Taco 'Bout a good time!
Craving a fun and social way to spend your evening whilst going on a real food adventure? Forget awkward small talk - roll up your sleeves, dust off your apron, and let the tacos do the talking! Dive into the wonderful and exotic world of Mexi-cookery!
Our Mexi-Cookery Workshop is more than just a cooking class - it’s an experience designed to bring the delights of hands on learning with the joys of real connection through shared creativity, laughter and the bold and vibrant flavours of Mexico!
You’ll quickly bond with your ‘compañeros’ over fresh salsas, handcrafted marinades, and taco assembly lines — breaking the ice with real hands-on engagement, and a very special dinner and drinks to enjoy the rewards.
Perfect for food lovers, curious cooks or those who simply love to learn in a social setting.
What you'll do
You’ll discover a whole new world of one of the richest, most diverse, and we think, exciting foods on the planet. We’ll feed your learning appetite whilst sparking connection and joy amongst you! You'll be in teams for a fun and fiery Mexican street food cook-off, followed by sunset cocktails and plenty of time to get to know your fellow workshop companions and finally, to savour the evening with a proper Mexican feast! So '¡Vamos chic@s!' (let's go!) join the crew and let the taco fun begin!
Welcome to Mexi-cookery
20 mins
🥤 Welcome refreshments and snacks
👨🍳 Intro and evening walk-through by our 'Jefes de cocinar’ - cooking 'bosses' - who explain the program, team cook-off, menu, and history of the dishes
Mexi-Cook-Off showdown
1 hour 30 mins
Compete in teams to create the holy trinity of taco greatness
🌶 A rich flavour packed ‘adobo’ and taco filling
🍅 A punchy, house-made salsa
🌮 Soft pliable corn tortillas
🥕 A tangy, vibrant pickled garnish to top it all off
Our cooks will be on hand to guide and provide exclusive Mexi know-how!
At the end of the cook-off you’ll present the bounty, where a winning team is announced!
Cocktails and Feast
1 hour and 30 minutes
🍹 Pre dinner sunset cocktails to celebrate your new Mexi-cookery skills and creations, and to further connect with your cooking companions!
🍽️ A sit down dinner with great vibes to enjoy a real handcrafted taco feast - straight from the bustling 'centros' of Mexico. Imagine a warm atmosphere with a table full of buzzing chatter, colour, and beautiful sharing plates! ‘¡Salud!’
✨ Cherish the night and true flavours of Mexico, made by you!
What You’ll Get!
UNLIMITED drinks & snacks
A variety of unlimited alcoholic and non alcoholic and snacks to kick off your Mexi-adventure!
Interactive cooking workshop
You'll learn to make 'Birria' / 'Rajas' tacos (meat / vegetarian), a real deal salsa, soft corn tortillas, and Mexican pickles
Pre-dinner cocktails
A Mexican special to toast the night and your new skills! Featuring an alcoholic + non alcoholic variety
Sit down Feast
Full spread featuring all your creations - 'Tacos de Birria’ and ‘Tacos de Rajas’, with a variety of sides and a sweet treat for afters. Served with wine & non-alcoholic drinks
Detailed recipes
To re-create at home, with plenty of Mexi know-how and practical info for further building on your Mexi cooking adventure!
PRACTICAL INFO
- Location: Amsterdam. Kitchen Republic Scale-Up Kitchens Nieuwe Hemweg 14A, 1013 BG Amsterdam
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Time: 18:30 - 22:00
- Availability: Fridays - please check booking page for next available slots
- Price: €79 per person (incl. BTW / VAT). This includes the workshop and all materials, unlimited drinks, cocktails, and a sit down feast!
- Group size: max 20 people
- Dietary info: 100% gluten-free with meat and vegetarian options
- Age: 16+
- Custom needs? We’ve got you. Just get in touch.
