Tacos - From Mexico to Canada
Tacos are about gathering, sharing, and packing bold flavour into small bites. In Canada, they’ve taken on their own identity — filled with West Coast salmon or halibut, Prairie beef or bison, and East Coast shrimp or lobster. Whether piled with chicken and crisp cabbage, smoky pulled pork and pickled onions, or fish topped with mango salsa, tacos feel just as at home at a Canadian barbecue as they do on a beachside street in Mexico
Chicken & Cabbage Tacos
2 chicken breasts, grilled or shredded
2 cups shredded cabbage
Salsa, guacamole, jalapeños, hot sauce (to taste)
Lime wedges, for serving
Cook or shred chicken and layer into warm tortillas. Top with crunchy cabbage and your favourite condiments. Finish with a squeeze of lime for brightness.
Pulled Pork & Pickled Onion Tacos
2 cups slow-cooked pulled pork
½ cup quick-pickled red onions
2 tbsp sour cream or crumbled queso fresco
Fill tortillas with pulled pork, then top with tangy pickled onions. Add sour cream or queso fresco for balance and serve warm.
Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
400 g flaky white fish (halibut, cod, or tilapia)
1 ripe mango (or pineapple), diced
1 small chili, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh coriander, chopped
½ tsp cumin
1 cup shredded cabbage
Sour cream, for topping
Season and pan-fry fish until just cooked. Mix mango, chili, lime, coriander, and cumin into a salsa. Assemble tacos with cabbage, fish, mango salsa, and a dollop of sour cream.
Quick Corn Tortillas
2 cups masa harina (corn flour)
1¼ cups warm water
Pinch of salt
Mix ingredients to form a soft dough. Roll into small balls, press flat in a tortilla press (or roll between parchment). Cook in a hot dry pan 1 minute per side until charred. Keep warm in a towel, or fry lightly in oil for a crispy finish.
Ontario is sometimes called the “Corn Capital of Canada”, producing over a third of the nation’s sweet corn — perfect for Mexican-inspired corn salads and street food. Canada imports more avocados every year, with demand doubling over the last two decades thanks to guacamole becoming a Canadian staple. The taco is now one of Canada’s top five most ordered dishes. Mexican festivals like Cinco de Mayo are celebrated widely across Canadian cities, often blending traditional foods with local flair — think lobster tacos in Halifax or maple-lime margaritas in Montreal.
