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Tacos de Canasta

5 from 5 votes
Tacos de canasta are a street food sensation, beloved for their mouthwatering flavors and convenient, on-the-go delight.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Chili oil

Prep the pork

Instant pot

Chili sauce

Additional items

Basket

Instructions

Chili oil 

  • Place a large pan over medium heat. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil. Toast the guajillo chiles for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, turning continuously to prevent burning. Remove the chiles as soon as they’re ready and lightly brown the onion and garlic. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down.
  • Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender. Add 1 1/2 cups of avocado oil, toasted guajillo chiles, cumin seeds, and salt. Process until completely smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl using a cheesecloth over a strainer. Reserve the paste left behind by the oil for later use. Set the clear chili oil and paste aside momentarily.

Prepare the pork

  • Cut the pork into large squares and liberally season all sides with salt and ground black pepper.

Instant pot

  • Set the Instant Pot to HIGH SAUTE mode and START. Once hot, pour in the oil and brown the meat in batches to avoid over crowding. Press CANCEL, pour in the water, and add the allspice, garlic, onion, and bay leaves. COVER and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 45 MINUTES, with a 10 MINUTE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. Finally, QUICK RELEASE the remaining pressure, press CANCEL, and uncover.
  • Remove the meat and strain the broth. Reserve one cup of the broth, let the remainder of the broth cool down, and then store in the fridge for future recipes. Using two forks, shred the meat apart and set it aside momentarily.
  • Combine the chili paste, reserved cup of broth, cloves, and oregano in the blender and process until smooth. Set it aside.

Prepare the basket

  • Line the basket or large deep pot with a large enough kitchen towel to cover the bottom and have enough overhang to cover the tacos. Next, line the basket with 2 oven-safe turkey-sized bags, cutting along the meeting edge (side) if needed to overlap both bags and still have an overhang. Then, line with butcher paper, and ball up an extra piece to arrange in the center of the basket, providing height and support for the tacos. Set the basket aside for a moment.

Continue prep

  • Heat the tortillas over medium heat on a comal. Wrap them in a kitchen towel to keep them hot and store them in a tortilla warmer. It's essential to keep the tortillas hot.
  • In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, stir together the shredded pork and chili sauce until well combined and heated through, about 3-5 minutes, until the mixture is moist but not watery. Add salt to taste if needed.
  • Place a saucepan over medium-low heat and pour in the chili oil, plus one additional cup of avocado oil. Keep the oil hot.

Assembling and Serving Tacos de Canasta

  • To assemble the tacos and basket, start by ensuring the tortillas and filling are hot. Working with one corn tortilla at a time, fill each tortilla with the pork filling, fold in half, and arrange the tacos in a single layer inside the basket over the butcher paper. While working with the tortillas, keep them covered at all times to maintain the heat. Use kitchen gloves if the tortillas are too hot to handle. Once the layer is complete, scatter the sliced onions all over the tacos.
  • Next, check the oil and make sure it's hot. If not, crank up the heat to medium or medium-high. Carefully pour the hot oil over the onions and tacos inside the basket, targeting the entire surface area. You'll know the oil is hot enough when it sizzles. Keep the oil hot over the stove and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas, filling, sliced onions, and oil. 
  • Once all the tacos are assembled, fold the paper over them to enclose well. Then, cover with the bag, pushing out any excess air. Finally, enclose and fully cover with the overhanging towel. Let it stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After that, open the basket and serve the tacos immediately. Top with the soft onions and a delicious green salsa taquera. When not removing a taco, keep them enclosed in the basket to maintain the heat.
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Street Food, Tacos, Tacos de Canasta