For The Best Tacos, Make Them Greek Style

The next time taco Tuesday rolls around, let's forget the usual lineup and consider branching away from Mexican-style tacos. Instead, just imagine a warm tortilla piled high, not with your usual taco fare, but with lemony Greek-seasoned chicken or chickpeas and a generous dollop of tzatziki. And don't stop there — by adding some crumbled feta, fresh dill, salty olives, and some crunchy red onion, you've got some of the best parts of Greek cuisine in handheld taco form.

The versatile and contrasting flavors like the ones found in Greek ingredients are just perfect for loading into a tortilla. So many of Greece's best dishes have all the creamy, crunchy, salty, fresh, and sharp flavors that a good taco needs. For example, you could easily take it down a gyro-style Greek taco route by swapping the pita for a flour tortilla and keeping the rest the same. Flour tortillas make the most sense here — their soft texture and mild flavor makes them a good substitute for pita bread. And they're more flexible than corn tortillas, so they're less likely to snap or break when wrapping around lots of fillings. 

There are a few directions to take a Greek-style taco, but Greek lemon chicken is probably one of the best places to start. Rich and juicy chicken thighs are marinated in lemon, garlic, and oregano to bring out all of the bright flavors that are synonymous with Greek cooking. Or, if you prefer lamb to chicken, cooking ground lamb with lots of Mediterranean spices (including a little cinnamon for warmth) would also work well here. And before we lose our vegetarian readers, you can also make these tacos without the meat. Crispy lemon and garlic chickpeas, grilled halloumi, herby roasted cauliflower, or a combination of all three makes an excellent filling that highlights the veggie-forward aspects of Greek cuisine.

Once the main component is decided, don't forget that freshness is everything in these tacos. Top your finished tacos with finely chopped cucumber, tomato, and red onion, and add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh dill or oregano. And the real secret to a Greek-style taco is the balance between the hot and cold ingredients. This is one of the more creative ways to use tzatziki — by serving the tortilla and its fillings warm and then adding a cold spoonful of tzatziki just before serving, you can retain all the brightness of the flavors while highlighting that pleasing contrast between warm and cool.