mexican Street Corn, or Street Corn in a Cup (Esquites), and Roasted Tex Mex Potatoes. Another fun idea is to take an appetizer, like the Queso Fundido and serve it on the side with some chips.

Plate of elotes served with extra crumbled cotija, lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

Mexican Street Corn

5 from 8 votes
Mexican Street Corn, or Elotes. This grilled corn recipe is coated with a cooling lime Crema, spiced with some Chile powder, and topped with crumbled Cotija and diced cilantro. The perfect side dish or appetizer!
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Plate of roasted tex mex seasoned potatoes served with queso.

Mexican Potatoes

5 from 1 vote
These Roasted Mexican Potatoes are seasoned with a blend of Tex Mex seasonings and fresh cilantro. Baked at a high temperature to ensure crispy skins on the outside and a creamy texture on the inside. This is a great gluten free, vegetarian side dish option to go with all your favorite Tex Mex meals!
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stretchy melted cheese in a skillet with chorizo and pico de Gallo.

Queso Fundido

5 from 3 votes
Queso Fundido. Melty cheese loaded up with spicy chorizo, green chiles, Pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro. Perfect for serving with tortilla chips for a fun appetizer.
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Up close view of street corn in a cup topped with a drizzle of homemade chili sauce.

Esquites

5 from 16 votes
Esquites.This Mexican Street Corn in a cup is buttery, warm, and creamy. Top with some crumbled cotija, lime juice, hot sauce, chili powder, or kick it up a notch with some crushed up Hot Cheetos! 
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Plate of roasted mexican vegetables on a white plate.

Roasted Mexican Vegetables

5 from 2 votes
These roasted Mexican vegetables are a great, healthy side dish! Tender veggies with crisp edges are perfect for enjoying as a flavorful side dish or filling in your favorite Mexican meals.
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White bowl filled with chopped romaine lettuce topped with tomato, avocado, radishes, cucumber, cotija and pepitas.

Mexican Salad

5 from 1 vote
This light and healthy Mexican Salad features crisp romaine lettuce and cold, refreshing toppings all coated with a homemade honey lime vinaigrette with fresh cilantro. This salad can be served as a side dish for all your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex meals or as a main dish. 
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Drinks:

Glasses of agua fresca lined up showing strawberry, watermelon and a pineapple mango.

These flavorful and refreshing drinks are the perfect match for your taco dinners. Non-alcoholic options such as the agua frescas and horchata are always crowd pleasers. While those who enjoy a cocktail are sure to enjoy the frozen margaritas, classic margarita or the fresh grapefruit palomas!

A perfect classic margarita garnished with salt rim and a wedge of lime.

Classic Margarita

4.94 from 16 votes
Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make these Easy Classic Margaritas at home! No pre-made mixes are required. Enjoy the flavors of fresh squeezed lime juice, orange liquor and your favorite tequila.
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Frozen fruit margaritas lined up with mango, strawberry, and lime, with wedges of limes surrounding.

Frozen Margarita Recipe (using ANY fruit)

5 from 31 votes
These Frozen Margaritas are cold, frosty, and fruity! You can blend up a batch of these slushy margaritas in less than 5 minutes and with only a handful of ingredients. The perfect drink for any hot and sunny day.
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Glass on a coaster filled with grapefruit paloma on ice and a wedge of fresh grapefruit.

Grapefruit Paloma

5 from 4 votes
This Grapefruit Paloma recipe is so refreshing and classy! This easy to make tequila based drink is perfect for sipping on this weekend!
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Glass rimmed with cinnamon and filled with cold and creamy homemade horchata, served with cinnamon sticks.

Horchata

5 from 2 votes
Horchata. This creamy, Agua de horchata is cold and refreshing. This cold and creamy authentic Mexican drink recipe is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. This drink also pairs with all your favorite Mexican or Tex Mex meals!
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Glasses of agua fresca lined up showing strawberry, watermelon and a pineapple mango.

