Tripitas Tacos
I’ve been walking around in circles thinking about posting this recipe, I know that this is a very well-known type of taco in certain areas of my home country and that a lot of people (like me) absolutely love them, but then again most of the traffic this website receives is from non-Mexicans who probably think that eating this type of meat is disgusting. Believe me, I thought the same thing when I learned about the ingredients that make a regular hot dog, or the famous “chicken strips,” which are made out of a lot of things, except chicken.
Still, I like hot dogs once in a while. These tacos are another favorite at home when Friday night turns into taco night, and yes, my teenage son loves them too. Tripitas are also known as Chinchulines in other countries, I’m not sure if it is the same thing as “Chitterlings’ here in the States. If you know the correct name, please leave a comment below.
If you have not tried “tripitas” before, you are in for a surprising treat, they are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and unbelievably delicious. So, what are you waiting for?
So for those daredevil food connoisseurs, here is the recipe:
How to make Tripitas Tacos
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill a large pot with water and turn the heat to about medium-high
- Thoroughly clean and rinse the tripe. Do this step very quickly. Drain well.
- Simmer the tripitas in the covered pot for 30 minutes in a low heat. They should be soft when ready. Let them cool. Drain the tripitas on paper towels and cut into small bite size.
- Now, in a skillet, place about 2 tablespoons of oil. When it gets hot enough place the tripitas and fry for about 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden outside but still soft on the inside.
These tripitas tacos are another favorite at home when Friday night turns into taco night, and yes, my teenage son loves them too. Tripitas are also known as Chinchulines in other countries, I'm not sure if it is the same thing as Chitterlings here in the States.
- 4 Pounds of small beef intestines tripas
- Enough water to cover the “tripitas” to cook in a large pot
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
- Corn Tortillas
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
- Salsa of your choice
- Salt to taste
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Fill a large pot with water and turn the heat to about medium-high
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Thoroughly clean and rinse the tripe. Do this step very quickly: if you leave it too long in the water you will have rubbery tripitas as an end result. Drain well. The tripitas sold in USA supermarkets are usually sold clean but a little rinse doesn’t hurt.
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Simmer the tripitas in the covered pot for 30 minutes in a low heat. They should be soft when ready. Let them cool, a layer of fat will form on the surface of the broth. Remove the fat. Drain the tripitas on paper towels and cut into small bite size, about 1 inch long.
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Tacos de Tripita1Tacos de tripita2
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Now, in a skillet, place about 2 tablespoons of oil. When it gets hot enough place the tripitas and fry for about 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden outside but still soft on the inside. If you leave them longer they will be hard.
Tripitas will reduce their size a lot when cooking, buy 1 pound per person or serving. Yes, it sounds like a lot but one pound will render just 3 regular tacos, so think ahead before planning to cook them.
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Hay Mely se me ha hecho agua la boca, que rico a mi me encantan los taquitos de tripitas, son una de mis debilidades, besitos linda semana.
I LOVE tacos de tripas! I haven't had any good ones since moving to Nevada.
Try tacos el Gordo on Charleston and Bruce. Delish!????
Me encantan los tacos de tripita grasias por la receta !
Some people in my country eat fish tripe taken from the skipjack tuna. But as you say its not everyone's cup of tea. But I think these kind of posts is a way of showing others different and new kinds of food.
Fish tripe, that is sometime I would love to try. Mely
I ate fish guts for several years when I was stationed in Japan. They were salted and at the time I thought they were squid legs. Turns out they were intestines and they were great with cold beer or with sake.
Hello Charlie Sommers,
Now, I want to try Fish guts with a cold beer too.
Ay Mely, tripas para mi no! Este post es más bien cultural, a mi no me gustan las tripas pero se que los tacos de tripas son un alimento muy deseado y apreciado por muchos y es una recta que muestra un poco la cultura culinaria del pueblo. Felicidades para los que les gusta disfrutarlos, yo prefiero los tacos de adobada, aunque la foto se ve tentadora.
I have a cousin whose mother-in-law still makes these. I haven't been able to try them yet, but I do want to eat them after they're made by someone who knows what they're doing before trying it myself. That way I'll feel as if I gave it a fair shot.
I do hope you try them. You are the unadventurous type.
Mely
Awesome, thank you for the step by step instructions, I LOVE tripas, sometimes even with out the tortilla, mmmmm. I remember when my dad used to make them in "el disco" outside, ohhhh yum!! Great memories! Thanks again!
It took a little getting used to, but I can now eat yummy tripas tacos. And washing them thoroughly is very important.
Yes, washing them if very important. I am glad you like them Sandra.
Mely
Hey Mely! Congrats on the interview with NBCLatino. Excellent interview and awesome picture of you. I like tacos, but tacos de tripas, ayeeeee! 🙂 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Can I just express how happy I am to have found your blog!! Thanks for all the great Authentic recipes. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Angela,
You are very kind. I will do my best to keep it up. Still have so many recipes to post.
Mely
Mely,
primero lo primero: la dueña del blog eres tu y tu pones todas las recetas que se te antojan.
Segundo, nomas viendo los tacos me dio un hambre tremenda, qué cosa mas rica.
Tendré que preguntar a mi carnicero porque en general las tripas se encuentran sin problemas pero no de este tipo.
Un abrazo!
Tlaz
Gracias querido Falvio.
Ojala las encuentres, saben tan ricas.
Saludos amigo,
Mely
Andrew Zimmern is eating barbecued goat intestines on a reservation in Arizona and finds a goat "pellet" still in there.
Zimmern: "Looks like you still got a bullet in the chamber."
Lady: "Oh yeah, that gives it more flavor."
Zimmern: "…you only live once." [scarfs it down] "Kinda salty."
Wash your tripas.
