Can You Really Make Authentic Tacos Árabes Using a Shawarma Cooker? (SPOILER ALERT: Yes...)
This amazing recipe, brought to Mexico by Middle Eastern immigrants is absolutely delicious! A perfect dish to cook on a vertical spit, if you are lucky enough to have one! Join us as we prepare delicious homemade Tacos Árabes right in our backyard! This video is packed with cooking tips for easy recipes, making it perfect for anyone looking to enjoy Tacos Árabes. We’ll show you how simple it is to make these flavorful tacos, perfect for any night of the week!
Things to know:
What are tacos árabes?
Tacos árabes are a Puebla, Mexico specialty featuring spit-roasted pork marinated with Middle Eastern spices (like cumin and oregano) served on a thick flour pita called pan árabe. They are the precursor to tacos al pastor, featuring a savory, non-spicy profile often served with chipotle salsa and jocoque.
What is the difference between tacos árabes and al pastor?
Tacos árabes and tacos al pastor are both spit-roasted pork dishes originating from Puebla, Mexico, influenced by Lebanese immigrants. Tacos árabes (the precursor) use flour pita-style bread (pan árabe) and oregano/cumin spices, while tacos al pastor (the evolution) feature marinated red chili pork, corn tortillas, pineapple, and onion-cilantro toppings.
Who invented tacos árabes?
Tacos árabes were the original tacos made in Puebla by a wave of Middle Eastern immigrants who came mostly from Lebanon and Iraq after World War I.
Why did Lebanese immigrate to Mexico?
Between 1880 and 1910, Lebanese people migrated to Mexico primarily to escape religious persecution, political instability, and economic hardship under the Ottoman Empire. Driven by the collapse of the Mount Lebanon silk industry and forced military conscription, many Christians sought better opportunities, finding a welcoming environment with promising commercial prospects in Mexico.
What exactly is shawarma?
Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern street food consisting of marinated meat—typically chicken, lamb, beef, or turkey—stacked in a cone-like shape on a vertical rotisserie. It is slow-roasted, shaved off in thin slices while cooking, and commonly served in pita bread or flatbread with toppings like garlic sauce, tahini, and pickled vegetables.
Ingredients
1/4 cup + 2 T lime juice
1 T + 1 t cumin
1 T + 1 t oregano
between 2 t – 1 T salt, to taste
1/2 t cinnamon
2 t ground clove
1/2 t cardamom
2 t smoked paprika
1 t black pepper
1 large onion, sliced thinly
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1. Place the pork shoulder in the freezer, and set a timer for 1 hour (this makes it easier to slice thinly).
2. Combine the lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, and black pepper.
3. Toss the onions together with a few tablespoons of the marinade until they are very evenly coated.
4. Thinly slice the semi-frozen pork, and toss it together with the rest of the marinade until it’s very evenly coated.*
5. (If using an oven) Preheat the oven to 250° F (121° C) once the pork is sliced, and lightly oil a 10 to 12-inch oven-proof skillet.
Build a layer of overlapping pieces of pork, leaving a border of at least 1 inch between the pork and the walls of the skillet. Add a layer of onions, followed by another layer of pork, and continue until all the ingredients are used up. When layering, make sure your pieces of pork overlap a little, aim for making a pentagon or square with them, make sure it doesn’t taper too much as you build upwards, and squish it down every few layers to make sure it’s stable and compact.
5. (If using a vertical spit (Shawarma Cooker): Build a layer of overlapping pieces of pork, threading them on the vertical spit. Add a layer of onions, followed by another layer of pork, and continue until all the ingredients are used up.
6. (If using an oven) Bake for about 4 1/2 hours, until the pork is very tender and crispy on the outside. About once every hour or so, baste the shawarma with the juices collecting around the edges. Once it’s done, remove the shawarma from the skillet to a cutting board (don’t throw out the juices!), and let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing.
7. Remove the juices to a small bowl or measuring cup, and allow them to separate for a minute. Rinse out the pan.
8. Peel off the top of the shawarma, thinly slice it, and then thinly slice off the crispy edges from the shawarma. Set these aside in a bowl (they don’t need to be seared). Thinly slice the rest of the shawarma.**Heat the empty cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Use a spoon to skim about a tablespoon of the fat off of the surface of the reserved juices, and add it to the hot skillet. Swirl to coat, and then add about 1/3 of the sliced shawarma. Stir it frequently for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove to a bowl, and repeat with the remaining batches, adding a little more fat each time.
6. (If using a vertical spit) Place the spit on your Shawarma cooker and fire it up! As the outside edges get done, slice them off and keep them warm in a crock pot on low heat, exposing the less cooked meat to the heat source.
7/9. Serve with salsa, flour tortillas, lime wedges, and/or cilantro. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
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