Taco Night for Four: Recipes, Grocery List & Prep Plan

Taco night is one of our favorites. So I put together a simple menu for you, with a choice of fillings and queso, plus corn salsa and everything else you'll need for serving. 🌮

There's also a grocery list and a prep plan to help everything come together easily!

Your Taco Night Menu

Choose one taco filling and one queso. Serve them with corn salsa, warm tortillas, lettuce, avocado, and lime.

The grocery list uses one original batch of each selected recipe, so you might have some filling, salsa, or queso left over for lunch the next day.

Option A: TVP Tacos

Overhead view of vegan TVP tacos on a white platter.

The quick option! A generously seasoned filling that's ready in about 20 minutes. One batch yields approximately 4 cups.

Get the Recipe

Option B: Lentil Taco Meat

close up of lentil tacos dressed with guacamole and cheese.

Choose this filling if you prefer lentils or need a soy-free option. It has both stovetop and Instant Pot instructions. The optional walnuts add richness, or you can leave them out.

Get the Recipe

Easy Corn Salsa

light blue bowl filled with colorful chili corn salsa.

Serve this as a topping or a side. Make it early and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of dinner so the flavors have time to mingle.

Get the Recipe

Low-Fat Tofu Queso

A white bowl of tofu queso with a blue tortilla chip dipped in it.

A creamy, nut-free sauce to drizzle over the tacos. Make a double batch (for 4 servings).

Get the Recipe

For a soy-free meal:
Pair the lentil filling with this Vegan Cashew Queso instead of tofu queso. Check packaged ingredients, including tortillas and salsa, for soy if needed.

Grocery List

Shop this shared list, then add the ingredients for one filling listed below.

Produce:

1 red onion
1 yellow or white onion
3 jalapeños
4-5 cloves garlic
1 small bunch cilantro
2 limes
1 lemon
2 avocados
1 small head romaine lettuce
If making Tofu Queso: 16 oz. silken tofu

Bread aisle:

12 small corn tortillas or taco shells (about 3 per person)

Pantry & Spices:

nutritional yeast
tapioca starch
your favorite salsa
tortilla chips (for serving)
chili powder (the blend; not pure chile)
ground cumin
dried chipotle flakes
smoked paprika, optional
dried oregano
salt and pepper
If making Cashew Queso: ⅓ cup raw cashews

Frozen:

16 oz. sweet corn

Choose Your Filling

For TVP Taco Meat:

1¼ cups dry TVP
1¼ cups vegetable broth
1-2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Or for the Lentil Taco Meat:

1 cup dry brown or green lentils
Optional: ½ cup raw walnut halves or ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds

An Easy Prep Plan

Earlier in the day or the day before:
Make the corn salsa and your chosen taco filling, then refrigerate separately. You can also prepare the queso ahead and refrigerate it.
Starting from scratch?
Make the corn for the salsa first, then spread it out to cool. Chop the vegetables for the salsa and filling together. Start the filling, toss the salsa, and refrigerate it while you finish dinner.
While the filling cooks:
Blend your chosen queso and heat it according to its recipe. If making cashew queso without a high-speed blender, soften the cashews ahead as directed in the recipe.
Just before serving:
Warm the tortillas, shred the lettuce, slice the avocados, and cut lime wedges. Put everything on the table so everyone can build their own tacos.

Storing the Leftovers

Keep the filling, salsa, queso, and fresh toppings in separate containers. The next day, use them for a taco salad, a rice bowl, or nachos. Follow each linked recipe's storage guidance, and slice only as much avocado as you need.

I hope you enjoy Taco Night! Comment below to let us know what you made. 💚