Tacos de Tripa Recipe: Tips for Making Tacos de Tripitas
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 8, 2022 • 2 min read
Recreate the flavors of an authentic taco truck in your own kitchen with this recipe for flavorful, pan-fried tacos de tripa.
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What Are Tacos de Tripa?
Tacos de tripa, also known as tacos de tripitas, consist of braised and pan-fried tripe tucked inside of warm corn tortillas. Tripe (also known as chinchulines) is a type of offal, or organ meat from the stomach of a ruminant—any animal that chews cud. Tripe contains little fat, and most of its flavor comes from the surrounding organs, giving it a mild, liver-like flavor and chewy texture.
Like carne asada and al pastor tacos, tacos de tripa is a popular street food throughout Mexico.
3 Tips for Making Tacos de Tripa
Follow these tips to craft the best tacos de tripa possible:
- 1. Change up the seasonings. Use your favorite whole spices, herbs, and seasonings to flavor the braised tripe. Incorporate whole dried chiles into the braising liquid for some heat. Sprinkle in additional spices and herbs like coriander, cloves, thyme, and oregano for herbaceous notes.
- 2. Experiment with toppings. Dress up the handheld Mexican dish with traditional taco toppings. Add extra protein with black beans or pinto beans. Fold in roasted and raw vegetables like peppers, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, and pico de gallo. Pile on flavorful additions like pickled jalapeño peppers, sour cream, pickled red onions, guacamole, salsa roja, and salsa verde.
- 3. Braise the meat in advance. Cook the tripe filling up to 2 days before serving the tacos. After braising the meat, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When it’s time to assemble the tacos, simply warm the chopped meat in a pan until hot and crispy.
Homemade Tacos de Tripa Recipe
makes
8 tacosprep time
10 mintotal time
50 mincook time
40 minIngredients
- 1
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the water and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil.
- 2
Rinse the tripas under cold running water to clean the meat, then drain.
- 3
Add the tripas to the boiling water, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the meat is very tender, about 30 minutes.
- 4
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the tripas to a paper towel–lined plate. Pat the tripas dry with a paper towel.
- 5
Transfer the tripas to a cutting board and slice them into 1-inch strips.
- 6
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil.
- 7
When the oil is shimmering, add the tripas and cook until browned all over, about 5–6 minutes. Season the tripas with salt to taste.
- 8
Divide the fried tripas between the warm corn tortillas and top with diced onion and cilantro.
- 9
Serve the tripas tacos immediately with hot sauce and a spritz of fresh lime juice.
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