Street FoodEasyFree

Walking Tacos

Name: Walking Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 0.5 tsp Dried oregano; 400 g Beef mince; 4 bolsas Corn chips (individual bags); 40 g Pickled jalapeños; 400 g Cooked pinto beans; 4 tbsp Sour cream; 300 g Crushed tomatoes; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 White onion; 2 cloves Garlic cloves; 1 tsp Ground cumin

35 min (10 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Texas

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Opened corn chip bag filled with chilli con carne, cheese and taco toppings, for eating on the go.

About this recipe

Walking tacos are the most fun and ingenious snack from Texan American football: an individual bag of corn chips is opened along the long side, and hot chilli con carne, cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeños and all the taco toppings are poured directly inside. You eat straight from the bag with a fork, walking through the stands. No plate, no table, no fuss. It is the ultimate Tex-Mex street food for outdoor events.

History & Origin

Walking tacos emerged at state fairs and American football stadiums in Texas and the Midwestern United States in the 1980s. The concept is as simple as it is brilliant: instead of serving taco ingredients in a tortilla that breaks or on a plate that has to be balanced, everything goes inside the bag of chips you are already holding. The fast food chain Taco Bell and some state fairs are thought to have helped popularise the idea, though Texan stadium vendors quickly adopted it as the perfect solution for concession stands without tables. Walking tacos are now so popular at outdoor events in Texas that they appear on food truck menus, school fairs and neighbourhood parties. Each bag is a customisable taco: some prefer more cheese, others more jalapeños, and the boldest add guacamole and habanero salsa on top.

Estimated cost

£10.30

Total cost

£2.58

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

650

Calories

28g

Protein

58g

Carbohydrates

36g

Fat

Fibre

1050mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the chilli: in a frying pan, fry the beef mince with the chopped onion over medium-high heat until well browned.
2
Add the garlic, cumin, chilli powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pinto beans and crushed tomatoes.
3
Cook the chilli over low heat for 15–20 minutes until thick and well seasoned. The chilli should have very little liquid.
💡 Important: the chilli must be thick so it does not make the chips too soggy too quickly.
4
When ready to serve, open the bags of chips along the long side (cut with scissors or tear from the top).
5
Pour the hot chilli con carne directly into each bag of chips.
6
Top with grated cheddar, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, diced tomato and freshly chopped onion. Eat straight from the bag with a fork.