Regional Guide To Tacos In Mexico

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Here at Gran Luchito, we are fanatical about tacos! Travelling in Mexico and experiencing firsthand the unique tastes and variety of tacos available ignited our passion. With tacos in every restaurant and a prolific street food scene, you’ll find there are as many different types of tacos as there are regions in Mexico. With our guide to tacos in Mexico, we share some of our favourite and authentic taco recipes inspired by our travels.  

Regions Of Mexico

• Central Mexico
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  • The  Yucat á n  Peninsula
  • The Baja Peninsula
  • Northern Mexico
  • Western Mexico
  • Southeast Mexico

Central Mexico

First on our Regional Guide to Tacos in Central Mexico. With Mexico City, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosí, this region has some of the best foodie scenes in Mexico.

Here you won’t want to miss Tacos al Pastor made with tender and delicious, marinated pork and grilled pineapple.  Tacos al Pastor arrived in the 1950s with the arrival of Lebanese immigrants in Mexico. For Al Pastor, a shawarma-style grill similar to a kebab spit-roasts the pork. Aside from the cooking technique, we think the magic is in the marinade which has fresh pineapple juice and Guajillo chillies. 

Another authentic taco not to be missed from this region is Barbacoa. Made traditionally with lamb or beef cooked for hours in a hole in the ground lined with rocks until very tender.

Other notable tacos in the region include:

• Tacos de Suadero features a rich sauce and made with cuts of beef from thighs and legs
• Tacos de Canasta: semi-fried, soft and small tacos
•  Beware of crispy, worm tacos: Tacos de Chinicuiles!
• Tacos Potosinos served with potatoes, carrots and cheese

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The Yucatán Peninsula

The second region in our guide to tacos in Mexico is the Yucatán and the favourite taco here (and of our faves overall) has to be Pork Pibil Tacos.

Delicious slow-roasted pulled pork with the beautiful flavours of fresh oregano and zesty orange.

Pork Pibil Tacos

The Baja Peninsula

Although most northern states base their tacos on red meat, Baja California is a notable and delicious exception.

Here you will find their world-famous Baja Tacos which are fish but there are many, many variations.

Not to be missed is the Taco de Marlín! Other delicacies from Baja California include Lobster and Prawn Tacos, which are worth trying.

Northern Mexico

Next on our list is Northern Mexico. Corn tortillas reign supreme in most of Mexico, but in the North, it’s a different story. Due to its proximity to the U.S. border, you will often find tacos made with flour tortillas.

Tacos usually contain beef cooked in a variety of ways with each Northern state having its specialty. Our favourite are Carne Asada Tacos found in Nuevo León which are delicious and simple grilled steak tacos with a topping of onion and cilantro.  

Further notable tacos in this region include Tacos de Machaca (dry beef tacos) and Tacos de Cabrito (goat meat tacos). Durango has its own traditional Tacos de Caldillo Duranguense (beef stew tacos), while Tamaulipas has Tacos Pirata (steak tacos with avocado and cheese). 

Western Mexico

Next on our list of Guide to Tacos in Mexico, we have Western Mexico. Certainly, this region is interesting because it offers the best of both Baja Tacos and Central Mexico Tacos.

Nayarit is known for Taco Gobernador which was named after the Governor of Sinaloa, Mexico. The Governor stated that Pacific shrimp, melted cheese, tomatoes, peppers and onions were good politics! 

Carnitas 

You’ll find delicious Tacos de Carnitas (fried pork tacos) in Michoacán.

Jalisco’s notable taco is the Tacos de Birria made with mutton. Finally, Colima uses the most bizarre parts of the beef (head, eyes, and tongue) to create exotic culinary delicacies. 

Southeast Mexico

The final section of our Guide to Tacos in Mexico takes us to the southeast, a region perfect for adventurous eaters! Here, you’ll discover Tacos de Chapulín (grasshopper tacos), widely available throughout the area, alongside the unique Tacos de Hormiga Voladora (ant tacos), which are exclusively served in Chiapas. Oaxaca offers the mouthwatering Tacos de Tasajo (dry beef tacos) for those who crave meat, making it a must-try for meat lovers.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the Gran Luchito Guide to Tacos and have inspired you to plan your own taco tour of Mexico! In the meantime, we have many more taco recipes to check and enjoy.

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