I've been a huge fan of spicy snacks from a young age, and I honestly don't know how it was so late in my life that I discovered Takis. Upon discovery in high school, Takis became one of my go-to snacks whenever I craved something salty. Hot Cheetos were alright but Takis elevated my palette to another spice level.
What are Takis?
As described on their packaging, Takis are "small fried rolled corn tortillas with the taste of chili and lime". While technically true, the reality is that Takis are so much more than that.
The crunch of a Taki is unparalleled. A Hot Cheeto may have an initial crunch, but it tends to become soggier upon further chewing. Plus, anyone who has eaten Cheetos before is no stranger to the leftover Cheeto that gets stuck on your teeth. With Takis, that's not a problem because they are crisp from frying. All you get is a crunch, not a smoosh.
The crunch and natural lime flavoring of Takis makes it adapt well to many recipes and boosts the flavor of some of your food favorites. Here are some ways that you can incorporate Takis into recipes for a fresh, flavorful twist.
1. Taki Nachos
Nacho cheese with spicy chips like Takis is a Mexican staple. In my opinion, there is no better filling snack than this combo. Just think about, nachos at a football game or from 7-Eleven but better. Instead of boring plain tortilla chips, the chili flavor from Takis brings extra spice to the muted seasoning of nacho cheese.
2. Taki Mac n'Cheese
Combining two food favorites--chips and mac n' cheese--is a surefire way to create a delicious dish. This recipe is also an elevated way to eat Takis because it's one way to eat Takis without leaving your fingers red! Usually, good mac n' cheese combines creamy, smooth, cheesy textures with the crunch of breadcrumbs. Swap out breadcrumbs for Takis to introduce a unique crispness to the meal and add spice in a simple way without opening the spice cabinet. Here is a recipe (using Hot Cheetos as a substitute) to try this out!
3. Takis Grilled Cheese
Everyone knows that a good grilled cheese is one that is crunchy from the buttery bread. Step up your grilled cheese game by adding a Takis crust on the bread for an out-of-this-world crunch. Takis are sure to elevate any sandwich and add a punch just like pepper jack cheese. If the crust doesn't have enough crunch, also feel free to add Takis inside the sandwich.
To create a Taki grilled cheese like the one in the photo, start by placing Takis in a ziploc and crushing them into a powder. Then, easily adhere the powder to the bread by dipping the bread in egg wash and sprinkling on the Taki dust. For an egg-free version, spread butter on the outside and inside of the bread and then add the Taki dust to the outside.
SpoonTip: I highly recommend using sourdough bread for the optimal grilled cheese because it's strong enough to hold a lot of gooey cheese and toasts easily.
4. Taki Chicken Wings
Combining popular chicken wing flavors like buffalo/hot sauce with a refreshing lemon-lime flavor can easily be achieved by adding Takis to your frying batter. The fried Takis add a fun crispiness to the wings and also bring a vibrant pop of color that regular saucy wings don't have. Adding Takis is a quick and easy additional step that doesn't make the cooking process longer. It, in fact, saves time because you don't need to coat the wings in sauce. Here is a tutorial on how to make these wings.
Hopefully, by now it has become clear how easy it is to spice up traditional recipes by adding Takis. There really is no limit to what can be made. So, have fun with it and use these ideas as starters to share with friends. If you do come up with a Taki twist recipe, please feel free to share it because everyone could use a little more spice in their life!