Tacos de chuleta
Tacos de chuleta are tacos of pork chop meat, cut from the bone, grilled or griddled and chopped, a standard offering at Mexico City taquerías alongside bistec and costilla. The meat is often smoked or charcoal-grilled and frequently combined with cheese or other meats.
Description
Chuleta is the Spanish word for a chop, and in a taquería it almost always means pork. The meat is cut from the bone, grilled or seared on the plancha and chopped into small pieces for tacos. Chilango, describing the range of pork tacos in Mexico City, singled out chuleta as one of the tastiest options for its tender texture and smoky flavor, and noted how well it combines with cheese, bistec or al pastor. Unlike al pastor or adobada, chuleta is usually seasoned simply so the pork flavor comes through.
In Mexico City taquerías
Chuleta belongs to the core menu of Mexico City's taquerías de plancha and taquerías al carbón. El Financiero's guide to charcoal-grilled tacos in the capital lists chuleta at Los Picudos in Colonia del Valle and at Los de Asada in Nápoles, beside bistec, costilla, arrachera and other cuts; charcoal gives the meat a browned crust and smoky flavor. Chilango's guide to pork tacos recommended the chuleta at El Taquito de Sotelo in Lomas de Sotelo.
Chuleta is also a building block of combination dishes. At El Huequito in the historic center, Chilango reports an alambre that mixes pastor, bistec and chuleta with grilled peppers, onion and bacon, and Los Picudos offers chuleta volcanes topped with melted cheese on a crisp tortilla.
The paper observes that charcoal grilling is comparatively hard to find in Mexico City, where street carts more often sell griddled or fried tacos, and that it is a northern habit, especially for carne asada. At Los de Asada in Nápoles, chuleta shares the grill with picaña, sirloin, cecina, mollejas, tongue and bone-marrow tacos.
Serving
Chuleta tacos are typically served on small corn tortillas with salsa and lime, and at charcoal-grill taquerías with charred spring onions. As Chilango notes, the meat pairs readily with cheese, bistec or al pastor, so it often turns up in mixed orders as well as on its own.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops or smoked pork chops (about 700 g total), 1 cm thick
- 1 tsp salt (omit if using smoked chops)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 spring onions
- 12 corn tortillas
- 100 g Oaxaca cheese, shredded (optional)
- Salsa roja, chopped onion and cilantro, limes
Steps
- Season the chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder and rub with oil.
- Grill over hot charcoal or sear in a cast-iron pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Cook the spring onions alongside.
- Rest 3 minutes, then chop the meat into small pieces.
- Warm the tortillas; if you like, melt a little cheese on each before adding the meat.
- Top with onion, cilantro and salsa and serve with lime and the grilled spring onions.
Where to try it
- Los Picudos, Mexico City: Charcoal-grill taquería in Colonia del Valle offering chuleta tacos and volcanes.
- El Huequito, Mexico City: Historic-center taquería whose alambre combines pastor, bistec and chuleta.
- El Charco de las Ranas, Mexico City
- Safari Tacos al Carbón, Mexico City
- Tacos Brunos, Mexico City
- Tacos Domingo, Mexico City
- Taquería El Califa de León, Mexico City
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
- "Tacos de cerdo, animal mágico". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "¿Dónde comer tacos al carbón en la CDMX?". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Ricos alambres en el DF". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Volcanes y costras que rifan". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.