Carne Asada Taco Competition - First Annual Competition in Espanola, NM

Welcome to the First Annual Espanola Carne Asada Taco Competition and to Cinco De Mayo Weekend! Get ready for a sizzling showdown at the Espanola Christian Center Church. Join us for a day filled with delicious food, friendly competition, and good vibes. Bring your A-game and your appetite because this event is going to be 🔥! Whether you're a seasoned grill master or just love good tacos, this is the place to be. Don't miss out on the chance to show off your grilling skills and maybe even win some tasty prizes. Mark your calendars and come hungry - it's going to be a grill-tastic time!

See the Agenda for more details regarding the time.

Who Can Enter: This competition is open to anyone, but you must bring your own meat, tortillas, grill, a way to serve the carne asada, and salsa.

Entry Fee: $10 per booth

Prizes: Trophy, bragging rights, & cash prizes

Judging Criteria: Every person that comes is a judge. So, invite your friends and families to come and judge for you to help you win. Each person that eats will be given a scorecard that has a list of booth numbers. They will score the carne asada from 1-10 and the salsa from 1-10. The contestant with the highest number wins!

Recommended: Bring a canopy and table to cut the carne asada and serve it from. Feel free to have a team of people to help you. You don't have to win alone!

1. Check-in begins at 11:30 am – competitors must arrive no later than 12:00 pm to set up.
2. Cooking and prep may not begin until official start time is announced.

1. Competitors must bring their own meat (pre-marinated or prepared off-site is allowed).
2. You must bring your own grill, utensils, and supplies. Charcoal, gas, or wood grills are allowed—no electric grills.
3. You are responsible for your own cooking area. Keep it safe and clean at all times.

1. You’ll be assigned a booth or table with a number—this will be how judges score your carne asada.
2. Each competitor must provide a taco to be judged (at least 50-100 tacos recommended).
3. Bring whatever ingredients you feel make the best taco. For instace, guacamole, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, etc.
4. Optional Salsa Contest: If also entering the salsa competition, it must be homemade and served alongside your carne asada.

1. Everyone who attends will be a judge! Each person will receive a scorecard and rate each carne asada and salsa sample from 1 to 10.
2. Scores will be totaled and the highest score wins.
3. No bribing, begging, or pressuring judges (but friendly encouragement is totally fine 😄).

1. $10 entry fee per team—due at check-in. Only one entry per team is allowed.
2. Prize for Carne Asada Competition:
3. 🏆 1st Place: Trophy + Cash Prize + Bragging Rights
4. Prize for Salsa Competition
5. 🏆 1st Place: Trophy + Cash Prize + Bragging Rights

1. All food must be fully cooked and safe to eat.
2. Be respectful of others. This is a family-friendly, church-hosted event—no profanity, alcohol, or inappropriate behavior.
3. Decisions by event organizers are final.

Also check out other Dance events in Espanola, Entertainment events in Espanola.