Easy Tacos 5 Ways

Tacos are one of our favourite family dinners – they’re so quick and easy to make with a ton of variations! Today I’m sharing five ways to make easy tacos with free printable recipes for each version.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.

We love to have dinner together as a family every night, and one the dishes we have weekly without fail is tacos. They’re so easy to make, I can load them up with veggies, and everyone in our family loves them! I’m sharing some simple taco recipes with you today that are delicious but still so simple to make. I hope they’ll tempt you to have tacos more often, even if your schedule is jam packed like ours!

With a variety of easy variations from ground beef tacos to all-in-one chicken fajitas to simple fish tacos, I hope you find some that your family enjoys from the recipes I’m sharing with you.

Watch my YouTube video to see how to make these 5 easy tacos, and then get the printable recipes below:

Let’s get to the recipes!

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The Best Poppyseed Cake

Yield: 1 sheet pan cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Learn how to make a delicious poppyseed cake with a fluffy first layer, a creamy layer of buttercream icing, and a decadent chocolate shell topping. Once you make this, you'll want to have it ready for every gathering!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cups canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup poppyseeds
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, poppyseeds and sugar.
2. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the oil.
3. Separate the eggs & add the egg yolks to the well.
4. Add milk and stir the mixture until its smooth.
5. Beat the egg whites. Fold them into the mixture.
6. Pour the batter into a rimmed cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. While the cake is cooling, beat together the butter, icing sugar and cream to create a buttercream icing.
9. Spread the icing on the top of the cake when the cake is cool.
10. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips.
11. Spread the melted chocolate on top of the buttercream layer on the cake OR drizzle it on the top of the cake to create a pattern.
12. Cut into squares and enjoy.

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How to Make a Pink Drink with Cranberry Juice + Strawberry

Yield: 1 Drink

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Inspired by the popular Starbucks Pink Drink, my version brings together the delightful flavors of cranberry and strawberry, with a creamy twist from coconut milk. 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of ice cubes
• 2 pumps of strawberry syrup
• 1 1/2 cups white cranberry juice (approximate)
• 3/4 cups coconut milk (approximate)
• 3 frozen strawberry slices

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Glass: Start by finding a drinking glass with a lid. This is important because we’ll be shaking the drink to mix it thoroughly
2. Add Ice: Place 1 cup of ice cubes into the glass. The ice not only cools the drink but also helps to mix the ingredients when you shake it
3. Add Strawberry Syrup: Next, add 2 pumps of strawberry syrup to the glass. If you don’t have a pump dispenser, this is roughly equivalent to 2 tablespoons
4. Add White Cranberry Juice: Fill the glass about two-thirds full with white cranberry juice. This gives the drink its tangy base and lovely pink color
5. Add Coconut Milk: Now, fill the remainder of the glass with coconut milk. This will add a creamy texture to your drink, balancing out the tanginess of the cranberry juice and the sweetness of the strawberry syrup
6. Shake Well: Put the lid on the cup and shake well. This ensures that all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly and the drink is chilled
7. Garnish and Serve: Finally, top your drink with a few frozen strawberry slices. These not only look beautiful but also add an extra burst of fruity flavor as they melt.

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DIY Pumpkin Spice Mix

Yield: 1/2 cup spice mix

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

A pre-made pumpkin pie spice mix is incredibly handy -- not just for baking pumpkin pie, but also for cookies and seasonal drinks! Here’s a simple recipe to create your own DIY pumpkin spice mix, perfect for keeping on hand throughout the fall season.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

1. Mix the spices together in a small jar.
2. Put a lid on the jar and store the spice mixture in a cool, dry place.

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How to Finger Knit a Chunky Blanket for Beginners

Yield: 1 4x6' Blanket

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

 Even if you’re a beginner, you can make a beautiful, chunky knit blanket in no time. 

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Instructions

1. MAKE SURE TO READ MY BLOG POST to see all the step-by-step photos and extra tips & tricks to make your blanket!
2. Holding the yarn, make a loop about 8 inches from the end. Take the loop and place it over your 4 fingers, then loop the yarn over your fingers again, pulling it through the first loop you made. You’ve created a loose slip knot.
3. Continue doing this until you have a long chain of loops. These loops will be the foundation for your blanket. I made a chain of 24 stitches / loops with this yarn for my 4 foot wide blanket.
4. Flip your chain so that its tail is on the left hand side. Take the final loop you made and pull some more of the working yarn through it, creating a new loop. This is the first stitch of your next row.
5. Then, put your fingers through the next chain over on the row below, and pull another loop of the working yarn through that. Repeat this process until you’ve finished creating new loops for your next row across the entire chain. For this blanket, that’s 24 loops. 
6. Once you’re finished your first row, repeat this process going the opposite direction to create your second row. Continue in this manner going back and forth creating new loops until you only have about 6 inches of yarn left on your skein.
7. When your first skein of yarn is almost done with about 6 inches left, attach some new yarn from a new skein. You can do this by tying the end of the new yarn to the previous one with a simple square knot.
8. If you want to start knitting with a new colour of yarn, make sure your previous row has been completed. Then, simply start finger knitting with your new yarn, leaving a 6 inch tail at the end. You will be tying the two yarn tails together once you finish knitting your blanket. Continue in this manner until you’ve either reached the desired length of blanket, or want to add a third colour of yarn.
9. Once you’ve reached the desired length, it’s time to finish your blanket. Finish your row, and make sure you have enough yarn left on your skein to cast off your blanket. The length of yarn left will need to be about 3 times width of your blanket. For example, if you’re making a 4 foot wide blanket, you’ll need to make sure there’s still at least 12 feet of yarn left to do this final cast-off row.
10. Start the final cast-off row by creating two loops into the previous row as per usual. Then, pull the first loop over the second loop, holding onto the second loop. Make sure that these loops are on the larger side so you don’t have a gathered / tight finish to your blanket. I use all my four fingers to measure inside each loop to make sure they’re big enough.
11. Continue this final row in the same manner – creating another loop, and then pulling the previous loop over it. Make sure each loop is generously sized so you have a nice, relaxed edge. When you are done the final stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail. Then, pull the end through the last loop to secure it.
12. Finally, weave in the loose ends to make sure your blanket looks neat and tidy. Make sure that you’re tying any yarn ends together first as needed. Also ensure that you’re weaving the ends through their same colour in the blanket so that you don’t see them as easily.

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The Ultimate Soft & Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Yield: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

A secret ingredient makes these classic chocolate chip cookies extra soft & fluffy!

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Notes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips (I usually do this by hand).
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (I err on the shorter side).
6. Let cool and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these 5 easy taco recipes! I think my personal favourite is the easy fish tacos, but my kids all agree that they love the ground beef bowls followed by the chicken fajitas the best.

Now tell me: Which version would YOUR family like the most?