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Tacos gobernador

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Taco gobernador, Governor's tacos, Shrimp and cheese tacos

Tacos gobernador are Sinaloan tacos of chopped shrimp sautéed with onion, tomato and poblano chile, folded with melted cheese into a corn tortilla and crisped on a buttered griddle, created at the Los Arcos seafood restaurant in Mazatlán in honor of a governor.

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

History

The taco is tied to Los Arcos, a seafood restaurant group whose first location opened in Culiacán in 1977. According to the company's own history, Francisco Labastida Ochoa held the closing dinner of his campaign for governor of Sinaloa at the Los Arcos branch in Mazatlán. Wanting something light, his wife, María Teresa Uriarte, and the singer Lola Beltrán went into the kitchen and made quesadillas of shrimp machaca cooked on a buttered griddle.

Other tellings differ in the details. Luz Noticias reports that the taco is said to have been named in 1987 after Labastida made a reservation and the owner asked his chef for something special, and Hank Shaw likewise gives 1987 and says the chefs devised it to impress the visiting governor. A 2026 Luz Noticias guide places the origin in Mazatlán in the 1980s while noting that the story has never been fully confirmed. The Spanish-language Wikipedia gives a different account involving a Jalisco governor in 1998, which is not supported by the restaurant's history.

The word machaca in the early accounts refers to finely chopped shrimp, not dried beef. Hank Shaw suggests that recipes adding beef stem from a misunderstanding of machaca de camarón.

Preparation

Across versions, the filling combines shrimp with onion, garlic, tomato and green chile, usually roasted poblano, sometimes with Mexican oregano, cilantro or celery. In Karla Zazueta's recipe from her book Norteña, reproduced by The Splendid Table, onion, garlic, celery, charred poblano and tomato are softened in butter and oil before chopped shrimp is added and finished with lime. A tortilla is heated on the griddle, covered with grated cheese and, once the cheese melts, filled and folded.

The cheese is what makes the dish resemble a quesadilla. Hank Shaw lists queso Chihuahua, asadero or Oaxaca as typical choices and notes that butter is the usual fat, although lard and olive oil also appear. Corn tortillas are traditional; flour tortillas are used in some places, including Baja California.

Where to eat it

In Mazatlán, Luz Noticias recommends Los Arcos, often called the cradle of the dish, for tacos on a semi-crisp tortilla with gratinated cheese and ranchero-style shrimp; La Panamá, which uses a double thin tortilla with a golden cheese crust and serves them with avocado, salad and beans; and Tacos de Mariscos El Gordo, known for large tacos with a thick crust of cheese and an option to add octopus.

Recipe

Makes 12 tacos · Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 poblano chiles
  • 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil, plus butter for the griddle
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
  • 400 g raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 300 g grated queso Chihuahua, asadero or mozzarella
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • Hot sauce and lime wedges

Steps

  1. Char the poblanos over a flame until blackened, steam in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, seed and chop.
  2. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until translucent, 3 minutes. Add celery and poblano and cook 3 minutes more, then the tomato for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the shrimp and oregano, season and cook just until pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze in the lime and remove from the heat.
  4. Heat a lightly buttered griddle. Lay a tortilla on it, sprinkle with cheese and, when it begins to melt, spoon filling on one half and fold.
  5. Press down and cook until both sides are crisp and golden. Serve hot with hot sauce and lime.

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. "The Tradition Begins in 1977". Restaurant Los Arcos. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Taco Gobernador: paso a paso de cómo preparar esta delicia sinaloense". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Top 3 de mejores lugares para comer un TACO Gobernador en Mazatlán". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Tacos Gobernador (Shrimp & Cheese Tacos)". The Splendid Table. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "Tacos Gobernador Recipe - Sinaloan Shrimp Tacos". Hunter Angler Gardener Cook (Hank Shaw). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "Taco gobernador". Wikipedia (Spanish). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Seafood tacos Shrimp tacos Sinaloa cuisine Taco types