Tacos de Canasta

Tacos de canasta — basket tacos — are the great Mexican street-breakfast and late-night staple, born in the town of San Vicente Xiloxochitla in Tlaxcala. The tacos are assembled in bulk, stacked in a basket lined with plastic and cloth, and doused with hot lard so they steam for hours, becoming silky, unified and irresistible. Sold from bicycle baskets at dawn and after midnight, they are Mexico's most democratic food.

Serves: 4 (approx. 12 tacos)

Ingredients

Tacos

• 24 small corn tortillas (12 cm/5 in diameter)
• 100g (3½ oz) lard or neutral oil, heated until shimmering

Bean filling

• 400g (14 oz) cooked black or pinto beans, drained
• 2 tbsp (30ml) lard or olive oil
• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo, minced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt to taste

Potato and chorizo filling

• 3 medium waxy potatoes, boiled and diced small
• 150g (5 oz) Mexican chorizo, crumbled
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Salsa verde or salsa roja
• Sliced white onion and fresh coriander
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Make the bean filling: heat lard in a pan, add beans and chipotle. Mash roughly — not completely smooth — with cumin and salt. Keep warm.
2. Make the potato-chorizo filling: cook chorizo in a dry pan over medium heat 4 minutes, breaking up. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add potato, toss to coat and warm through. Season.
3. Warm tortillas in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame 30 seconds per side until pliable. Immediately fill each with 1–2 tbsp of filling, fold in half and set in a deep basket or large lidded container, packing tightly side by side.
4. Heat lard until very hot (almost smoking). Pour evenly over the stacked tacos — they should sizzle as the lard penetrates each layer, steaming and unifying the tacos as they sit.
5. Cover tightly with a cloth and lid and let rest 15–20 minutes. The tacos will become soft, unified and faintly translucent.
6. Serve with salsa, white onion, coriander and lime.

Cook's Notes: The resting step is essential — it is what distinguishes a true taco de canasta from a simple folded taco. Use a mix of 2–3 fillings for a proper canasta experience. Chicharrón prensado (pressed pork rind) is a classic third filling option. These travel exceptionally well, remaining in perfect condition for up to 3 hours in the basket.