Mexican Recipe to Learn Spanish: Make Some Tacos

Don’t you feel like eating? We’re starving over here. Do you know what we were thinking about? Tacos! Yum! Don’t you love them? They’re one of the most delicious foods; they’re a culinary tradition of Mexican culture, plus easy to make. Come on, let’s get some to eat.

Oh, I just had a great idea! Why don’t we make them together? It sounds like a great activity. Plus, besides eating deliciously, you’ll also learn some Spanish along the way.

Oh, you didn’t expect that, huh? Well, it’s true! Since they’re from a Spanish-speaking country, you can learn Spanish while making tacos. It’ll be a culinary and culturally rich experience.

Spanish Words Related to Tacos

Here are some important words in Spanish related to tacos. You’ll definitely use many of these when asking for your tacos and eating them.

1. Tacos – Tacos
2. Mexican food – Comida Mexicana
3. Delicious – Delicioso
4. Tradition – Tradición
5. Tortilla – Tortilla
6. Corn – Maíz
7. Harina – Flour
8. Meat – Carne
9. Cilantro / Coriander – Cilantro
10. Onion – Cebolla
11. Sauce – Salsa
12. Green – Verde
13. Red – Roja
14. Pineapple – Piña
15. Lime – Limón
16. Crackling – Chicharrón
17. Papalo – Pápalo
18. Plato – Dish
19. Hands – Manos
20. Filler – Relleno
21. Taco stand – Puesto de tacos
22. Taco vendor – Taquero
23. Avocado – Aguacate
24. Guacamole – Guacamole
25. Nopales – Nopales
26. Cucumber – Cucumber
27. French fries – Papas fritas
28. Taco reunion – Taquiza

Types of Tacos

There are different types of tacos depending on the meat that you use. This means it depends on the animal the meat is from and the part of the body it comes from. Here are some of the more popular tacos:

• Taco al pastor (pastor taco)
• Taco de carnitas (pork taco)
• Taco de barbacoa (Lamb/mutton taco)
• Taco de suadero (cow meat taco from between the belly and leg)
• Taco de lengua (tongue taco)
• Taco de bistec (cow meat taco)
• Taco de tripa (cow chitterlings taco)
• Taco de hígado (cow liver taco)
• Tacos de birria: (marinated goat/kid meat taco)
• Taco de guisado (this can be tacos of different traditional Mexican meals. For example: cracklings in green salsa, mole, rajas con crema, potatoes with chorizo…)

As you can see, there are many different tacos where the meat comes from the cow. In this case, the name of each taco depends on the part of the cow’s body the meat is from.

How to Ask for Your Tacos

Here’s the example of how a conversation usually goes when you go to a taco stand to ask for your tacos. You’ll notice some special words, like how they use “güerita” (female) or “güerito” (male) to refer to you.

Of course, this is not the law; not all conversations with taqueros will go like this. But they are quite common phrases; that’s why it’s important you know them.

• Taquero: Pásele, güerita/güerito. ¿Qué le damos? / Come on, güerita. What can we give you?
• You: Cinco tacos de carnitas, dos de pastor y uno de lengua, por favor. / Five carnitas tacos, two of pastor, and one of tongue, please.
• Taquero: ¿Con salsa o sin salsa? / With sauce or without sauce?
• You: Con salsa, por favor. / With sauce, please.
• Taquero: ¿Cilantro y cebolla? / Do you want cilantro and onion?
• You: Sí, por favor. / Yes, please?
• Taquero: Claro que sí, ya salen. / Of course, right away.
• You: Gracias. / Thanks.
• They’ll probably have some condiments on the barre where you eat. Once they give you your tacos, they’ll probably offer you to use the condiments as you wish:
• Taquero: Tenga, güerita/güerito. Ahí hay papas, pepinos, nopales y salsa. Prepáreselos como quiera. / Here they are, blondie/madam/sir. There’s french fries, cucumbers, nopales, and sauce over there. Prepare your tacos as you want.
• You: Gracias. / Thanks.

