Tacos in a Basket? Yes Please!

plate of tacos de canasta topped with pickled jalapeños and carrots, and salsa
Tacos de canasta are such a ubiquitous street food in Mexico City, it never occurred to us to make them at home — until we were back in the States and the craving hit. Tacos de canasta, also known as tacos sudados, are typically prepared by stacking formed tacos in a canasta, or basket, and pouring hot oil over them before covering with paper and a kitchen towel to steam.

There are many ways to make tacos de canasta at home. They can be cooked over a stovetop, in a pan with water and a lid, or in the oven with a baking dish and water. We followed the traditional steaming method, inspired by Freddsters. Paint day-old tortillas with a chile-infused oil before stuffing them with your choice of fillings and folding like a taco. Then arrange them in a steamer basket (our canasta), and steam over boiling water. This softens the tortillas and infuses them with flavor. One tip? Stick with fillings that are on the drier side, like mashed potatoes, chorizo, requeson, chicharron, and frijoles (and feel free to mix two or three inside each taco!). Top them with pickled carrots and jalapeños, salsa, and steamed onions to complete the dish.

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