5 Gotta-Eat Taco Recipes for National Taco Day

October 4, 2016

Have you found a drool-worthy taco recipe to make for dinner tonight? Today is National Taco Day, and #TacoTuesday - one of our favorite food days of the week! - so read on for some delicious dinner inspiration. Tacos can be super simple (we love a straight-forward street taco with meat, cilantro, onions, lime juice, and salsa), or all-out gourmet like the Chinese Five-Spice Duck Tacos below. If you're in the mood for pork, you'll love the Pork Carnitas Tacos. The Korean Style Beef Tacos are a beautiful blend of spicy, sour, and sweet, and are easy enough to make any night of the week, as are the Easy Marinated Chicken Tacos. For the vegetarian, try the perfect-for-fall Spaghetti Squash Tacos. Enjoy!

Chinese Five-Spice Duck Tacos
Courtesy of Art de Fête
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 duck breast
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
vegetable oil
salt
To serve :
8 corn tortillas
Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw (recipe here)
Fire-Roasted Plum Salsa (recipe here)

Directions:
To cook duck meat: Score duck skin, approximately ½ inch apart in a crisscross pattern (try not to cut into duck's meat), with a sharp knife; it helps the fat to render and the skin to get crispy. Gently brush the meat with vegetable oil, then season well with salt, chili powder and rub it with Chinese-five spice.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place duck breast skin-side down, into the skillet and sear until the skin is golden brown. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer skillet into the oven and finish cooking duck at 375F for another 8-10 minutes. Internal temperature should register somewhere between 135 F for medium rare to 160F for medium. Transfer duck breast to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice into thin slices, keep warm for serving.

Grill corn tortillas for a minute on each side. Keep warm in a kitchen towel.

Top each tortilla with Cabbage, Carrot Coleslaw then place few duck slices and top with spoonful of Fire-Roasted Plum Salsa.

Sprinkle queso fresco cheese, cilantro leaves and an avocado slice for creaminess. Scatter lime wedges and jalapeño slices onto a serving dish.

Korean Style Beef Tacos
Contributed to Foodista by Culinary Envy