Spanish Phrases to Say when You Make Tacos

We just learned how to ask for your tacos in a classic Mexican taco stand. But what if you’re the one making the tacos? Are there any phrases in Spanish you could say to practice your language skills? Well, of course! Here are some phrases in Spanish for when you’re in charge of making the tacos:

What do you want your tacos to be? / ¿De qué van a querer sus tacos?

This is a classic question to ask your guests which type of tacos they want. There are so many, you have to know which ones to do. Will it be tacos al pastor? Carnitas, maybe? Or will it be bistec?

Come on, help me chopping the cilantro and the onion. / Órale, ayúdame picando el cilantro y la cebolla.

This is perfect to make others help you cook, even if it’s just with the easiest things. This way, the process is faster, and you don’t get all the burden of cooking.

I’m going to need more tortillas. Go buy one kilo of tortillas, please. / Me van a hacer falta más tortillas. Ve a comprar un kilo de tortilla, por favor.

A classic favor all Mexican moms ask their kids to do is to go to the tortillería for tortillas. Whether it’s for the tacos or for any other Mexican dish they’re preparing. This way they don’t lose time, and they can concentrate on cooking. Plus, it prepares the kids for when they’re adults and they have to buy their tortillas or any other things.

But don’t worry, this phrase doesn’t work just with kids. You can tell the phrase to anyone you want to buy the tortillas for you.

Go to the supermarket and bring me cilantro, please. / Ve al super y tráeme cilantro, por favor.

Okay, here’s a funny one. Another common favor moms ask their kids is to buy some cilantro. The thing is cilantro is very similar to “perejil” (parsley) and kids often get both herbs confused. So they end up buying parsley instead of cilantro and they don’t realize it until they arrive home and their moms tell them. Oops!

Come on, wash the dishes, please. / Ándale, lávame los platos, por favor.

This is a way to ask somebody else to help you with another task of the kitchen and the cooking process: washing the dishes. For some, this is the most tiring task. So, cooking the tacos is the perfect excuse to ask somebody else to wash the dishes.

Another advantage is that the kitchen will be clean when you’re finished cooking, because the other person will wash as you prepare the food. But if you prefer, you can also say the phrase after you’ve cooked and eaten. So you can rest now and somebody else has to wash.

No, no, that’s not how you do it. Look… / No, no, así no se hace. Mira…

This phrase is used if you asked somebody to help you do something, but they’re not doing it right. It’s commonly used with kids that are just learning to cook. But it can be used with anyone that doesn’t know how to make tacos.

For example: Above you asked for help chopping the onion. If they’re chopping it all wrong and in big chunks, say this, so they stop. Then, make a small demonstration on how to do it, so they learn.

Do you want sauce with your tacos? / ¿Quieres salsa con tus tacos?

If you’re preparing somebody’s tacos you should ask them if they want salsa. Maybe they don’t like spicy food.

Spanish Phrases for when You Eat the Tacos

Now, it’s time to eat the tacos you’ve prepared. Yay! Are you nervous! We’re sure they’re delicious. Here are some phrases you and your family or friends can say when you’re eating tacos:

Pass me the salt, please. / Pásame la sal, por favor.

If you need a condiment for your tacos that’s not close to you, just say this to someone that has it closer.

Are there limes? / ¿Hay limones?

In Mexico, limes are glorious. They put lime on many things, but especially on their tacos. If you don’t see any in the table, definitely ask for them. You might even hear this question from your Mexican friend before you can even ask for the limes yourself.

Uff! These are delicious! / Uff! Están deliciosos!

This is a great compliment for the person who prepared the tacos. But it’s also a phrase that you might say very casually and by pure instinct after you taste some delicious tacos.

They turned out very good. / Te quedaron muy ricos.

This is another great compliment for the chef. They’ll be super happy to hear it.

