Are you a fan of food trucks? Join the club and check out these decadent, delicious and downright dirty recipes inspired by America’s favorite food trucks!
Food Truck-Inspired Recipes for Serious Foodies ONLY!
The food truck that started it all.
image via My Daily Find
Okay, so you don’t have to be a serious foodie to check out these recipes, but we’d love you even more if you were! Since the birth of the Kogi Truck in 2008 (let it be known that Chef Roi is king!), specialty food trucks have popped up in every state and neighborhood in the country! The most exciting thing about the food truck movement (we refuse to call it a fad; it has to be more than that!) has been seeing regular folks pursue their dreams and share their love and passion for cooking with others.
If you’ve been to a food truck or food truck gathering, like San Francisco’s Off the Grid, you know that food truck fare is made up of the wildest, craziest, most imaginative recipes ever! Things like double chocolate-dipped waffles, sisig nachos and chocolate bacon pecan pie are what define standard food truck fare. If you don’t have the time or money to go to a food truck (and who does, really?), make these recipes at home to bring the food truck to you! Bonus points for not having to wait in line or be surrounded by swarms of hangry people!
Learn how to make everything from scratch with the help of Smart Kitchen’s online culinary course! Start your free trial today, foodies!
1. Ham, Cheese, Egg & Lemon Sandwiches
Changing the way you do breakfast sandwiches.
image via Saveur
This delectable breakfast recipe is brought to you by chef Elizabeth Morehead from The Big Egg. Chef Elizabeth takes a traditional breakfast sandwich and turns it into something unbelievably gourmet and delicious with the addition of lemon curd. If you don’t have time to make lemon curd from scratch, buy a far from Whole Foods!
2. Momofuku Pork Belly Buns
This is one of NYC’s most loved dishes!
image via Kitchen Musings
Momofuku is one of the most popular and sought-after places to eat in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world and it’s all thanks to these lovely little pork buns. This dish is a modern take on a classic oriental dish that normally features Peking duck and pancakes. What David Chang did was swap out the duck for roasted pork belly and pancakes for steamed buns. The rest is, as they say, history.
3. Mexican Korean Tacos
Thank you, Kogi, for changing our lives with your tacos!
image via News Grist
This recipe is inspired by the one and only Kogi truck! The food truck to rule all food trucks got their start in 2008 and quickly found their way to stardom with the guide of Mexican-Korean fusion fare. The result is traditional Mexican street tacos with Korean BBQ short ribs instead of carnitas. Let’s just say, you’re better off making this instead of listening to us wax poetic about it, so don’t keep your stomach waiting any longer!
4. New Orleans Food Truck Fries
We’ll let you in on a secret: these fries are baked!
image via Laura Fuentes
These fries are a New Orleans-style take on an Austin, Texas dish. These fries are baked and covered in Creole seasoning, parsley and Parmesan. If you’re a fan of food truck fries, this is our dedication to you.
5. Cornbread Waffles with Chili
We’ll take 10, please. And yes, they’re all for us.
image via Tastes Better From Scratch
This dish is inspired by the cornbread waffles served at Hippie Momma’s in San Antonio, Texas, and also happens to be the most popular dish there (and with good reason). You can definitely forgo the chili if you’re looking for a sweet dish, but we recommend trying it the way it was meant to be tried first before making your own additions or adaptations.
6. Chicken & Waffle Sandwiches with Bacon, Cheddar & Green Onion
This isn’t just justANY waffle sandwich.
image via Bon Appetit
It’s easy to pass this dish off as “just another clever waffle sandwich” (a phrase we had trouble typing as a waffle sandwich is NEVER just a waffle sandwich), but upon closer inspection you’ll find that what sets this waffle sandwich apart from the pack is the batter. Jonathan Melendez sets his waffle apart by incorporating green onions, bacon and cheddar into the batter, transforming a waffle into something our taste buds have never before tried.
7. Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Tacos
What will they think of next?!
image via Your Home-Based Mom
Food truck fare is wacky and this recipe is the perfect example of that! Savory tacos are delicious, but chocolate-dipped tacos? Well, now you’re just making us blush. These dessert tacos still have that satisfying crunch you expect from hard shell tacos, just with the addition of sugar, chocolate and more sugar.
8. Grilled Korean BBQ Short Rib Dogs
Korean BBQ is already amazing, but Korean BBQ hot dogs are EVEN BETTER!
image via Half Baked Harvest
We find it tough to describe Korean short ribs because their taste is unbelievable and difficult to capture in words. Korean short ribs, also known as kalbi, is tenderized beef that’s been soaking in a complex and sweet marinade. While the exact ingredients in short rib marinade varies, a common ingredient found in them seems to be sweet fruit. Some recipes use Asian peer, some apple, but the most flavorful marinade uses kiwi, as the enzymes in kiwi help break down and tenderize the meat even further.
9. Texas Beef Brisket Melt
This bad boy comes with a warning label.
image via Food Smackdown
This heart-stopping recipe is brought to you by Mad Maui BBQ truck in Texas. This bad boy, also known as the Texas Brisket Melt, is served on ciabatta bread and composed of caramelized onions, brisket, cheddar, cheddar, and more brisket. We love decadent dishes like this as it reminds us of state fair foods, which are normally fatty, fried and delicious.
10. Fried Calamari Sandwich
C’mon, don’t tell us you aren’t tempted to take a bite through the screen?
image via Saveur
This is the golden age of seafood as more recipes are turning towards proteins like lobster and squid. In this recipe, fried calamari is the main star. The breading is delicate, yet pronounced and the calamari itself is tender – just the way we like it! If you’re throwing a summer get-together or BBQ, we highly recommend bringing this dish along as its light and perfect for every palate.
11. Deep Fried S’Mores
*single tear rolls down cheek* Thank you.
image via Sugar Hero
It’s summer so that means it’s state fair time! The best thing about state fairs is the selection of naughty, indulgent food (that also happens to be one of our guiltiest pleasures). This S’Mores recipe is representative of the creativity and fun behind food truck fare. If you’re looking for a dessert that’s going to make you audibly yip in happiness, you’ve found it in these golden nuggets.
12. Backyard Jerk Chicken
Show that jerk chicken who the real jerk is… Wait, what?
image via Rasa Malaysia
Jerk chicken can be hard to master at home since it’s a specific flavor profile that can require materials such as pimento wood, etc. This recipe, however, makes it easy to put together and master. The best part about this is that the texture and taste of the chicken tastes just like the jerk chicken you’d find in Jamaica.
13. Spicy Korean Chili Ramen Noodles
If you think Sofia Vergara is hot, wait till you try this!
image via Season With Spice
Mmm, ramen! The versatility of ramen is what makes it one of our favorite dishes ever! Ramen can be made with any vegetables, fillings or additions, making it a great dish to serve at dinner parties or whenever friends and family are over. This ramen recipe is made even better with the addition of Korean chili sauce which is sweet, hot, hot, and did we mention how hot it is?
14. Cuban Sandwiches
The one, the only, the Cuban Sandwich.
image via Nutmeg Nanny
The Cuban sandwich is the king of sandwiches as it’s made with 2 (sometimes 3) kinds of meat, melted Swiss cheese and tangy mustard and pickles. This sandwich is a variation of the American ham and cheese, so if that’s your jam, this will be your new favorite sandwich.
15. The Lumpia Shack’s Adobong Pusit
Try saying “Adobong Pusit” ten times fast
image via Conde Nast Traveler
Adobong Pusit is a squid dish prepared in the traditional Filipino adobo method. The adobo method means that the squid is boiled in soy sauce and vinegar, and then later sauteed in garlic, onions and tomatoes. Adobong Pusit is a great breakfast or lunch dish as it’s light and made up of flavors that are inviting and invigorating.
