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Tacos de machaca

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Machaca, Machacado, Carne machaca, Machacado con huevo

Tacos de machaca are tacos of machaca, the salted, sun-dried and pounded beef of northern Mexico, usually fried with onion, tomato and chile and often scrambled with egg, then wrapped in flour tortillas. Machacado con huevo is one of the classic breakfasts of the Mexican north.

Contents
  1. The meat
  2. Regional styles
  3. Tacos and breakfast
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

The meat

Machaca takes its name from machacar, to pound or crush. According to Larousse Cocina, beef is salted and dried, then beaten on a mesquite log with a wooden mallet to the desired thinness and dried once more; the best machaca is made from loin, while tougher cuts give a coarser but still flavorful product. The method relies on sun and a dry climate. Producers turn the meat to speed evaporation and may perforate it, and curing can take from days to much longer. Some sources date machaca making in the north to at least the eighteenth century, when drying was a way to keep meat for long periods.

The dried beef goes by different names: carne machaca in Sonora, machacado in Nuevo León, and machacada elsewhere. Before cooking it is traditionally toasted over embers, soaked to soften it and draw out salt, squeezed and then fried.

Regional styles

Larousse records many regional preparations. In Coahuila and Nuevo León the shredded meat is fried in lard with onion, garlic, chile and roasted tomato, and in Nuevo León it is very often scrambled with eggs and serrano chile. Baja California Sur cooks it with sliced onion and strips of poblano. Sonora uses machaca at any meal, sometimes with vegetables and potatoes, and it is the base of the snack called mochomos. Chihuahua and Durango turn dried beef into caldillo, a brothy stew. In Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa, the word machaca is also applied to shredded tuna, shrimp, lobster or fish that is cooked fresh rather than dried.

Tacos and breakfast

Machacado con huevo, or machaca con huevo, is the best-known dish: onion, tomato and chile are softened in oil, the shredded meat is added, and beaten eggs are stirred in until soft. No extra salt is needed because the beef is already salty. It is eaten for breakfast or supper with flour tortillas, beans, salsa and coffee, and is often rolled into tacos or burritos. Larousse notes that in central Mexico this egg dish is often assumed to be the only way to eat machaca, although the north has many others. Machaca also fills burritas, chivichangas and other antojitos.

Recipe

Makes About 10 tacos · Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 200 g machaca (dried shredded beef)
  • 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 1 or 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • Black pepper
  • 10 flour tortillas
  • Refried beans and salsa to serve

Steps

  1. If the machaca is very dry or salty, soak it in warm water for 5 minutes, then squeeze it dry.
  2. Heat the lard in a skillet and cook the onion and chile until soft.
  3. Add the tomato and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Add the machaca and fry, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Beat the eggs with the milk and pepper, pour them into the pan and stir gently until just set. Taste before adding salt.
  6. Spoon into warm flour tortillas and serve with beans and salsa.

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. "Machaca". Larousse Cocina. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "El desayuno más mexicano: Machacado con huevo". El Diario NY. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Machaca con huevo". México Desconocido. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Beef tacos Breakfast tacos Dried meat Flour tortilla tacos Northern Mexican cuisine Sonoran cuisine Taco types