Tacos de costra
A taco de costra is a taco in which cheese is melted and browned on the griddle into a crisp sheet, the costra ('crust'), and then folded or rolled around a filling, sometimes in place of a tortilla and sometimes on top of one. The style is common at grill-based taquerías in Mexico City.
Description
Costra in Spanish means crust or scab, and in a taquería it names a layer of cheese that has been spread on a hot plancha, allowed to melt, then left until the moisture cooks off and the edges turn golden and lacy. Time Out México describes the result as cheese browned on the griddle and filled with whatever ingredients the customer prefers. The costra is lifted off with a spatula while still pliable, wrapped around the filling and served either on its own, as a tortilla-less taco, or laid over a warm tortilla.
The Southern California chain Puesto, which uses the technique in nearly half of its tacos and calls it 'crispy melted cheese', explains the mechanism: as water evaporates, the cheese's proteins and fats brown and crisp, and wrapping it while the tortilla is still warm helps the two bond. Puesto distinguishes the costra from queso fundido, which is served molten in a dish for scooping.
In Mexico City
Costras are a fixture of the capital's grill taquerías, where they are often ordered late at night. Time Out México's guide recommends a rib-eye costra at El Califa in Condesa, al pastor and bistec costras at Las Costras del Bandasha in Bosque de las Lomas, where the cheese is blended with a seasoning mix, and costras filled with combinations such as short rib and mushrooms or nopales, bacon and steak at Taco Loco in colonia Morelos. Seafood and even sweet versions exist: the same guide mentions a manchego costra filled with shrimp and a costra with fruit paste (ate) served as dessert.
The guide does not attribute the style to a single inventor or date, and Puesto describes the costra as a long-standing technique of grills and taquerías rather than a recent creation.
Fillings
Almost any griddled meat suits a costra: bistec, rib-eye, al pastor, chorizo, chicken and mixed meats are the most common. Vegetables such as mushrooms and nopales are frequent additions, and some cooks fill costras with guisados. Salsas, onion, cilantro and lime are added at the table.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g grated melting cheese (Oaxaca, Chihuahua, manchego or a mix)
- 300 g thin beef steak (bistec), cut into small pieces
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 4 corn tortillas (optional)
- Salsa verde, chopped onion, cilantro and lime
Steps
- Sear the steak and onion in a hot skillet with a little oil; season and set aside warm.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spread a quarter of the cheese in a thin round about 15 cm wide.
- Cook without stirring until the cheese bubbles, the fat separates and the underside turns deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Spoon a quarter of the meat onto one side, then use a thin spatula to fold or roll the costra around it.
- Serve as is or set on a warm tortilla, with salsa, onion, cilantro and lime.
Pat the cheese dry if it is very moist. Lower the heat if it darkens before crisping.
Where to try it
- El Califa (Condesa), Mexico City: Recommended by Time Out México for its rib-eye costra
- Las Costras del Bandasha, Mexico City: Bosque de las Lomas stand devoted to costras of al pastor or bistec
- Coolinaria, Oakland, California
- Diego Taquería, San Pedro Garza García
- El Remolkito del Sirloin, Mexico City
- Los Agaves, Santa Barbara, California
- Tacos Los Alexis, Mexico City
- Taquería Orinoco, 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
- "Las mejores costras de queso en la CDMX". Time Out México. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Crispy Melted Cheese". Puesto. Retrieved 2026-10-10.