How to Make Mexican Tacos

Quick Answer

Wanna taco 'bout how to make authentic Mexican tacos? Live every day like it's Taco Tuesday and try out these seven types of tacos!

mexicantacos

Choose a Meat

Save that pound of carne molida(ground beef) in your freezer for burgers! Authentic Mexican tacos are made with many types of meats, such as pork shoulder, steak, chicken, and even cabeza de res(cow head)! Tacos are not typically prepared with ground beef.

Here is a list of seven of the most popular varieties of tacos in Mexico, accompanied by the cut of meat you should buy at the grocery store.

Type of taco	translation	cut of meat
tacos al pastor	marinated pork tacos	pork shoulder or loin
tacos de cochinita pibil	slow-roasted pork tacos	pork shoulder or loin
tacos de carnitas	braised pork tacos	pork shoulder or butt
tacos de longaniza	spicy pork sausage tacos	longaniza (similar to chorizo)
tacos de carne asada	grilled steak tacos	skirt steak or flank steak
tacos de birria	stewed goat tacos	goat meat or mutton
tacos de tinga de pollo	chicken tinga tacos	chicken breast

Taco walk on the wild side and make grasshopper tacos! Tacos de chapulinesare popular in Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico.

Marinate the Meat

The key to juicy, flavorful Mexican tacos is a marinade that has a perfect balance of citrus and spice. You’ll need a blender to make most marinades for Mexican tacos.

The ingredients for the marinade vary depending on the type of taco, but it typically consists of a combination of several of the following ingredients:

Spanish	English
el achiote	achiote
el ajo	garlic
el clavo	clove
el comino	cumin
el jalapeño	jalapeño pepper
el jugo de lima	lime juice
el jugo de naranja	orange juice
el jugo de piña	pineapple juice
el orégano	oregano
la páprika	paprika
la pimienta	pepper (spice)
el pimiento	pepper (fruit)
la sal	salt
el vinagre	vinegar

The meat will take on more flavor the longer you marinate it, so plan to leave the meat in the marinade for several hours—or even overnight.

Cook the Meat

In Mexican culture, there are a variety of traditional ways to cook meat for tacos. Many are impractical for the average taco maker, so we’ve included alternatives!

Type of taco	Traditional Method	Alternative
tacos al pastor	slow-turning vertical rotisserie or spit	broil in the oven
tacos de cochinita pibil	wrapped in banana leaves and roasted in a traditional Mayan underground pit called a pib	wrap the pork in banana leaves and cook in the oven
tacos de birria	slow cooked in a hole in the ground covered with maguey leaves	braise meat on the stovetop

To get perfectly tender carnitas meat, use a slow cooker. For delicious longaniza or tinga tacos, a simple stovetop method works fine!

Prepare the Tortillas

Mexican tacos are traditionally served on fresh, handmade tortillas de maíz. If you’re not in Mexico, where there is a tortillería(tortilla shop) on every street corner, go to your local Hispanic grocery store. For an authentic taste, stay away from the bland, dry, pre-packaged supermarket tortillas.

To heat the tortillas, put a griddle on medium heat and cook the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side. There is no need to add any oil or butter.

Add Your Toppings

If your idea of a perfect taco includes crema agria(sour cream) and a copious amount of queso cheddar(cheddar cheese), just stick to American tacos. When it comes to authentic Mexican tacos, simplicity is key.

Here are some ingredients that are used as toppings for Mexican tacos:

Spanish	English
la cebolla	onion
el cilantro	cilantro
la piña	pineapple (tacos al pastor)
queso cotija	cotija cheese
rodaja de limón	lime wedge

Isn’t limón translated as lemon? Well, yes, in parts of the Spanish-speaking world. However, limón is used to refer to limes in many parts of Central and South America!