Short answer
Tacos are small tortillas, usually corn, folded around a filling such as meat, fish or vegetables and finished with salsa, onion, herbs and lime. They come in soft and hard shell styles and are eaten by hand, a few bites each.
Tacos are small tortillas, usually made from corn, folded around a filling such as braised beef, pulled chicken, prawns or vegetables, then finished with salsa, onion, herbs and lime. They are eaten by hand, folded edge up, in a few bites. Tacos can be soft or crisp, simple or heavily loaded.
What are tacos?
A taco is a folded or rolled tortilla holding a filling, eaten by hand. The word covers a huge range of foods, from a plain corn tortilla with grilled meat and chopped onion to a heavily dressed street food plate.
Tacos belong to Mexican cooking, where they are an everyday food rather than a special dish. Corn tortillas are the traditional base, and the filling is often a stewed or braised preparation. In the United Kingdom, tacos usually arrive on a plate in twos or threes with sauces and sides.
What goes inside a taco?
A taco filling is usually one cooked protein plus fresh toppings and one or two sauces. The protein carries the flavour, and the toppings add crunch, acidity and herbs.
Common fillings include:
- Braised or grilled beef, often chuck or skirt
- Pulled or grilled chicken
- Prawns or white fish
- Roasted mushrooms, beans, potatoes or cauliflower for meat-free tacos
- Cheese, melted or as a sauce
Typical toppings are chopped onion, coriander, shredded cabbage, pickled red onion, pico de gallo (a fresh chopped tomato salsa), sliced chilli, crema or mayonnaise, and a squeeze of lime. Sauces range from mild herb dressings to smoky chipotle.
What is the difference between hard and soft tacos?
A soft taco uses a pliable tortilla that is warmed and folded, while a hard taco uses a tortilla fried or baked into a crisp U shape. Soft tacos are the traditional street version in Mexico.
| Feature | Soft taco | Hard taco |
|---|---|---|
| Shell | Warmed corn or flour tortilla | Fried or baked crisp corn shell |
| Texture | Tender, slightly chewy | Crunchy, can crack |
| Best with | Juicy fillings, salsa | Mince, shredded lettuce, cheese |
| Eating style | Fold and hold | Hold upright, bite carefully |
Neither is the correct one. Soft shells suit wet, saucy fillings. Hard shells suit drier fillings that will not make the shell soggy.
How do you eat a taco without it falling apart?
Hold the taco in one hand with your fingers under the tortilla and your thumb on the outside, and bite from the open top. Eat it soon after it is assembled, before the tortilla softens from the sauce.
- Warm the tortilla so it folds without cracking.
- Fill with a modest spoonful, not a heap.
- Add wet toppings last and keep them on top.
- Fold the tortilla over and hold it with the fold facing up.
- Eat in two or three bites, leaning slightly over the plate.
Tacos are meant to be messy, so napkins are part of the meal.
How are tacos different from burritos, fajitas and tostadas?
Tacos are small and folded, while burritos are large and fully wrapped, fajitas are a sizzling platter of strips served with tortillas, and tostadas are flat crisp tortillas topped open-faced.
- Burrito: a large flour tortilla rolled around rice, beans and filling, with the ends folded in.
- Fajitas: grilled strips of meat and peppers, brought to the table with tortillas for you to fill.
- Tostada: a flat fried tortilla piled with toppings, eaten like an open sandwich.
- Quesadilla: a tortilla folded over melted cheese and cooked on a griddle.
How do tacos differ around the world?
Tacos change with the cook and the country. Mexico has regional styles such as tacos de asada, made with grilled beef, birria tacos from Jalisco, and fish tacos from Baja California, which are typically battered.
In the United States, the crisp shell taco with minced beef, lettuce and cheese became widespread. In the United Kingdom, tacos are mostly found at street food stalls, market traders and restaurants that mix influences, so a taco may carry fillings such as chilli jam or chimichurri that a traditional Mexican taqueria would not use. There is no single authority on what counts as a taco, and cooks adapt the idea freely.
