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Tacos árabes

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Tacos orientales (on corn tortillas), Arab tacos

Tacos árabes are a specialty of Puebla, Mexico, made with pork marinated in herbs and spices, roasted on a vertical spit and wrapped in a thin, pita-like pan árabe, usually with a chipotle salsa. Created by Middle Eastern immigrants in the early twentieth century, they are the direct ancestor of tacos al pastor.

Contents
  1. History
  2. Preparation
  3. Distribution
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

History

Immigrants from the Middle East reached Mexico through Veracruz in the years after the First World War, and several families settled in Puebla. Sources differ on where they came from: Chilango and Excélsior describe families fleeing the British occupation of Iraq, while cook and author Rick Bayless refers to Lebanese and Iraqi immigrants more broadly. Two names recur in the story: Zayas Galeana Antar, who reached Veracruz and moved on to Puebla, and Victoria Tabe, who according to the book Su majestad el taco árabe arrived in Mexico in 1923 as a five-year-old.

Galeana is credited with adapting kebab-style meat for local customers by using pork instead of lamb, since pork was cheaper and easier to find, and cooking it on a vertical spit. His wife, Esperanza Águila, created the red chipotle salsa that became the standard accompaniment, and the flatbread came from the Helu family's bakery. Around 1930 the meat was being sold in Puebla taquerías, at first mostly to working people. Tacos Bagdad, associated with the Tabe family, and La Oriental, associated with the Galeana family, are both cited as early sellers and remain well known; it is not settled which was first. After Esperanza's death, Galeana and Victoria Tabe became partners. Tabe died in 2015.

When the same meat is served on corn tortillas in Puebla it is called a taco oriental. Mexico City cooks later added a red chile and achiote marinade and pineapple, producing tacos al pastor.

Preparation

Thin slices of pork, typically leg or shoulder, are seasoned with salt, onion, garlic, herbs and warm spices such as cumin, coriander, black pepper and cinnamon, with lime or vinegar, but without the dried-chile adobo of al pastor. The slices are stacked on a trompo and roasted until browned. The taquero slices the meat into a warm pan árabe, a soft wheat flatbread slightly thicker than a flour tortilla, and rolls it. Diners add the smoky chipotle salsa and lime. Some versions add jocoque, a tangy cultured dairy product, and some cooks add sliced onion.

Distribution

Tacos árabes remain closely identified with Puebla, especially its historic center, though Poblano migrants have carried them to other cities. They are often listed alongside cemitas and chalupas as a signature of Puebla street food.

Recipe

Makes About 16 tacos · Time: 1 to 24 hours marinating; 30 minutes cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 kg boneless pork shoulder or leg, sliced 5 mm thick
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 white onion, thinly sliced
  • 16 thin pitas or pan árabe
  • Chipotle salsa (canned chipotles in adobo blended with roasted tomato, garlic and a little vinegar)
  • Limes; optional jocoque or thinned plain yogurt

Steps

  1. Mix the salt, spices, oregano, garlic and lime juice and rub over the pork. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet and cook the onion over medium-high heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In the same pan, or on a hot grill, sear the pork in batches until browned, about 4 minutes per side.
  4. Slice the pork thinly across the grain and toss with the browned onion.
  5. Warm the flatbreads on a dry griddle until soft and pliable.
  6. Fill each bread with meat, roll it into a cylinder and serve with chipotle salsa, lime and jocoque.

Serving the same meat on corn tortillas makes the Puebla taco oriental.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Esta es la historia detrás de los tacos árabes y de dónde provienen". Excélsior. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "La historia del taco al pastor es la versión taquera de Romeo y Julieta". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Tacos Árabes". Rick Bayless. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Lebanese Mexican cuisine Pork tacos Puebla cuisine Spit-roasted dishes Taco types