Microgreen Tacos: Four Recipes for Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesday is sacred in our house, and I am not about to mess with that. But I am absolutely going to improve it. Over the past couple of years, I have been experimenting with adding different microgreens to our taco rotation, and I can tell you that the right microgreen on the right taco is a game changer. Not in a pretentious, fine-dining way. In a "this actually tastes better and you should try it" way.

This is the eighth installment in our From Our Kitchen series. Here are four taco recipes that have become regulars at our table, each paired with a specific microgreen variety that earns its spot on the plate.

How Do You Make Fish Tacos with Radish Microgreens and Chipotle Lime Crema?

Radish microgreens have a clean, peppery bite that cuts through the richness of fried or grilled fish like nothing else. They bring the same sharp heat as sliced radishes but with a more delicate texture that tucks perfectly into a taco. This is the recipe my family requests most often.

Ingredients

• 1 pound white fish fillets such as mahi-mahi, cod, or tilapia
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 small corn or flour tortillas
• 1 cup radish microgreens
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Chipotle Lime Crema:

• 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
• Juice of 1 lime
• Pinch of salt

Method

Mix the sour cream, minced chipotle, adobo sauce, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the fish. Season the fish fillets with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish three to four minutes per side until it flakes easily with a fork. Break the fish into large chunks. Warm the tortillas on a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame. Assemble tacos with fish chunks, a generous handful of radish microgreens, a drizzle of chipotle lime crema, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Serves four.

What Is the Best Way to Make Carnitas Tacos with Sunflower Microgreen Slaw?

Sunflower microgreens have a nutty, substantial crunch that holds up against rich braised pork. Instead of a traditional cabbage slaw, I use sunflower microgreens as the base, and the result is something that adds both freshness and texture without disappearing under the weight of the meat.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 to 12 corn tortillas
• Diced white onion and fresh cilantro for serving

Sunflower Microgreen Slaw:

• 2 cups sunflower microgreens
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of salt

Method

Place pork chunks in a slow cooker or Dutch oven. Add orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If using a Dutch oven, cover and braise in a 300-degree oven for 3 to 3.5 hours until fork tender. Shred the pork with two forks. For crispy edges, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat and spread the shredded pork in a single layer. Let it cook without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom gets golden and crispy. Toss the sunflower microgreens with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, and salt just before serving. Assemble tacos with crispy carnitas, sunflower microgreen slaw, diced onion, and cilantro. Serves four to six.

How Do You Build a Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taco with Pea Shoot Microgreens?

This is our go-to vegetarian taco, and it has won over more than a few meat-eaters at our table. The sweetness of roasted sweet potato, the earthiness of seasoned black beans, and the fresh, green snap of pea shoot microgreens create a combination that is satisfying and complete without any meat.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 small tortillas
• 1 cup pea shoot microgreens
• Crumbled cotija or feta cheese
• Hot sauce of your choice

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once, until tender and lightly caramelized. While the sweet potatoes roast, warm the black beans in a small saucepan with garlic powder and a splash of water. Mash roughly half the beans with a fork to create a thick, spreadable base, leaving the rest whole for texture. Warm tortillas. Spread a spoonful of the mashed bean mixture on each tortilla, top with roasted sweet potato cubes, a handful of pea shoot microgreens, crumbled cheese, and hot sauce. Serves four.

What Makes Breakfast Tacos with Broccoli Microgreens and Avocado So Good?

Breakfast tacos are not just for breakfast in our house, and broccoli microgreens are the secret ingredient that makes them feel like a complete meal. Broccoli microgreens have a mild, slightly peppery flavor that pairs beautifully with scrambled eggs, and they are packed with sulforaphane, a compound researched for its health benefits.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli microgreens
• 8 small flour tortillas
• Hot sauce or salsa
• Optional: 4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled, or 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Method

Whisk eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs and cook slowly, stirring gently with a spatula, pulling curds from the edges toward the center. Remove from heat while the eggs are still slightly soft, as they will continue cooking from residual heat. The key to great scrambled eggs in a breakfast taco is not overcooking them. They should be creamy, not rubbery. Warm tortillas on a dry skillet. Divide scrambled eggs among tortillas. Top each with sliced avocado, a generous pinch of broccoli microgreens, and crumbled bacon or shredded cheese if using. Finish with hot sauce or salsa. Serves four.

These four recipes cover every meal and every eater at our table. The fish tacos are our Friday night standard. The carnitas happen whenever I have the patience for a slow cooker day. The black bean and sweet potato tacos satisfy our vegetarian friends without anyone feeling like they are missing out. And the breakfast tacos are my personal favorite because they take ten minutes and taste like I spent an hour.

The microgreens are not decoration on any of these. They are ingredients that contribute flavor, texture, and nutrition. Radish microgreens bring heat. Sunflower microgreens bring crunch. Pea shoots bring sweetness. Broccoli microgreens bring that mild brassica complexity. Once you start pairing specific microgreens with specific dishes, you realize that "microgreens" is not one ingredient. It is an entire category, and each variety has its own personality.