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Tacos in Spain

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco style
Also known as: Tacos en España

Tacos in Spain occupy two meanings: in everyday Spanish usage a taco is often a small cube or piece of something, as in tacos de jamón, diced cured ham, while the Mexican taco has become an established restaurant food in Madrid and Barcelona, where several Mexican kitchens are recognized by the Michelin Guide.

Contents
  1. The word taco in Spain
  2. Mexican tacos
  3. Recipe
  4. Where to try it
  5. Reviews
  6. See also
  7. References

The word taco in Spain

In Spain the word taco has long carried meanings unrelated to Mexican food. One of the most common in the kitchen is tacos de jamón, small dice or leftover trimmings of cured ham that are eaten as tapas or stirred into salmorejo, omelettes, stews and empanadas.

Mexican tacos

Mexican restaurants have become a visible part of Spain's dining scene, and the Michelin Guide's 2026 Spain edition lists a cluster of them. Chef Roberto Ruiz, whom the guide describes as the first chef to win a Michelin star for a Mexican restaurant in Europe at his now-closed Madrid restaurant Punto MX, runs Barracuda MX, a casual Madrid spot in the style of Mexico's Pacific coast that serves tacos alongside ceviches and guacamole. In Madrid the guide also lists Ticuí, which makes corn tortillas each morning on a comal; Puntarena, focused on Pacific-coast seafood; and a Madrid branch of El Bajío, where traditional cooks known as mayoras oversee dishes such as Yucatecan panuchos and huaraches.

At the high end, COME by Paco Méndez in Barcelona holds one star for cooking that joins Mexican tradition with Mediterranean ingredients and the legacy of elBulli, in premises that formerly housed Hoja Santa and Niño Viejo. In Logroño, Ajonegro, run by Mariana Sánchez of Cuernavaca and Gonzalo Baquedano of Logroño, holds one star for a fusion of Mexican and Riojan cooking; its signature tacos al pastor are made with Iberian pork and topped with grilled pineapple, onion and cilantro. Barcelona's Jiribilla, led by Catalan chef Gerard Bellver after nearly two decades in Mexico, is another guide selection. Ajonegro's chefs met while working for Jordi Cruz at the three-star ABaC in Barcelona, and the guide notes that their spice levels are adapted for European palates. At COME, the meal opens with snacks called botanas and is paired with micheladas, tequilas and mezcales.

Recipe

Makes 16 tacos · Time: Marinate overnight; 30 minutes cooking

Ingredients

  • 800 g Iberian or other well-marbled pork shoulder or presa, thinly sliced
  • 3 guajillo chiles and 1 ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
  • 40 g achiote paste
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice and 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp smoked sweet pimentón (optional)
  • 4 thick rounds fresh pineapple
  • 16 small corn tortillas
  • Diced onion, cilantro, lime and salsa verde

Steps

  1. Soak the chiles in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend with achiote, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, spices, salt and pimentón.
  2. Coat the pork slices and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Grill the pineapple rounds on a very hot griddle until charred, then dice.
  4. Cook the pork in batches on the same hot griddle until browned and crisp at the edges. Chop.
  5. Serve on warm tortillas with pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime and salsa.

Inspired by the Iberian pork al pastor served in Spain; sherry vinegar and pimentón give it a Spanish accent.

Where to try it

  • Ajonegro, Logroño: One Michelin star (2026); Mexican-Riojan fusion with Iberian pork al pastor tacos.
  • COME by Paco Méndez, Barcelona: One Michelin star (2026); Mexican cooking with Mediterranean ingredients.
  • Barracuda MX, Madrid: Pacific-coast style Mexican restaurant of chef Roberto Ruiz.
  • Ticuí, Madrid: Makes corn tortillas daily on a comal.

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. "Barracuda MX – Madrid - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Ajonegro – Logrono - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "COME by Paco Méndez – Barcelona - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Ticuí – Madrid - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "El Bajío – Madrid - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "Puntarena – Madrid - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  7. "Jiribilla – Barcelona - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  8. "Taco". Wikipedia (lead for the Spanish usage tacos de jamón). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
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