Authentic Tacos de Canasta: Tacos al Vapor Recipe.
Español If there’s one thing my husband misses from his hometown of Mexico City, it’s tacos de canasta. He always remembers stopping at the metro station after work to enjoy these steamed tacos from street vendors.
This week, I surprised him in Chicago with authentic tacos de canasta, just like they make in Mexico City, and I’m excited to share the step-by-step process with you so you can make them, too.
Don’t worry; you don’t need a basket. While it’s a wonderful tool for street vendors, you can use any steamer at home. I give you instructions for the steamer at the end.
I’ll guide you through this recipe step by step with photos. You’ll find detailed ingredients and explanations in the recipe card below.
Cook the Chorizo: Chorizo is typically very greasy, so I usually don’t add any oil to the pan. However, for this recipe, I used V&V Supremo chicken chorizo, which is lean and has great flavor. You might want to add a bit of oil if using a similar lean chorizo.
Boil and Mash the Potatoes: Boil the potatoes until tender, then mash them together with the cooked chorizo to create a smooth puree.
Prepare the Chili Oil: Cook the chiles, garlic, and onion in a pan. Once cooked, blend them with achiote, salt, and extra oil to make the chili oil.
Prepare the Basket: Line the bottom of a basket with a plastic bag (I used a regular supermarket bag), then add a kitchen towel and parchment paper. Although butcher paper is common in Mexico, parchment paper works just as well here in the USA.
Assemble the Tacos: The key to successful tacos sudados is to keep all components hot when you close the bag. Assemble the tacos and cover them to keep them warm.
Layer the Tacos: Alternate layers of tacos and onions coated with the chili oil mixture. This layering process enhances the flavor. Make sure to pour the remaining chili oil over the final layer of tacos for maximum flavor.
Although the process may seem elaborate, it’s quite simple with the steps I’ve shared. You’ll see how delicious they are. If you love tacos, check out my sirloin and arrachera tacos recipes too.
My husband was thrilled with these tacos, my “chilango” husband loved these Mexico City-style tacos. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. I’m always ready to respond and help you successfully prepare my authentic Mexican recipes.
Besos and hugs from Chicago!
Why are they called tacos de canasta?
These tacos, also known as “tacos sudados” or “basket tacos,” are famous because taco vendors often set up outside schools, buses, or metro stations with large baskets filled with these delicious treats. The basket serves as both a transport tool and a steamer for tacos al vapor! The basket is specially prepared with a large plastic bag on the bottom, followed by a kitchen cloth and butcher paper to keep the tacos warm and allow them to sweat, giving them a unique flavor and helping them stay hot for hours.
What are the 3 most common tacos de canasta?
Traditional “sweaty” tacos, known as tacos sudados, offer a variety of fillings, including pressed pork rinds (chicharrón prensado), refried beans, and potatoes with chorizo. My hubby favorite filling is papas con chorizo so is the one I used but you can use as many as you want.
What are the 3 most common tacos de canasta?
Traditional “sweaty” tacos, known as tacos sudados, offer a variety of fillings including pressed pork rinds (chicharrón prensado), refried beans, and potatoes with chorizo.
Authentic Tacos de Canasta: Tacos al Vapor Recipe.
Equipment
- 1 basket you can use a steamer instead
- 1 kitchen towel
- 1 Pot
- 1 medium pan
- 1 plastic bag
- 1 parchment or butcher paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound chorizo
- 6 pieces potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 7 pieces guajillo pepper
- 1 piece red chili
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp achiote paste it is ok if you don't add it it can be hard to find in the US.
- 3 pieces white onion
- 21 pieces corn tortilla
Instructions
Cook the Chorizo:
- Start by cooking the chorizo in a hot skillet over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes until fully cooked.
Prepare the Potatoes:
- Peel 6 medium potatoes, cut them into quarters, and boil them in water for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot.
- Add the cooked chorizo and ½ teaspoon of salt to the potatoes. Mash them together until you get a smooth puree with a spreadable texture. Cover to keep warm.
Prepare the Chili Oil Sauce:
- In a skillet, heat ½ cup of oil and toast 7 guajillo chiles (stems removed), 3 garlic cloves, ¼ onion, and 1 chile de árbol until the garlic and onion are slightly browned. Be careful not to burn the chiles. Remove the skillet from heat.
- In a blender, combine 1 cup of vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons of achiote paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the fried chiles, garlic, and onion. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve into the same skillet to remove the chile seeds. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes on low.
Prepare the Basket:
- I used a small wicker basket lined with a supermarket plastic bag, a kitchen towel, and two large pieces of wax paper.
Assemble the Tacos:
- Heat the tortillas to make them pliable, and fill them with the potato and chorizo mixture. Popular fillings also include beans and pressed pork rinds. Keep the filled tacos warm under a kitchen cloth.
- Place a layer of sliced onions in the basket, followed by a layer of filled tacos, all facing the same direction. Use tongs to drizzle hot oil and onion mixture from the skillet over the tacos. Add another layer of tacos facing the opposite direction and repeat the process until the basket is complete or you have the desired number of tacos.
- Cover the tacos with wax paper, then with the kitchen towel, and finally, close the plastic bag to retain heat. Let the tacos sweat for at least an hour.
All components must be hot during assembly to ensure the tacos sweat correctly.
Video
Notes
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Prepare the Steamer:
- Fill the steamer with hot water. A helpful trick a friend shared is to add a washed nickel to the water. This way, you can ensure the steamer still has water, as the nickel will keep bouncing and making noise.
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Prepare the Tacos:
- The process is slightly different. First, warm up the tortillas. Then, pass each tortilla through the chili oil, coating them one by one. Once they are coated, fill them with the potato and chorizo mixture and close the taco.
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Layer the Tacos:
- Start by adding a layer of onion coated in chili oil at the bottom of the steamer.
- Add a layer of tacos, all facing the same direction, on top of the onions.
- Add another layer of onion with chili oil, then place another layer of tacos facing the opposite direction.
- Repeat the layering process until all the tacos are assembled.
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Sweat the Tacos:
- Once the water in the steamer is boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the tacos sweat for 25 minutes.
Tacos sudados have a very distinct flavor that set them apart from other kind of street tacos. Chili oil makes of this Mexican dish a delicatessen