How to Make Tacos

Co-authored by Andrea Lawson Gray

Last Updated: November 7, 2024

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Tacos are a classic Mexican street food. Done right, they're simple, quick, delicious, and almost impossible to resist. Tacos come in many different flavors, which is why this tutorial will teach you how to prepare several popular kinds of meat for your tacos. Don't dillydally though — this dish is significantly different from "fast food" tacos, but significantly tastier!

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Prepare the Authentic Mexican Taco

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1
Start off with your tortilla. If you really want to get authentic, you could make your own tortillas with Masa Harina (used in huaraches, a classic street food) and water. Although it sounds like an ordeal, the process is actually quite simple. Mix water and Masa together in ideal proportions, press out, and fry up quickly over a hot surface.
- Flour or corn tortillas — which to choose? Flour tortillas tend to have a softer, sweeter flavor. Yet the classic Mexican taco calls for homemade corn tortillas, where the meat takes center stage.^{[1]
  X
  Research source} Then again, the only thing that matters is what tastes good to you. Experiment with both and choose for yourself.
- Crispy or soft taco? Again, the choice is up to you. It's easy to make a taco crispy by frying it in oil, but many authentic Mexican recipes call for soft tortillas.
- Adding two tortillas or just sticking with one? Many places in Mexico will serve two tortillas per taco. It's more filling, it helps keep the ingredients from breaking through a single tortilla, and it's an easy way to get rid of staler tortillas. If you're sticking to the more calorie-conscious meal, opt for only one tortilla.
2
Make an onion relish with cilantro and lime juice. It's incredibly simple, but a taco just doesn't taste right without it. Combine the following ingredients and allow to sit for a few hours:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 head cilantro, finely chopped
- 2-3 limes, juiced
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. Pico de gallo is a simple mix of tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime. It's a kind of salsa that many people associate with tacos and, like onion relish, is quite simple to make.
. Whether you want to cook your salsa verde in a crockpot, oven, or over the stove, the basic idea is all the same: Cook tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño peppers over heat, and blend with a little bit of lemon and/or lime juice. A delectable addition to any taco.
5
Assemble your meat. When it comes to tacos, this is definitely to most important decision. The meat will make or break your tacos (unless you're making vegetarian tacos, in which case it will do neither). Which is why this tutorial gives you plenty of options (see below) when it comes to which meat to use. There are several different kinds of kinds/preparations of meat you can use in your tacos:
- Carne asada ("grilled meat," e.g. beef)
- Carnitas (literally "little meats," e.g. pork)
- Al pastor (literally "shepherd's style," e.g. pork)
- De pescado (literally "of fish")
- De camarones (literally "of shrimp")
- Other cuts like lengua (tongue), sesos (brains), cachete (cheeks), trompa (lips), etc.
6
Fill the taco with meat and add any additional toppings, if desired. Your taco is pretty much complete when it has tortilla(s), meat, onion relish, and salsa verde or pico de gallo. But if you want to make it interesting, you can always add the following to your tacos to spice them up:
- Beans (black or refried)
- Guacamole or avocado
- Cheese (queso fresco or "Mexican blend" cheese)
- Grilled corn
Common garnishes include radishes and lime wedges, although you might get a little more fancy with pickled onion or other pickled vegetables such as carrot. Devour your tacos and make your guests proud.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Make Carne Asada

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1
Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a blender. In a blender over high, combine the following ingredients:
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin seed
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
Allow the meat to marinade for anywhere from one hour to one day. After 4 hours, the difference in taste becomes pretty much negligible. Do not marinade for longer than one day.
After you've gotten your coals red hot, dump them into your grill. Safely move all the charcoals over to one side, effectively creating a hot side and a cooler side. You'll use the cooler side to cook the carne asada for most of the process, and then sear the meat on the hot side at the very end to develop color and extra flavor.
4
Grill your steak over charcoals to the desired doneness. Start the meat off on the cooler side of the grill, keeping the lid closed, but flipping often. Check the steak periodically with a thermometer — or use the finger test — to test for doneness.
- 120°F (48.8°C) = Rare
- 130°F (54.4°C) = Medium rare
- 140°F (60°C) = Medium
- 150°F (65.5°C) = Medium well
- 160°F (71.1°C) = Well done
Use this opportunity to give the steak good color and added flavor.
6
When the steak is about 5°F (2.8°C) from being cooked to your desired doneness, remove it from the grill and let it rest. Your steak will continue to cook even after it has been removed from the grill.
- Don't underestimate the importance of letting the steak rest. If you cut up the steak right away, it will give up all its juices, creating a drier steak. If you let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes, however, it will remain moist and flavorful even after cutting into it.
Top with onion relish and tomatillo salsa.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Make Adobo

