An Arab taco is what would happen if the traditional taco and the shawarma had a baby. You’ve got spiced grilled meat similar to the latter, but made of pork instead of lamb, wrapped around a pita-like wheat tortilla, with chipotle salsa on top. That’s conceptually, but historically, it was a bit more complicated. 

What’s not too complicated, is making them. So, aside from delving into the history of this unique gem of Mexican cuisine and delightfully brash example of cultural synchronism, we’ll also share a home kitchen-friendly recipe of authentic tacos árabes that you can make at home and with basic equipment.  

Hailing from the city of Puebla (one of the top 3 gastronomical regions of Mexico, in our book), these tacos were the result of arab immigration to the country in the early 20th century. While no official history has been written about them (that we know of) the most widely accepted version around Puebla seems to be that it was two Iraki families in particular who started tinkering with the kebab from their native region, using locally sourced ingredients. Basically, they put marinated meat in a vertical spit and shaved off those delicious pieces once cooked, into a thin flatbread. 

One of the early results of that is the first arab taco, put together by the founder of a restaurant chain that you can still visit today, called Tacos Badgad and recently featured in a Netflix documentary. 

We’ll share more details of the history of tacos árabes below, but for now, if you want to get cooking…

Cooking Instructions for Tacos Árabes

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Fixing up Arab Tacos

Now that we’ve got everything ready, start by placing an iron griddle or large sauté pan over medium heat.

Then, drizzle with olive oil and place a few of the marinated pork cutlets in the pan.

Flip when browned and continue to cook on the other side. Once completely cooked, remove them from the heat and place them in a cutting board. We’ll slice the cutlets as thin as possible and then return to the heat.

As they regain some heat, add the sliced onion and continue to cook for a few more minutes until the onion is translucent and the meat has browned deliciously. 

With the meat ready, warm the pita bread on an iron griddle or flat pan. Once they are hot enough, which is warm but not as toasty so that they won’t fold properly; stuff them with grilled meat like you would on a taco. Now, add a little chipotle salsa, maybe some lemon if you think they need a bit of zest, and they’re ready to enjoy!

Recipe Notes

No trompo or vertical spit?

As in our tacos al pastor recipe, we are not assembling and cooking the meat in a traditional “trompo“. The trompo is the traditional inverted cone of meat, or vertical rotisserie, if you will, used in tacos al pastor and Arab tacos. Some even argue that the Mexican-Arab version is where tacos al pastor come from.

The trompo, typically referred to as shawarma in its native region, originated in the Middle East as a way to cook large quantities of meat directly over a fire. In other words, the shawarma means both the style of meat and method of cooking it, which in English we could call a vertical spit. In Spanish, us Mexicans like slang, so trompo, has become the proper nomenclature around these parts; simply because the cone of meat looks like a traditional Latin American toy.

When cooking these sorts of tacos at home I feel it is not really necessary to assemble the meat in that vertical spit; the quantities are too small. Plus, a vertical fire can be tricky to get in a normal household kitchen. You only lose a bit of the je ne sais quoi of that freshly ‘shaved off’ meat, but if you marinate things properly, it can be just as tasty— especially if you’re several miles away from anything resembling Puebla.

How Hot Should the Salsa Be?

Depending on your taste, this chipotle salsa can be adjusted to your desired level of hotness/spiciness. I recommend 4 chipotles for medium spiciness, and 6 or 7 for those who like to live more dangerously. 

On Arab Gringas and Other Variants

A traditional Arab taco place in Mexico will almost always offer a gringa or gringa árabe. To make one of these you take pita bread, place some cheese that will melt nicely inside (Oaxaca cheese or quesillo is ideal) place in the microwave to melt or slowly over low heat, stuff with grilled meat, and add chipotle salsa to your taste and there you have it, an arab gringa or arab quesadilla.

Another great version of this meat is a torta (Mexican sandwich). Heat a bolillo or some sort of baguette-style bread, spread refried beans, stuff with the grilled meat, add some cheese (again, Oaxaca cheese or quesillo is ideal), a little chipotle salsa, maybe a little mustard on the top of the bread and there it is— an Arab torta.

Of course, the fancy or ‘correct’ version of this is the cemita, which has its own special bread, sprinkled with sesame. Inside, you would add the meat and accompany with sliced avocado, more chipotle, more quesillo, onions, and sometimes a herb called pápalo.

Along with any of these dishes, some places offer jocoque, which is a Mexican dairy-based delicacy similar to Arab Labneh. Jocoque, like most of the food discussed here and so many wonders of our cuisine, is also the result of arab migration and influence in our country. So, that being the case; أتمنى لك وجبة شهية?!

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