August 15, 2013
updated
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Learn how to pack tacos for lunch correctly so your kids can assemble and eat them at school.
Homemade Lunchable Tacos
Building a healthy and appealing lunch made with real ingredients is not hard. And if that lunch means recreating taco night at school, kids will be eager to eat!
My kids are big fans of soft chicken tacos and the classic beef tacos, and whenever there are leftovers, these Homemade Lunchable Tacos are a perfect solution. Kids of all ages love the DIY lunch appeal!
You can find more healthy homemade lunchables here, and they are easy to recreate with simple ingredients.
DIY Taco Lunchables Ingredient Options
Why do we love tacos so much? Because they can be customized with any ingredients and sauces! Pack dinner leftovers, and kids will smile the moment they open the lunchbox!
Just like taco night, the toppings and filling ideas are endless. Here are some delicious ideas to include:
- Taco meat: turkey or beef
- Shredded Salsa Chicken
- Soft tortillas
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded cheese
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Black beans
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced black olives
How to Make Taco Lunchables
I bet tacos are not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about school lunch, but there is a way to make them lunchables without them getting soggy: a compartmentalized lunch container.
Instead of assembling the taco in the morning, place your choice of ingredients in a compartmentalized lunch container like EasyLunchboxes to keep wet and dry items separate.
Lidded sauce containers make a perfect vessel for condiments like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. When it’s time to eat, kids can add the filling and toppings to the tortilla and enjoy.
How to Pack Tacos for Lunch
Keep ingredients correctly separated, and get ready to enjoy delicious lunchable tacos!
Here is how I pack tacos in the lunchbox:
- Pack the meat
In one compartment, place the cooked ground meat. - Pack the lettuce
In another compartment, place the finely shredded lettuce. - Add tortillas separated
Place the tortillas in another compartment of the lunchbox. - Add the other ingredients apart
Pack the shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes in small, lidded containers. - Store
Refrigerate overnight, sealed.
Watch this 2 minute fvideo to see the homemade lunchable magic happen!
Should Taco Meat be Packed Hot or Cold?
Taco meat can be enjoyed at room temperature, so it does not have to be heated. If your kids want it hot, place it in a thermos container.
How Do You Keep Taco Meat Warm in a Lunchbox?
If you or your kids enjoy eating taco meat warm, I recommend packing it in a thermos so it will stay hot until lunchtime. In this post, I explain step by step how to heat up food for a thermos.
More tips for packing Lunchable Tacos
Prevent spills
Whether you add guacamole, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, or any other sauce, pack it in a small leak-proof container to prevent any lunchbox mess.
Keep ingredients separated
Tip #1 for perfect lunchable tacos: separate wet and dry ingredients using a compartmentalized lunch container. If you don’t have one, use a regular container and silicone muffin cups to separate the ingredients.
Cook in bulk
Taco night may leave dishes empty, so cook enough to build lunches for the next day. Cook some extra meat, shred veggies, and pack these lunchable tacos. You can even do it before serving dinner, so you make sure there will be leftovers!
DIY Taco Lunchables
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cooked taco meat, turkey or beef
- ½ cup shredded lettuce
- 2 soft flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons cherry tomatoes, halved*
Instructions
- In one compartment, place the cooked ground meat.
- In another compartment, place the finely shredded lettuce.
- Place the tortillas in another compartment of the lunchbox. Pack the shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes in small, lidded containers.
- Refrigerate overnight, sealed.
Rashelle
The little silicon containers you use look really cute and a great way to separate the foods you place inside from the rest (sprinkled cheese), however, I know for my kids, the containers don’t stay straight in their lunch box, it does go sideways or upside down, how do you prevent the contents in the small silicone containers from leaking onto the other foods or falling out once you close it and it gets meshed around all over the place. For example, the orange silicone cup doesn’t reach the top, so the shredded cheese will inevitably fall around the other food.
Thank you.
Kendra Peterson
I pack a folded cloth napkin on top in the larger compartment, and it fills the space. Works great for “dry” ingredients like small crackers or cheese. Not so good for really tiny stuff like sunflower seeds, but then I fold the napkin smaller and just put it over that area. :)
Arelis Keszthelyi
I just want to make sure… When I pack the chicken it’s cold, right? Is it going to be ok cold..it’s not going to go bad?
I love this idea. Something different than the plain old pb&J or ham and cheese sandwich.
Thank you for all your wonderful ideas.
MOMables
The chicken is cold. Given that you throughly cooked the chicken; No, it won’t go bad for the 3-4hours that it’s packed inside an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack or two.
Jamie
So I made this tonight for my son (dry run/sample) before packing it in his lunch. It was AMAZING! My son immediately asked for more. The only change I made was adding a little (homemade) taco seasoning to the chicken just to give it a little kick. Yum!!! So glad for another addition to our lunch rotation!
Kendra Peterson
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! And yeah. Plain chicken, seasoning is a great idea! Or for those who can tolerate stronger flavors. But often leftovers are from already seasoned chicken, and the salsa should add a little “kick,” so I didn’t mention it here. ;)
My kids are still “deconstructionist” eaters, so eat everything separately. And salsa is “too spicy” for my older one. So I just packed the meat and cheese with other stuff for them. But I bulked this up for my husband and he looooved it! (He got roasted chickpeas instead of cookies and crackers though! Haha!)