Dish guide · many traditions
Tacos
Begin with the tortilla and what it needs to carry. A taco can be spare or elaborate; the useful question is whether each bite holds together and still tastes like its filling.
A format, not a single recipe
The taco gathers food in a tortilla. Corn and flour tortillas, griddled or fried preparations, different fillings, and distinct serving customs make a much larger family than one folded restaurant shell. Calling one form the only authentic taco would hide the range of Mexican and Mexican American tables.
Balance the bite
Choose a tortilla that fits the filling, warm it so it bends without breaking, and leave room to pick it up. A strongly seasoned filling may need only onion, cilantro, lime, or salsa; a delicate filling may need less. These are decisions for a specific taco, not mandatory toppings for every version.
Cook a published variation
Sonny Falcon’s Fajita Tacos → are one documented source-based version with skirt steak, white onion, cilantro, and lime. The fajita guide explains how that variation relates to other steak-fajita recipes on the site.
Sources: Smithsonian Folklife on the tortilla and taco in lived foodways; Smithsonian National Museum of American History on Mexican and Mexican American foodways. The serving advice is editorial guidance, not a universal historical rule.