Yes, wash them!!! Common sense is a most when cooking, we do not want anyone to get sick. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Mely
I married into a Mexican family and I am always looking for authentic recipes for things not Americanized versions. So I can surprise my husband with that I cooked something from his country. This is something he loves to have every once in a while.
So glad you enjoy your husband cooking.
Mely
I married into a Mexican family and I am always looking for real authentic recipes not americanized versions. I like to surprise my husband that I cooked something from his country. He has made these before and I loved them.
Hola Mely
Qué ricos tacos, me encantan!!!!
Yo probé unos en Cd. Valles con una salsa picada que llevaba vinagre, rábano, chile, pepino.. etc.
Q bueno que consigues por allá las tripitas mmmm
Hola Mely Yo soy nueva en esta pagina y me encanta…. Tienes unas recetas super antojables!!!!! Ya he probado los tacos de tripitas alla en Chicago… Tengo viviendo 8 años aca en Nebraska y lamentablemente para mi familia y Yo no venden comida Mexicana… Pero gracias a tu pagina ya he preparado varias y estan para chuparse los dedos me encantaria probar esta, asi que deseame suerte!!!! Gracias!!!!!!
Hola Oscar,
Espero te queden deliciosas, y muchisimas gracias por visitar y dejar comentarios.
Saludos,
Mely
I am so thank full you posted this recipe!!! I'm a Mexican who doesn't know how to cook Mexican food very well lol!
I haven't had this in years and didn't know how to cook them!!!
Gracias port la recta, I grew up eating this at restaurants and taquerias, i remember my uncle making these on summer days along with carnitas and Chicharrones at family gatherings thank you for sharing I will try making them this week end
Thank you!!!! My fiance loves this and now I can give it a try so he can have it at home!
From Southern Cali here, but have been transferring due to the military so havent had all my favorite dishes I'm spoiled to. Your site is awesome and has given me receipes like menudo to make TY!. I've been cooking Mexican food since I was 11 and learned this through my BF and her family. But, since being transferred from Hawaii to North Carolina its been very hard to find the little hole in the wall with Authentic recipes. Thank goodness I know how to make my own Carne Asada lol but at any rate I am wondering if you have any great recipes for Gorditas and also how to make Concha's for dessert to go with my Lecha con Cafe which has been a fave of mine and I miss them dearly..
Hello Motherslove,
I will be publishing the gorditas and conchas recipes in the following weeks. Thank you for your patience.
Saludos!
I love tacos con tripitas, ive always liked trying the "weird" foods as my friends say, but I find that the weirder it sounds the better it usually tastes! Tripa is just one fine example, whenever I go out to a taqueria(not sure how to spell it) I always get 2 dtacos con tripitas and a burrito con langua, or cabeza depending on my mood, if you have any other sudgestions im open ^-^. (Also, been looking for a good menudo recipe if you are willing to share)
Hello John Love,
I know that feeling of eating weird foods. The recipe for menudo is on the link:
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2010/04/menudo-soup.html
Regards,
In the recipe you called them "tripe" in English. Tripe is the stomache lining not the small intestine. Don't want newbys going to buy tripe to try and make your tacos. Otherwise, awesome recipe, going to try some today.
I've been getting tacos for months at a local truck, and today was the first time I got asked if I wanted soft or crispy tacos. I have ordered tripa before but this is the first time from that counter person, like he only sells tripa with crispy tacos. Any idea of if I'm committing a faux pas getting tripa with soft?
Hello,
I'm not sure if the counter person was referring to the tortillas or the actual tripas themselves, since usually taquerias will offer tripas either soft cooked or crispy (or both). Generally tripas are exclusively offered in soft-tortilla tacos. I never heard of crispy-tortilla tripa tacos, but nothing is written in stone.
I pretty much search out hotspots that makes these tacos! I will eat tongue, buche, etc, but tripa is my all time favorite!
Apreciable Mely, por favor corrije me si estoy equivocado, pero "tripas and tripe are two different things; tripe is stomach lining (o sea menudo) tripas son los "small intestines" verdad?
roberto
Hola Roberto,
Yes, you are absolutely right. One is the stomach and the other are the small intestine.
Saludos!
Las Tripitaka son
Marrow guts they are the milk glands. Nothing to do with the intestines. That is the reason many people won’t eat the tripitas. There are many butchers that will sell chitterlings for Tripitas but the chitterlings are the intestines I hope that helps you. I am 78 years old and grew up in the country around animals and my parents always made sure we were around to learn the correct way to use the different parts of the animal
In Texas, they call "tripas" marrow gut in English. Chinchulin in Argentina. Pigs intestines are chitterlings.
Hola Roberto,
I'll have to check that out about the "Marrow gut" here in Texas. I'd always wonder about those chitterlings. How do they cook them?
I am such a fan of your food I love it because its so raw and authentic to what’s real in the Mexican culture and generations of recipes of food that you make as is authentic and delicious you are wonderful 🙂
So I had some fantastic grilled tripe in Mexico at a country club restaurant. I had always had tribe in soup and sauces so was really impressed by this new preparation. Problem is I have not been able to duplicated it or even come close.
I was looking for help when I found your tripas tacos. So something new to try. But I would still like help with the grilled tripe. Anyone?
The tripe tacos that you refer to are similar to these ones, the tripe is precooked and then fry. Some people season with oregano.
these are my favorite tacos at the local authentic mexican restaurant…i get them every time…and you’re right, if you eat hotdogs, you’re eaten way worse things than tripas…
Chit’lins (chitterlings) are pork guts while tripas are beef guts. I like my tripas, bien dorrada (well-done), in a soft corn taco with refried beans, onions, cilantro, and picante.
Hello J.D.
Thank you for your comment about the difference between Chitterling and beef “tripitas” guts.