Tacos al Vapor Recipe: How to Make Steamed Tacos

Tacos al vapor are steamed tacos filled with a variety of meats, vegetables, and cheeses. Also known as tacos sudados or tacos de canasta, tacos al vapor are a street food dish kept warm and lightly steamed in large baskets often sold off of taco trucks and on the backs of bicycles. To make tacos al vapor, brush corn tortillas with an ancho chile sauce, lightly pan-fry, stuff with the fillings of your choice, then steam the tortillas like tamales to yield a tender-crisp texture.

Tacos al vapor can feature a wide range of fillings and toppings:

1. 1. Tortillas: The key feature of these tacos are the spiced, fried, and steamed tortillas. Typically, tacos al vapor are made with corn tortillas brushed with ancho chile sauce.
2. 2. Fillings: Chicharrones, chorizo, pork al pastor, and barbacoa are popular fillings for tacos al vapor. You can also fill the tortillas with refried beans, vegetables, or mashed potatoes before steaming to make vegetarian tacos al vapor.
3. 3. Toppings: You can serve tacos al vapor with shredded cabbage, escabeche pickles, and salsa verde.

Follow these easy steps to make hearty tacos al vapor:

1. 1. Prepare the filling. You can fill tacos al vapor with whatever filling you like—braised chicken, chicharron, carne asada steak, chorizo, or even roasted vegetables. A traditional vegetarian filling is mashed potatoes. Use any leftover filling for burritos, enchiladas, or nachos.
2. 2. Fry the tortillas. Brush corn tortillas with a mixture of blended ancho chiles, garlic, and spices before lightly frying them in a skillet. You want the tortillas to be lightly golden and just barely crisped so they are sturdy enough to withstand steaming but still pliable enough to assemble without breaking.
3. 3. Steam the tacos. Fill the tortillas with the filling of your choice and top with cheese, if desired. Wrap the tacos lightly in parchment paper, then aluminum foil. Steam the tacos using a steamer pot or steamer basket set inside a large pot with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, but not enough to touch the tacos.