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Any chiles will work, but New Mexican, Ancho, or Californian chiles work particularly well. Make sure your chiles are red so your adobo sauce has its distinctive red color.
Use a small plate to keep the chiles completely submerged. Soak for approximately 30 minutes. Reserve soaking liquid.
3
In a blender, combine wet and dry ingredients. On a high setting, combine the following ingredients in a blender:
- Chiles
- 1 cup reserved chile water
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- Half an onion
- 3 cloves garlic
Traditional adobo sauce is often served with pork shoulder, but you can also use beef chuck or even chicken. Do not fully cook meat in this step — meat will cook fully in the next step.
Top with onion relish, guacamole, and serve.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Make Carnitas

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You'll be slow-cooking the carnitas for a longer period of time for extra juiciness and tenderness.
2
Cut up 3 ½ pounds of pork butt roast (also called pork shoulder or picnic roast) into 2-inch chunks. Carnitas calls for a fatty cut of pork, so butt roast is the ideal cut to work with.
- If you'd like, trim off any large pieces of fat from the pork as you cut the chunks. Although it's not necessary, it does make a healthier carnitas. If you leave the fat on the pork pieces, much of it will render into the pan while it cooks, coating the carnitas and making them even juicier.
3
Place the butt roast pieces into a casserole dish, with several ingredients. You can boil your carnitas or simmer them on the stovetop, but you get the most consistent results baking your carnitas, them broiling them for a crispy finish. Place the butt roast pieces into the smallest casserole dish you have, with:
- 1 white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- The juice of 1 orange, with the orange rind itself (quartered)
- salt and pepper
4
Place enough liquid into the casserole dish to just fill the carnitas completely. Which liquid you choose is up to you. Know that if you choose to cook with oil instead of a non-fatty liquid, your carnitas will turn out much juicier.^{[2]
X
Research source} Of course, it won't be healthy, but it's okay to splurge a little for the sake of a true delicacy. Here are some options you can use to cover the carnitas:
- Vegetable oil
- Rendered lard
- Water
- Orange juice
After an hour, the carnitas should reach a temperature of about 208°F (97.8°C), and stay there until the meat has finished cooking 2 hours later.
Broil until the tops of the pork become crispy and darken.
When done perfectly, you'll have crispy carnitas that's still succulent and tender.
Top with onion relish and tomatillo salsa.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Make All-American Tacos

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This should take about 3 minutes.
This should take 3 to 4 minutes. Break up the ground beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
3
Add taco seasoning to the beef, stirring until coated. Follow the instructions on the packet about how much seasoning to add. Usually, it's recommended to add 2 tablespoons of seasoning for every pound of beef. If you don't have pre-mixed taco seasoning, here's a recipe to make the seasoning on your own:
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Stir, incorporating evenly, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until mix thickens a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5
Assemble your all-American taco. Start with soft tortillas or taco shells. Layer the bottom with the taco mix, then any combination of the following:
- Cheese
- Jalapeño slices
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced lettuce

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I serve tacos for a pizza party?

Community Answer

Sure, but you should also serve pizza, otherwise you will be having a taco party, not a pizza party.

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Can I replace taco sauce with ketchup or mayo?

Community Answer

Yes, if you'd like. That's not a popular combination, but if you find it delicious, go for it!

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Tips

Don't go and substitute hard taco shells in the box. That isn't authentic.

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If you'd like to try something a little different, you can make taquitos, which are like rolled-up tacos.

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