16. The Dogzilla Dog
Japan pretty much does everything right: technology, life and hot dogs.
image via Food Spotting
YAS, the infamous Dogzilla Dog! The Dogzilla Dog is brought to you by the Dogzilla food truck in Southern California. Dogzilla’s menu features Japanese-inspired hotdogs that are, as their site claims, “not your typical weiner.” The Dogzilla Dog is made with a beef frank, grilled onions, avocado, Japanese mayo, teriyaki sauce, furikake (seasoning made with dried fish and spices), and bacon bits. Oh, and did we mention that it’s served on King’s Hawaiian roll buns? Yeah.
17. The Detention Burger
Detention isn’t so bad anymore, is it?
image via Zagat
The Detention burger is served at Bernie’s Burgers Plus in Houston, Texas. This gut busting heart-stopper is made with two patties, tons of cheddar cheese, onions deglazed in Jack Daniels, pickles, and garlic tomatoes. Yes, everyone, GARLIC TOMATOES! Oh, but it doesn’t end there. The burger is then topped in bacon grilled cheese buns making it the most satisfying food-induced coma ever.
18. The Urban Spy
When it comes to food truck recipes, it doesn’t get much more organic than this.
image via Cooking Channel TV
The Urban Spy is one of our favorite recipes in this list as its incredibly imaginative and downright daring. If you’re wondering what the picture is, it’s a baked apple that’s been topped with pulled pork, chives and almonds.
19. Pendleton Pie
Yes, this is a chocolate and bacon pecan pie.
image via Eat St.
Now, we don’t say this lightly, but pecan pie is one of our favorite pies to make and eat. We love how pecan pies are reminiscent of fall (our favorite season!). What sets the Pendleton Pie apart from any other pecan pie is the chocolate crust and shot of whiskey in the filling.
20. Gluten-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Gluten-free and Flavor-FULL. Okay, that was bad.
This recipe may not seem as out of control as the other ones on this list, but don’t be deceived by its demure appearance! This chocolate sandwich cookie packs a sugary punch – the cookies are chocolate ganache and the filling is cookie dough, meaning you’ve just scheduled your Friday night.
21. Spicy Thai Peanut Butter Sandwich
By this time, our pants have already been unbuttoned.
image via Closet Cooking
Thai peanut butter sandwiches are a match made in heaven! If you’ve ever tried Thai peanut butter dipping sauce, then this sandwich is for you. The peanut butter in this recipe is spiced with sriracha, curry, orange marmalade, and basil – classic Thai flavors that we fall head over heels for.
22. Griddled Mac N Cheese
Resist the urge to fling this brick of mac n cheese.
image via Pinterest
Have you ever wished your mac n cheese was more…portable? Or maybe you’ve always wanted a mac n cheese brick (we see some mac n cheese houses being built in the future)! If so, this wild food truck recipe is for you! Presenting the Griddled Mac N Cheese which, going by the picture, is pretty self explanatory. Our favorite hot sauce to pair with this? Frank’s, of course.
23. Sam’s Lobster Roll
Ever wonder where and how the lobster roll crave got started? With this recipe right here.
image via Food & Wine
We remember the exact day these lobster sandwiches blew up – it was around 11 AM and we were doing our usual website surfing on LAist, LA Times and Bon Appetit (what can we say – we like catching up on our current [food-related] events). We came across an article featuring Sam’s Lobster Rolls and proclaiming it the next biggest item in the culinary scene, and boy, were they right. Since then, lobster rolls exploded and are now featured in restaurants across the country. If you like large chunks of buttery, tender lobster, then you’ll love this sandwich recipe.
24. Brown Butter Bacon Ice Cream Sandwiches
You may take a nap after this; you WILL have a sugar rush.
image via Pinterest
C’mon, don’t pretend like you didn’t see this coming! We just had to end this list with one of the most decadent, awesome recipes to ever grace the world of food! Browned butter and bacon cookie sandwiches! We understand how enticing this picture is and honestly, you probably stopped reading after the word “Bacon,” so we’ll let you get on with making this recipe. Enjoy! <img src="http://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f609.png" alt="