French Tacos Recipe: How to Make French Tacos

French tacos (“tacos” can be plural or singular) consist of late-night staples like french fries and chicken fingers topped with cheese, folded into a flour tortilla, and cooked on a griddle. While French cuisine usually conjures images of rich, heavy dishes redolent of butter and cream, this simple sandwich has become popular nationwide (and beyond).

Popular French tacos filling include doner kebab, chicken cordon bleu, ground beef, or even merguez sausage. Some chefs incorporate cabbage, pickles, or lettuce for a fresh taste to contrast the heavier flavors.

French tacos originated in the late 1990s or early 2000s in Rhône-Alpes, France, combining French street food, Halal food, and fast food into a portable package. More like a burrito, panini, or wrap than a Mexican taco, the French taco typically involves a meaty filling topped with french fries and lots of cheese.

In addition to plain shredded or melted cheese, French tacos usually feature a cheese sauce made with crème fraîche and Gruyère cheese. Customizable, handheld, economical, and flavorful, French tacos are the epitome of an enjoyable indulgence.

Though commonly associated with late-night fast-food bites, you can make French tacos at home as long as you have the ingredients on hand. Here are some tips for the best ways to ensure a successful French taco:

1. 1. Choosing a tortilla: To make authentic French tacos, buy the largest flour tortillas you can find. You’ll need a lot of surface area to hold all of the filling ingredients.
2. 2. Cooking the tacos: French tacos shops prepare the sandwich on a griddle, but if you don’t have one, you can use a grill, toaster, or broiler. You want your tortilla to crisp slightly to warm the filling and get some color before halving the “taco” and diving in.
3. 3. Making the sauce: Some cooks swear by a mixture of crème fraîche and Gruyère, but any kind of cheese sauce is acceptable. You can also try nacho cheese or queso to bring the taco back to the realm of Tex-Mex cuisine—the spirit of the French taco is all about experimentation.
4. 4. Making a vegetarian variation: Traditionally, a French taco is quite meaty, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Use mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini sticks, crumbled seitan, or even fish sticks (if you’re a pescatarian) to craft an indulgent meatless French taco.