A Month of Taco Tuesday Recipes

Have you been thinking about starting a Taco Tuesday tradition at your house? Or has your current Taco Tuesday lineup gotten a bit stale? In honor of National Taco Day, we've gathered a month's worth of the most delicious Taco Tuesday recipes we could find. These five recipes are sure to liven up your weeknight dinners.

Yes, five recipes. This month may only have four Tuesdays, but next month has five Tuesdays. We didn't want to leave you hanging.

Taco Tuesday Recipes, Week One: Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Start off with this carnitas recipe from Gimme Some Oven. It's an easy way to add some variety to your usual tacos without embarking on a whole new recipe. Most of the work is done in the slow cooker. However, it's what you do before and after the slow cooker that makes all the difference.

First, brown the pork tenderloin on the stove before transferring it to your slow cooker. You're not going to cook it through; just a quick sear on both sides. 

Then, after the pork is cooked and shredded, you brown it again on a baking sheet under the broiler. This method produces those delicious crispy edges while keeping the meat juicy and full of flavor.

These carnitas aren't just for tacos. Try them in enchiladas, burritos, on a sandwich bun or in soup. So versatile!

Taco Tuesday Recipes, Week Two: Ancho Shrimp Tacos

This taco recipe from Bev Cooks is another easy way to spice up your Taco Tuesday routine, pun intended. Shrimp is simple to season and cook, and it's ready in a snap. The ancho chile sauce just takes a quick spin in the food processor. While there's some prep work involved with the tomatoes, red onion, mango and avocado, we think it's worth the effort.

We like how Bev uses corn tortillas and queso fresco. But if your family is partial to flour tortillas and cheddar, go ahead and use those. Taco Tuesday should be one of those weeknights where everybody cleans their plate.

Taco Tuesday Recipes, Week Three: Spicy Cider Beer Braised Chicken Enchilada Tacos

We think Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest might be onto something with her determination to make Taco Monday the new Taco Tuesday. Mondays can be pretty rough, so it's comforting to know you have a delicious taco dinner ahead. Plus, we love this recipe because it has a distinct fall feeling to it.

The chicken is braised with apple cider and beer to give it both sweet and savory flavor. But it's the apple-pomegranate salsa with sweet Thai chili sauce that really elevates this recipe. We're big fans of both Honeycrisp apples and fruit salsa, so we may have to put these tacos into regular rotation.

Taco Tuesday Recipes, Week Four: Potato Tacos

Speaking of comfort food, we don't think it gets any more comforting than both potatoes and tacos. What's not to love? Even if you think potato tacos sound a bit strange, go read the recipe from Jonathan of The Candid Appetite. He's so entertaining we think you'll probably end up wanting to make these tacos.

Warning: this recipe is definitely not as quick and easy as the first two Taco Tuesday recipes above. While you could use pre-made crispy taco shells, we prefer making our own like Jonathan does. Considering the rest of the necessary prep work, frying your own shells is the least of it.

But just look at that delicious taco bar. Plus, these potato tacos are one of those vegetarian recipes where you might not even realize there's no meat included. But if you want to add some of those carnitas from Week One, we understand.

Taco Tuesday Recipes, Week Five: Beer Battered Avocado Tacos

We'll wrap up our month of Taco Tuesday recipes with another meatless recipe. These beer battered avocado tacos from The Beeroness look amazing. Not only does Jackie make her own tortillas, she also uses beer in both the avocado batter and the tortilla dough. We think this recipe is a good one to have on hand when the avocados are too firm for guacamole, but you want to eat them anyway.

Don't be dissuaded by the fact that this recipe is vegan. We love Jackie's perspective on food (and life in general) -- that it shouldn't be defined by what is left out. Those are wise words any day of the week.