You’re really good at cooking. / Eres muy buena/bueno cocinando.

Talking about compliments, here you’re admiring his/her whole cooking skills. This is another level of compliment. And if the tacos are truly that good, the person who prepared them deserves it.

If the chef is Mexican, he/she’ll be very proud of himself/herself. If he/she’s not, what an amazing achievement to make a delicious dish from another country!

How many tacos have you eaten? / ¿Cuántos tacos llevas?

This is a common question to hear when there’s not enough tacos and you see someone has been eating a lot of them. Maybe you want to know how many tacos they’ve eaten to compare it to yourself. So you can also eat the same.

It can also be used if you’re the one who prepared the tacos. Maybe you want to see if the others liked them by seeing how many they’ve eaten.

Recipe: Let’s Make Some Tacos!

We’re going to teach you two recipes for tacos. As you’ve seen so far, tacos are very varied, because you can put different types of meat.
But first, hagamos tus propias tortillas! (Let’s make your own tortillas!)

Tortillas can be bought in any tortillería in Mexico and in supermarkets as well. Though the ones from the tortillería are more delicious. Not many families make the tortillas, as it can take more time. If you want a faster recipe, just buy the tortillas.

But it would be a great way to learn more about the Spanish language and Mexican culture if you make them yourself. Plus, we’re sure they’ll taste incredible!

Necesitarás (you’ll need):

• ½ kilo of corn flour – Medio kilo de harina de maíz
• Warm water – Agua tibia
• Salt – Sal
• Tortilla press – Prensa para tortillas
• Comal/Griddle or frying Pan – Comal o Sartén
• Tortilla warmer – Tortillero

Pasos (steps):

1. Add warm water to your half a kilo of corn flour.
2. Then, to that same mix, add salt. As much as you wish. Of course, be careful, because the tortillas shouldn’t taste salty.
3. Knead the mix with your own hands until you form a ball of dough of consistent quality.
4. Grab a small portion of your dough and make it a small ball with your hands.
5. Put the small ball of dough in your tortilla press and smash the dough with the press. The dough should now have the shape of a disk.
6. Heat the comal, which is like a Mexican griddle. If you don’t have one, you can try making the tortillas in a normal frying pan.
7. Now that the comal is hot, pass the tortilla you just made to the comal. Be careful, as the dough is delicate and can break easily.
8. Once the dough of your tortilla looks cooked (not burned), flip the tortilla. So the other side gets cooked too. Mexicans do this with their own hands, but if you don’t feel safe, try with a spatula.
9. Once both sides of the tortilla are cooked, get it out of the comal. Be careful not to burn your hand. You can lay the tortillas in a tortillero, which is a container where Mexicans put their tortillas to keep them warm while they eat.
10. Repeat everything as many times as you want; it’ll depend on how many tortillas you want.

Pro tip: When Mexicans go to the tortillería and ask for their kilo of tortillas, they usually grab one (with the permission of the seller) before they’re packaged. Why? Because fresh tortillas are the best! So we highly recommend you eat the first tortilla you make right after you’ve made it. Believe us, it’ll be out of this world!

Tip to save time: You can also buy your dough already made, so you only have to make the tortillas. You can buy the dough in any tortillería. We recommend you add a bit of water to that dough, so it becomes easier to mold.

Prepara un taco clásico (prepare a classic taco):

Here’s the most classic and common taco, the one that represents Mexico all the way!

