Tacos vs Burritos: Understanding Mexican Street Food

The Great Mexican Street Food Debate

Ask a British person to name a Mexican dish and they will almost certainly say "tacos" or "burritos." Yet the relationship between these two iconic foods is far more complex and culturally significant than most people realise. In fact, what most Britons think of as Mexican tacos and burritos often bears little resemblance to the originals.

This guide unpacks the real story behind Mexico's two most famous exports, exploring their history, regional differences and how they have been transformed on their journey across the Atlantic.

The Taco: Mexico's National Treasure

What Makes a Real Taco?

A genuine Mexican taco is deceptively simple: a small (10-12cm) soft corn tortilla, a filling and a salsa. That is it. No hard shells. No soured cream. No shredded lettuce. No yellow cheese. The beauty lies in the quality of the tortilla, the flavour of the filling and the punch of the salsa.

Street tacos in Mexico are served on doubled-up corn tortillas (two stacked together for structural integrity), with the filling sitting in the centre and the salsa, chopped onion and fresh coriander on top. They are eaten with your hands, typically three or four at a time.

Classic Taco Varieties

• Tacos al pastor: The king of Mexico City street food. Thinly sliced pork marinated in chilli and achiote, cooked on a vertical spit (similar to a döner kebab, reflecting Lebanese immigration influence), served with pineapple, coriander and onion.
• Tacos de carnitas: Slow-braised pork, confited in its own lard until tender and crispy at the edges. Originated in Michoacán.
• Tacos de barbacoa: Slow-cooked beef or lamb (traditionally wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked in an underground pit). A Sunday morning tradition across central Mexico.
• Tacos de birria: Beef or goat stewed in a rich chilli broth. Originally from Jalisco, now found everywhere. The tortillas are often dipped in the consommé and griddled before filling.
• Tacos de guisado: "Stew tacos" filled with home-style dishes like chicharrón en salsa verde, rajas con crema or picadillo.
• Tacos de canasta: "Basket tacos" steamed in a cloth-lined basket, pre-filled with beans, potatoes or chicharrón. Sold by street vendors who carry them on bicycles.

The Hard Shell Myth

The crunchy, U-shaped "taco shell" found in supermarket kits (Old El Paso, anyone?) is not Mexican. It was invented in the United States in the 1940s and popularised by Taco Bell. In Mexico, hard-shelled items exist (flautas, tostadas, tacos dorados), but they are distinct preparations, not the default format.

The Burrito: A Northern Mexican and American Story

What Is a Burrito, Really?

Here is a fact that surprises most people: burritos are not widely eaten across Mexico. They are primarily a dish from Mexico's northern border states (Chihuahua, Sonora) and from the Mexican-American communities of the US Southwest.

A traditional northern Mexican burrito is relatively modest: a large flour tortilla wrapped around a single filling, such as beans, machaca (dried beef) or chicharrón. No rice. No soured cream. No guacamole. No five fillings piled together.

The American Transformation

The giant, fully-loaded burrito stuffed with rice, beans, meat, cheese, soured cream, guacamole and salsa is largely an American creation. The "Mission-style" burrito, developed in San Francisco's Mission District in the 1960s, is what most British people picture when they think of a burrito. It is delicious, but it is Mexican-American, not Mexican.

Burrito vs Taco: The Key Differences

• Tortilla: Tacos use small corn tortillas. Burritos use large flour tortillas.
• Size: A taco is a few bites. A burrito is a full meal.
• Construction: Tacos are open. Burritos are fully enclosed.
• Geography: Tacos are universal across Mexico. Burritos are regional to the north.
• Fillings: Authentic tacos have a single protein plus salsa. Burritos (especially American-style) combine multiple fillings.

Other Mexican Street Foods Worth Knowing

Mexico's street food universe extends far beyond tacos and burritos:

Quesadillas

A tortilla folded around melted cheese (and often a filling like squash blossom, mushrooms or huitlacoche). In Mexico City, controversially, quesadillas do not necessarily contain cheese, sparking an ongoing national debate.

Gorditas

Thick corn masa cakes, split open like a pitta bread and stuffed with various fillings. The name means "little fat ones."

Tlacoyos

Oval-shaped corn masa patties stuffed with beans or cheese, griddled and topped with salsa, cream and cheese. Ancient Aztec street food that is still eaten daily.

Tamales

Corn masa dough filled with meat, cheese, chillies or sweet ingredients, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Eaten for breakfast across Mexico, often with a cup of atole (a thick corn-based drink).

Tortas

Mexican sandwiches on crusty bolillo rolls, stuffed with everything from breaded beef (milanesa) to slow-cooked pork (cochinita pibil). The torta ahogada from Guadalajara is "drowned" in a fiery chilli sauce.

How to Eat Tacos Properly

Mexicans have strong feelings about taco etiquette:

1. Use your hands. Nobody eats tacos with a knife and fork.
2. Tilt, do not fold flat. Hold the taco at a slight angle so the juices run to one end.
3. Squeeze lime over everything before your first bite.
4. Apply salsa according to your heat tolerance. Always taste the salsa first - some are devastatingly hot.
5. Eat quickly. A corn tortilla will disintegrate if you leave it too long.
6. Order multiples. Three to five tacos per person is standard.

Finding Authentic Mexican Street Food in the UK

The UK's Mexican street food scene has improved enormously in recent years. Markets like KERB, Street Feast and numerous pop-ups across London, Manchester and Birmingham offer increasingly authentic tacos and other street food.

For sit-down restaurants serving proper Mexican street food, check our restaurant directory. To make your own street food at home, browse our recipe collection for authentic taco, burrito and other street food recipes adapted for UK kitchens. Stock up on ingredients from our recommended Mexican shops across the UK.