Carne asada tacos are the first tacos in history. It is believed that the first tacos appeared in the 1500s, made with thin slices of meat cooked over hot coals. The meat was placed in a corn tortilla and topped with guacamole, onions, chili peppers, and lime – also known as the carne asada taco.

Over time, people started to make other versions in different regions, and nowadays we are witnessing a true taco-mania, and it all began with the simple carne asada tacos.

Gringas is a typical Mexican dish made with flour tortillas filled with al pastor marinated pork meat, cheese, and, most commonly, pineapple slices, although onions, chili sauce, and coriander can all be added to the dish according to the customer's preference.

The combination of these ingredients is then grilled in the same manner as a quesadilla. The tortillas are usually folded in half and consumed like a taco. The name of the dish, a feminine form of gringo, is believed to have come from the idea that flour tortillas are more popular than corn tortillas north of the Mexican border.

Cochinita pibil is a Mexican pork dish originating from Yucatan. Pork is marinated in a combination of annatto paste, bitter orange juice, and garlic. It is slowly baked and then shredded and served on tortillas, tacos, or on its own with shallots, pickled onions, salsa, and various roasted vegetables.

Cochinita pibil is characterized by the red color of the meat, imparted by the annatto seeds from the marinade. Originally, pork was wrapped in banana leaves prior to baking, but today a foil or any other suitable wrapping can be used instead. Since cochinita means baby pig, and pibil means buried or underground, it acts as a proof that the original recipe used a whole suckling pig that was buried in a pit for roasting. 

Chilorio is a Sinaloan dish consisting of fried pulled pork meat that is cooked in chili sauce and spices such oregano, garlic, and cumin. Originally, it was used as a way to preserve meat, but today it is usually used as a filling for numerous Mexican specialties such as tacos or enchiladas.

If chilorio is served as a main dish, it is traditionally accompanied by salsa, guacamole, Mexican rice, or refried beans on the side.

Originating from the Mexican state of Michoacán, carnitas is a flavorful dish made from pork (usually front sections or pork shoulder) that is braised, roasted, or slow-cooked in its own fat for a long time until fully tender and succulent.

The heat is then turned up until the meat is crispy on the exterior and can be shredded. Carnitas, which translates to little meats, is often served with tortillas, accompanied by salsas, beans, guacamole, lime, or fresh vegetables. In Michoacán, carnitas are found everywhere from street stalls to upscale restaurants, although the dish is more often made for special occasions such as Christmas, anniversaries, or birthdays. 

Tacos al pastor is a Mexican dish consisting of thin slices of shaved pork from a rotating spit, placed on a tortilla and topped with onions, chopped coriander, pineapple chunks, chili, and salsa. The dish evolved from the Lebanese culinary traditions that arrived in Mexico in the late 19th century along with numerous immigrants.

It stems from the popular shawarma, but the Mexicans changed the spices and substituted lamb with pork. Tacos al pastor originated in the city of Puebla, and their name is translated to shepherd's style tacos. However, the addition of pineapple to the dish still remains a mystery to be solved.

Pollo encacahuatado is a Mexican dish believed to have originated in Puebla. It consists of chicken pieces that are cooked in a delicious peanut sauce made with lard, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peanuts, chilis, cinnamon, and chicken stock. The meat is slowly simmered in the sauce until all the flavors are thoroughly combined.

When done, the dish is typically served in shallow bowls and accompanied by warm tortillas or rice and beans.

Birria is a traditional, slow-cooked goat (although it can also be made with beef, lamb, mutton, or chicken) stew originating from the Mexican state of Jalisco. Colloquially, birria means mess, used in context to refer to anything of inferior quality, indicating the working-class origins of this humble dish.

The slow-cooking method ensures that the meat is extremely tender. Other ingredients in the stew include roasted chili peppers, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and thyme. On street stands, known as birrierias, birria is served only in the mornings, since it has a reputation of being a great hangover cure. 

Tacos Arabes is a traditional dish originating from Puebla. The pita-bread wrappers (pan árabe) are filled with thinly sliced cumin-marinated pork, spicy chipotle salsa, and a sauce consisting of yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and parsley.

These 'Arabian' tacos are typically served with lime wedges on the side. As the name suggests and many people believe, Middle Eastern immigrants came to Puebla after WWI and brought their shawarma-related culinary tradition of serving sliced roasted lamb (it was replaced with pork in Puebla) in pita bread.