What is the difference between corn and flour tortillas for tacos?
Corn tortillas are made from nixtamalised maize dough called masa and taste earthy and sweet, while flour tortillas are made from wheat flour, fat and water and are softer and more elastic. Both are used for tacos.
Nixtamalisation means soaking maize in an alkaline solution, usually lime water, which loosens the skins and changes the dough so it holds together. Corn tortillas are smaller, usually about 10 to 15 cm, and can tear if they are cold or dry. Flour tortillas stretch further and are easier to fold around generous fillings, which is why they are popular in northern Mexico and in the United States.
| Feature | Corn tortilla | Flour tortilla |
|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | Masa (treated maize) | Wheat flour |
| Flavour | Earthy, slightly sweet | Mild, neutral |
| Strength | Tears if cold | Stretchy, sturdy |
| Gluten | Naturally gluten free if made from masa alone | Contains gluten |
Check the packet if you need a gluten-free taco, because some corn tortillas contain added wheat.
How do you build a taco night at home?
A taco night works best with one main filling, two or three toppings and a couple of sauces, laid out so people can assemble their own. Keeping the choices small stops the table from turning into a buffet.
Cook the filling first and keep it covered. Slice the toppings while it cooks. Warm the tortillas in batches, because they cool quickly. For a group of four, plan on about 600 g of cooked filling, a dozen tortillas, one lime per two people and two sauces. A mild sauce and a hot sauce let everyone adjust the spice, and a bowl of pickles or sliced radish keeps the plate fresh.
What are the loaded tacos at Chamo Street Food?
Chamo Street Food in Preston serves loaded tacos on its printed menu, three corn tortilla tacos per portion, soft or hard shell. The menu, read in November 2026, notes that the gluten-free option excludes the cheese sauce.
| Taco | Price | Main filling |
|---|---|---|
| Chamo Chicken Tacos | £14.50 | Pulled chicken |
| Mojo King Prawn Tacos | £14.50 | Marinated king prawns |
| Philly Cheese Tacos | £14.50 | Braised beef chuck |
| Oyster Mushroom Tacos | £13.50 | Garlic roasted oyster mushroom |
The menu describes toppings such as chimichurri, pico de gallo, pickled red cabbage and chipotle mayo on several of these. This guide is independent and takes no orders. See the menu page for the full recorded list and the hours and location page before you visit.
What should you drink and serve with tacos?
Tacos pair well with something fresh and acidic, and with sides that add starch and crunch. Lime water, sparkling water, iced tea and fruit sodas all work, and the sides can be rice, beans, slaw, fries or fried plantain.
Because the filling is usually rich, a sharp salsa or pickled vegetables balance it. If you are cooking tacos at home, set out the fillings and toppings separately so each person builds their own, and warm the tortillas just before serving so they stay soft.
Common questions
What are tacos made of?
A taco is a tortilla wrapped around a filling. The tortilla is usually corn or wheat flour, the filling is cooked meat, seafood or vegetables, and toppings add freshness, such as chopped onion, coriander, salsa, lime and sometimes cheese.
Are tacos always made with corn tortillas?
No. Corn is the traditional choice in Mexico, but wheat flour tortillas are common in northern Mexico and in many restaurants elsewhere. Hard shells are corn tortillas that have been fried or baked until stiff and crisp.
How many tacos is one portion?
It varies by place. Street stalls often sell tacos singly, while restaurants may serve two or three on a plate. The Chamo Street Food printed menu lists three corn tortilla tacos per portion.
How do you stop a taco falling apart?
Warm the tortilla so it bends rather than cracks, do not overfill it, put wet toppings on top of the meat rather than under it, and hold the taco with the folded edge facing up.
What is the difference between a taco and a burrito?
A taco is small, open at the top and eaten in a few bites. A burrito is a large flour tortilla fully wrapped around rice, beans and filling, so it is closed at the ends.
Everything practical is on the home page: Chamo Street Food hours, menu and directions.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Chamo Street Food itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.