TacosEasy

Basket Tacos with Chicharrón

Name: Basket Tacos with Chicharrón
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cloves Garlic; 0.5 White onion; 300 g Pork crackling; 3 Chillies serrano; 4 sprigs Fresh coriander; 100 g Pork lard derretida; 1 tsp Salt; 500 g Tomatillo; 24 Corn tortillas

35 min (20 prep + 15 cook) Easy 12 servings Ciudad de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 3 Jun 2026

Steamed tacos filled with pork crackling in green salsa.

About this recipe

Steamed tacos filled with pork crackling in green salsa, cooked by steam inside a lined basket. Classic Mexico City street food.

History & Origin

Basket tacos with chicharron are one of the most popular variants of Mexico City's famous steamed tacos. These tacos originate from Tlaxcala, particularly San Vicente Xiloxochitla, where practically the entire population produces basket tacos. The chicharron variant combines pork rind fried until crispy with green tomatillo salsa. The chicharron is stewed in green salsa until it softens. The tacos are assembled with fresh tortillas, arranged in a basket lined with brown paper, bathed in melted lard, and sealed tightly. The steam softens the tortillas until flexible and slightly greasy. A vendor can carry 200 to 500 tacos in a single basket, cycling through the streets from 7am.

Estimated cost

£37.07

Total cost

£3.09

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

220

Calories

10g

Protein

20g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

400mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the green sauce: hierve the tomatillos and the chillies serrano. Blend with the onion, garlic and coriander. Season with salt.
2
Trocea the pork crackling in pedazos pequeños and guísalo in the green sauce over medium heat for 10 minutes until it suavice and absorba the sauce.
3
Heat thes tortillas in a comal (flat griddle). Fill each tortilla with a generous portion ofl guiso of pork crackling and dóblalas.
4
Forra a canasta or container hondo with papel estraza. Arrange the tacos in layers, drizzling each layer with a little lard melted.
💡 La lard es fundamental for that the tacos suden well.
5
Cover well with more papel and a bolsa of plastic. Cover hermetically and deja sudar for minimum 30 minutes before of servir.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.