Agua Fresca Recipe (Basic Recipe for ANY fruit)

5 from 5 votes
This easy Agua Fresca Recipe can be used to make a refreshing, non-alcoholic, fruit drink using any of your favorite fruits. Perfect for cooling down and relaxing on a hot summer day.
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Chips & Salsas:

Homemade tortilla chips served with salsa and guacamole.

Chips and salsa are a classic appetizer or side to serve alongside any type of taco. The fresher options are perfectly paired with fish tacos. The Texas Caviar makes a great addition to the taco itself, or can be served as a dip or side dish. It’s loaded with fresh flavors and is dressed with a cilantro lime vinaigrette making it a fun bean salad option.

Basket of homemade salted tortillas chips served with salsa and guacamole.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

5 from 1 vote
Crisp and salty homemade tortilla chips perfect for loading up with your favorite salsa or guacamole.
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Overhead view of a jar of homemade sals with a tortilla chip being dipped in.

Easy Homemade Salsa

5 from 166 votes
Homemade restaurant style salsa! So easy to make and tastes just like it's from your favorite restaurant! Perfect for dipping chips into or spreading all over some tacos.
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Bowl of homemade salsa verde surrounded by tortilla chips.

Salsa Verde Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes
Full of flavor, this tangy and vibrant green salsa is easy to make, and perfect for all your favorite Tex Mex meals.
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Glass bowl filled with chipotle copy cat corn salsa.

Corn Salsa

5 from 3 votes
Corn Salsa. This salsa is loaded up with fresh flavors and tangy lime juice! Perfect for loading onto tacos, nachos or in burrito bowls!
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Up close image of guacamole in a molcajete.

Tableside Guacamole

5 from 3 votes
This tableside guacamole recipe is simply the best. The use of fresh ingredients makes all the difference, and the best part is that it's so easy to make. It's a go-to recipe for any gathering or just a little treat for yourself.
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Bowl of Texas Caviar black eyed pea dip served with lime garnish.

Texas Caviar Recipe

5 from 10 votes
Texas Caviar. Fresh, zesty, and flavorful, this dish is loaded with black eyed peas, black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper and avocado all drizzled in a cilantro lime dressing. This easy to make recipe can be served as a side dish, appetizer, or salad!
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Easy Desserts:

Stack of cinnamon tortillas being drizzled with cream cheese glaze.

If you’re looking to complete the meal these are some fun, easy desserts that pair perfectly with any Mexican or Tex Mex meal of tacos. Fresas con crema and the Cinnamon Tortilla roll-ups are nice for family meals, while the sopapilla cheesecake bars and Churro Cinnamon Squares are perfect if you are serving a larger group. Of course, you can always adapt the recipes if needed to meet your serving needs!

Fresas con Crema served with extra strawberries.

Fresas Con Crema (Strawberries and Cream)

5 from 44 votes
Quick and easy Fresas Con Crema (Strawberries and Cream) recipe! Ripe, juicy strawberries in a cold, sweet cream sauce. Perfect easy no bake dessert recipe!
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Stack of cinnamon tortillas being drizzled with cream cheese glaze.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas

4.97 from 27 votes
This quick, simple and easy dessert recipe tastes like a churro but only needs a fraction of the time to make! This recipe can be made in under 10 minutes!
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Stack of sopapilla cheesecake bars being drizzled with honey.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Quick and easy, these Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars are a fun dessert ready to feed a crowd! Layers of flaky dough, with a creamy, sweet cheesecake in between. All topped with a cinnamon sugar crust.
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Stack of cinnamon churro bars, stacked with a bite out of the top one.

Churro Cinnamon Squares

4.94 from 46 votes
Dense, chewy and flavored with brown sugar and cinnamon these blondies are topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar for an extra pop
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Do you have a favorite side dish that goes with tacos?!

Please be sure to snap a picture of the wonderful Tex Mex or Mexican style meal you prepare for your favorite people and share it on Instagram. Tag us @houseofyumm and #houseofyumm so that we can see it!


Welcome to my kitchen!

Welcome to the House of Yumm!! My name is Serene. I’m the food photographer, recipe developer, and official taste tester around these parts.

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