Necesitarás (you’ll need):

• Corn tortilla – Tortilla de maíz
• Your favorite meat – Tu carne favorita
• Cilantro – Cilantro
• Onion – Cebolla
• Green sauce – Salsa Verde
• Red sauce – Salsa roja
• Lime – Limón
• Saltshaker / Salt – Salero / Sal
• Oil – Aceite
• Dish – Plato
• Spatula – Espátula
• Teaspoon – Cucharadita / Cucharilla
• Cutting board – Tabla de cortar
• Knife – Cuchillo
• Frying pan – Sartén
• Around 4 bowls – Aproximadamente cuatro tazones

Pasos (steps):

1. Cut the onion and the cilantro in small pieces. Put them in two different bowls.
2. Cut some limes. You can put them in a bowl.
3. Pour some oil in a pan. Cook your favorite meat there. There can be different types of meat, so you have a variety to choose from.
4. Once it’s cooked, grab the knife and the cutting board and cut the meat into strips or small chunks.
5. Put the cooked meat in a bowl. If you have different meats, use a different bowl for each, so they don’t get mixed.
6. Grab a bunch of tortillas and warm them up in the microwave. If you prefer, you can also warm them on the stove, but make sure they don’t get burned. To warm them in the microwave you can put many tortillas in a bag and warm the bag in the microwave for a few seconds.
7. Grab one tortilla and lay it on a dish. Everyone in your family or reunion can do the same.
8. Grab your favorite meat and add a bunch of it on top of the tortilla.
9. Add a bit of cilantro and onion.
10. Add lime.
11. With the teaspoon add your favorite sauce. The most common sauces in Mexico are “salsa roja” (red sauce) and “salsa verde” (green sauce).
12. If you feel like the taco needs salt, add a bit on top of everything.
13. Time to eat! With your hands, fold your tortilla in the shape of a taco, lift it and give it a bite.

Prepara tacos de chicharrón (prepare crackling tacos):

One of the most common meals for a Mexican family that needs something quick to prepare are “tacos de chicharrón” (crackling tacos). It’s easy to do, as you can find all ingredients in the supermarket and don’t need cooking. So, if you’re in a rush or just don’t feel like cooking, prepare some of these tacos. Each member of your family can do it by themselves:

Necesitarás (you’ll need):

• Corn tortilla – Tortilla de maíz
• Crackling – Chicharrón
• Papalo – Pápalo
• Avocado – Aguacate
• Fresh cheese – Queso fresco
• Green sauce – Salsa Verde
• Red sauce – Salsa roja
• Guacamole – Guacamole
• Pot beans – Frijoles aguados
• Lime – Limón
• Saltshaker / Salt – Salero / Sal
• Dish – Plato
• Teaspoon – Cucharadita / Cucharilla
• Knife – Cuchillo
• Frying pan – Sartén
• Around 4 bowls – Aproximadamente cuatro tazones

Pasos (steps):

1. Grab many tortillas and warm them up in the microwave.
2. Take one tortilla and lay it on a dish.
3. Put some pieces of crackling on top of your tortilla.
4. Put some papalo leafs on top.
5. Cut the avocado and add some on top.
6. Cut the fresh cheese and add some on top of it all.
7. Grab the teaspoon and with it add guacamole or your favorite sauce.
8. Add lime and salt as you wish.
9. If you like beans, you could even add some “frijoles aguados” (pot beans).
10. Eat! You can prepare and eat as many as you want. We recommend preparing the tacos as you go, so the tortilla doesn’t get cold.

We Give You a Taste of Our Spanish Classes

Did you have fun making the tacos? Awesome! We’re glad you did. Now you see how cool it can be to learn Spanish through recipes. You practice your language skills, plus it helps you learn about a certain culture as well. Do you know how else you can do that? With our TruFluency classes!

We offer Spanish lessons with native teachers. So you’ll learn truly useful things for real-life. Plus, all lessons are customized to your language goals and needs. Just tell us what you want, and we’ll help.

Is it more vocabulary for the kitchen? Or maybe some Mexican idioms? Maybe some cultural tips about a specific country? Or do you need to improve your Spanish pronunciation?

Despite the fact that we teach all language areas, you must know we focus on speaking. We encourage you to speak in all classes, so you achieve Spanish fluency.

Do you want to get a taste of TruFluency Spanish lessons? Then take two trial classes of one hour each! They’re online and we have flexible schedules to choose from. Who knows? Maybe after it, you’ll want the main course!