The origin of the name “vampire tacos” remains unclear, however, what we do know is that this beef vampiro taco is not only delicious but also highly popular in the northern region of Mexico. Moreover, it is relatively simple to recreate this tantalizing dish in the comfort of your own home.
When you visit a taqueria and request “two vampiros please,” the staff will immediately understand your order and serve you a tortilla that has been lightly toasted and topped with cheese. The tortilla is then left on the grill to melt the cheese, similar to an open-faced quesadilla. This mouthwatering base is accompanied by succulent pieces of grilled steak, simply garnished with finely diced onion, a touch of coriander, and a generous amount of salsa on top.
To ensure that all the flavorful toppings stay intact, it is common for taquerias to add an extra tortilla, effectively creating a double layer. We highly recommend following this practice when preparing your own vampiro tacos, whether on the grill or in your kitchen, as it will enhance the taste and provide a true taco indulgence.
This recipe yields four tacos, which is sufficient for two people. Feel free to multiply the quantities if you desire more, as this popular Mexican beef taco recipe is easily scalable. For an extra burst of flavour, we suggest sprinkling a bit of our Crunchy Salsa Macha on top.
Place your steak on a plate and sprinkle with the Smoky Chipotle Fajita and Taco Mix, then add the olive oil and rub the steak with your hands, making sure it’s coated all over.
Prepare a frying pan or the grill (depending on how much time you have) and once it’s hot enough place your steak over the pan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper while it’s cooking. Cook the steak to your liking, we recommend 3 minutes on each side for a medium steak. Once ready, remove it from the heat, cover it with tin foil and let it rest for 6-7 minutes before cutting.
In the meantime, place half of the Soft Taco Wraps over your kitchen counter and add grated cheese on top. Heat up a non-stick pan and warm up the soft tacos with the cheese until it’s lovely and gooey and the tortillas get lightly toasted.
Remove the open quesadillas from the pan. Serve two open melty quesadillas per plate, with an extra warm tortilla at the bottom (optional).
Cut your steak into smaller pieces, and place them over each open quesadilla. Top with finely diced raw onion, a good amount of Chipotle Salsa, a spoonful of Salsa Macha, squeeze of lime, and enjoy!
What To Serve With A Vampiro Taco
Wondering what to serve with this vampiro taco recipe? Why not go for some:
Our How To Make Tacos blog will help you to master everything you need to know about making homemade Tacos. And our Taco Recipes is our collection of tried and tested Taco recipes with more flavours, protein and veggie options. For further inspiration on side dishes, check out our blog on What To Serve With Tacos.
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It's a soft tortilla that’s cooked on a grill until it turns crackly and crunchy. A layer of cheese is then added between the tortilla and the other toppings, and that is what makes it a vampiro!
Why are they called vampire tacos?
Vampiro is the Spanish word for vampire. Some people say that the tortilla’s concave form on the grill resembles a bat’s wing, as the corn tortilla edges fold up.
Can you use other meats for a vampiro taco, or does it have to be beef steak?
Beef is the traditional meat to use for this taco. However, it does not need to be rump steak. You could use a different cut of beef, such as bavette, sirloin or ribeye.
If you love the style of this taco and aren't keen on beef, why not try it with grilled prawns, chicken or chorizo. You could even do a veggie version and grill some courgette!
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sam
3 years ago
#23
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How big is each steak? I’m trying to figure out how much steak per person
Hi Sam – good question – if you use Waitrose Bavette Steaks, two are 325g which I reckon will serve about 3 people depending on how hungry they are !
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How big is each steak? I’m trying to figure out how much steak per person
Hi Sam – good question – if you use Waitrose Bavette Steaks, two are 325g which I reckon will serve about 3 people depending on how hungry they are !