Avoid Using This Onion In Your Tacos At All Costs

While tacos are a highly customizable dish, some toppings are classic for a reason, such as beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The last one is an especially important addition in many tacos, as it adds both a nice crunch and a clean, zesty taste to the dish. However, there are many different kinds of onions, and some are not well-suited to a taco. Tasting Table spoke exclusively to 2023 James Beard award winner Rick Martinez about mistakes people commonly make when preparing tacos, and he stated that you should never use a yellow onion in a taco.

If you're American, when you think of an onion, you're likely thinking of a yellow onion. They're the most popular variety in the country because they are sweet and flavorful, which makes them perfect for tons of different dishes. However, Martinez, who authored a cookbook on Mexican cuisine titled "Mi Cocina," says that a taco is not one of them. "A lot of Americans use yellow onions in cooking, which tend to be sweeter when cooked and more complex when raw," Martinez tells Tasting Table. "White onions have a cleaner, simpler flavor, and I just think they're better on tacos."

As Martinez mentioned, a white onion is much better suited to a taco than a yellow one. A taco tends to have a spicy, savory taste rather than a sweet one, and a yellow onion's sweet taste can detract from this. White onions will add that signature crunch while not overpowering the taste of the meat, spices, and other toppings piled onto your meal. This is why, while yellow onions are the most popular in America, white onions are the most popular in Mexico. "Chopped white onion is what is almost universally used in Mexico," Martinez says.

While white onions are the most classic choice, there are other options that still work better for a taco than a yellow onion. For instance, some pickle red onions for extra tangy flavor and visual appeal, as they give the taco a pop of reddish-purple color. These can be added to any kind of taco you desire, but red onion (whether pickled or simply diced) is especially good on seafood tacos to complement the more delicate fishy flavor. For instance, they would be delicious added into this beer-battered fish taco recipe.

However, if you want truly authentic Mexican street tacos, stick to white onion. Its clean and crisp flavor is a classic for a reason. You can't go wrong with dicing up a white onion and adding it to your favorite taco recipe.