TacosMediumFree

Steamed Mole Basket Tacos

Name: Steamed Mole Basket Tacos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 tbsp Vegetable oil; 3 Árbol chillies; 400 g Shredded pork or chicken; 2 cloves Garlic; 150 g Mole paste; 1 White onion; 18 Corn tortillas; 1 tsp Salt

90 min (30 prep + 60 cook) Medium 6 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Steamed basket tacos with Puebla-style black mole. Soft, oily and full of flavour.

About this recipe

Basket tacos steamed with a Puebla-style black mole and shredded meat filling. Tortillas are brushed with chilli oil, generously filled, stacked and steamed until soft, oily and perfumed with mole. A beloved street breakfast across Mexico City.

History & Origin

Steamed basket tacos - tacos sudados - are an institution in Mexico City's street food scene that few tourists discover but which feeds millions of residents each morning. Their name comes from the technique: they are prepared in large wicker baskets lined with plastic and thick cloth, stacked in layers and covered so that steam slowly cooks them. The tacos 'sweat' - literally release steam - while waiting to be sold by basket carriers who walk the streets and markets. Mole is one of the most prized fillings: Puebla-style black mole or almond mole completely permeates the tortilla during steaming. The tortilla is brushed with chilli oil to waterproof it, filled generously and stacked in the basket. After an hour of steaming, the tortillas absorb the oil and mole, developing a unique texture: soft, almost translucent and bursting with flavour.

Estimated cost

£16.00

Total cost

£2.67

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

390

Calories

18g

Protein

44g

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

650mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Dissolve the mole paste in 300 ml of warm stock (chicken or water with a teaspoon of consommé powder), stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat with the onion and garlic until thickened, 15 minutes. Stir in the shredded meat, adjust salt and set aside.
💡 The mole should be thick but spreadable - not dry.
2
Make the chilli oil: warm the oil with the árbol chillies over low heat until the chillies are toasted and the oil turns orange. Strain and set aside.
💡 This oil waterproofs the tortillas so they don't fall apart from the steam.
3
Using a pastry brush or kitchen paper, spread a thin layer of chilli oil on both sides of each tortilla. Fill each one with a generous spoonful of mole and meat and fold over.
4
Line a large basket or pot with foil or heat-safe plastic. Stack the tacos in layers. Cover tightly and leave to steam for 45–60 minutes.
💡 To replicate the basket at home, use a heavy pot with a tight lid and set the tacos on a hot griddle inside.
5
Serve the tacos straight from the basket. Accompany with pickled jalapeños and onion, salsa verde and lime. They are perfect on their own - all the flavour is already inside.
💡 Eat basket tacos by holding the whole taco and dipping it directly into the salsa.