Tacos de lechón
Tacos de lechón are tacos of roast young pig, best known in the Yucatán Peninsula as lechón al horno, where the meat is marinated in sour orange and spices, oven-roasted for hours and served with shards of its crisp skin. In Yucatán it is often called the region's second great pork dish after cochinita pibil.
Definition
Lechón is the Spanish term for a suckling or very young pig. Larousse Cocina describes it as an animal slaughtered at no more than two months and under about 15 kilograms, traditionally roasted whole as a dish for special occasions. Across the Spanish-speaking world the roast is a celebratory food; in Mexico the best-known taco form comes from Yucatán. Larousse notes that suckling pig has been prized in Europe since the Middle Ages, and that its roasted skin and ears were once considered choice morsels; Spanish tradition slices the golden skin thinly to serve with red wine.
Yucatecan lechón al horno
The newspaper Por Esto calls lechón al horno, also known as lechón tostado, the second emblematic dish of local cooking after cochinita pibil. The two differ in method: cochinita is wrapped and cooked buried or covered, while lechón is roasted directly in the oven, uncovered at the end so the skin becomes brittle and golden.
The marinade is prepared a day ahead from sour orange juice, crushed garlic, vinegar, pepper, cumin and salt, often with recado blanco, the peninsula's white pepper-based spice paste, and a brushing of ground dried red chile. Cooks cut deep slits into the meat to carry the seasoning inside while trying to keep the skin dry. Yucatán's tourism board describes a version based on pork leg seasoned with clove, oregano, bay, black pepper, garlic and bitter orange, roasted under foil for several hours and finished uncovered until the surface crisps.
Because every cook seasons differently, the flavor changes from stall to stall.
Serving
Lechón is sold on street corners and in markets, especially on Sunday mornings, and is a fixture of baptisms, birthdays and weddings. It is eaten in tacos or in tortas, much like cochinita, and the crackling skin, called cascarita, is considered essential to a proper serving. Tacos are commonly finished with pico de gallo or a habanero salsa.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in, skin-on pork leg or shoulder, about 3 kg
- 1 1/2 cups sour orange juice, or 1 cup orange juice plus 1/2 cup lime juice
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp recado blanco, or 1 tsp each ground black pepper and oregano plus 1/2 tsp ground clove
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground dried red chile (optional)
- 1 tsp baking soda (for the skin)
- 30 corn tortillas
- Pico de gallo and habanero salsa to serve
Steps
- Mix the citrus juice, garlic, vinegar, recado, cumin, salt and chile.
- Cut deep slits into the meat side of the pork and work the marinade into them, keeping the skin as dry as possible. Refrigerate, skin side up and uncovered, for 24 hours.
- Set the pork skin side up in a roasting pan with the remaining marinade. Roast at 200 C (400 F) for 30 minutes.
- Lower the heat to 150 C (300 F) and roast 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily. Add a little water to the pan if it dries out.
- Pat the skin dry, brush it with the baking soda dissolved in a spoonful of water, and return it under a hot broiler until blistered and crisp.
- Rest 15 minutes. Pull the meat, chop the skin into small pieces, and serve both on warm tortillas with pico de gallo and salsa.
Where to try it
- Castacán, Mexico City
- El Lechoncito de Oro, Oaxaca
- Nuevo San Fernando, Mérida
- Taquería Gabriel, Mexico City
- Taquería La Lupita, Mérida
- Taquería Wayan'e, Mérida
- Taquitos Tito, Puebla
- Tres de Lengua, San Pedro Garza García
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Lechón tostado: aquí la receta original del platillo 100% yucateco". Por Esto. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "No. 249 Lechón al horno (Roasted pork)". Yucatán Travel (Yucatán state tourism). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Lechón". Larousse Cocina. Retrieved 2026-10-10.