- Parking: You can park paid with Easy Park on the big parking lot in front of the Breugem Brewery which is just on your right as you enter the estate
We aim to give you the basic tools and know-how to re-create your very own taco feast at home with some of Mexico’s most cherished and delicious recipes.
- History of the dishes
- About the ingredients
- How to make a rich taco filling
- How to make a pickled taco garnish
- How to make a versatile fresh house salsa
- How to make soft corn tortillas
- How to prepare and assemble tacos
- Where to source Mexican ingredients
Here are our frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question below please get in touch
Can I join as an individual participant?
Yes absolutely - this workshop is designed for individual sign ups and the opportunity to meet new people!
Can I bring someone else?
Of course - you can purchase an extra ticket in the booking page
Can I book for a private group?
Yes absolutely. Please send us a message to hola@arredondos.co
Are the workshops suitable for beginners?
Absolutely! No previous Mexican cooking experience is required and none of the recipes are highly technical
Do you have a vegetarian version?
Yes, we have both meat and vegetarian recipes in the workshop. The vegetarian version is 'Tacos de Rajas' - delicious creamy chargrilled Poblano peppers with onion and corn.
We will also collect dietary information from you before hand to design the right team / menu mix
How spicy is the food we'll eat?
Not that spicy! We've purposefully selected dishes and curated the recipes to make them not overly spicy to suit broad tastes. If you do like your food really spicy, or want even less spice, you can always control this by serving yourself more or less salsa!
How are dietary needs such as allergies handled?
We collect dietary information beforehand to check if any participant has an allergy or intolerance
Do I need to bring anything?
No, nothing to bring - we provide all materials and aprons etc
A taste of what awaits...
We’ve picked two of Mexico’s most cherished and exciting taco dishes for your Mexi-taco adventure!
You’ll learn how to make ‘Tacos de Birria’ or ‘Tacos de Rajas’ (V). Birria - beef tacos - from Mexico's central west, including the famed Jalisco region - have become Mexico’s most popular meat tacos cooked with the ancient underground ‘Pibil’ method. Whilst Rajas - creamy and earthy Poblano pepper tacos - are a vegetarian favourite and absolute mainstay in 'las cazueladas' (potlucks) across Mexico.
It doesn’t stop there…alongside the taco dishes, you’ll become a pro with all the distinct elements - soft corn tortillas, handmade salsas, Mexican pickles - that make the taco a true flavour bomb, and Mexican food a wonderful sharing feast. '¡Buen provecho!' ('Enjoy!')
Taco filling: ‘Tacos de Birria’
- Tender beef chunks slow cooked in a rich broth of toasted Ancho- and Guajillo- chillies and a varied mix of spices.
- Served fork-tender accompanied by its chilli broth, with soft corn tortillas, 'salsa verde', and pickled onion and habanero slithers.
- 'Birria' is a variation of ‘Barbacoa’ tacos - widely popular in Mexico - and also based on the ancient ‘Pibil’ (meaning ‘buried’) method of slow cooking below ground.
- One of Mexico's most renowned and flavourful tacos!
Taco filling: ‘Tacos de Rajas’
- Fine slithers of chargrilled earthy 'Poblano' peppers cooked in a creamy sauce with corn and onion, topped with fresh cheese. The name ‘Rajas’ comes from the Spanish word ‘rajar’ meaning to split
- Poblano - is a fresh Mexican chilli pepper - mild in spice, but deliciously rich and earthy, with a hint of sweetness - giving deep flavour without an overwhelming heat. Originally from the state of Puebla in Mexico, the Poblano is one of the most widely used fresh chillies in Mexican cooking. It’s dried form - known as ‘Ancho’ - is equally special - dark brown in colour, with an earthy and dried fruity flavour. It's widely used in chilli powders, salsas, and sauces, such as 'Moles'.
- Rajas is a dish that blends earthy, vegetal and sweet notes with an unctuous creaminess, offset with soft corn tortillas, and finally a light citrus touch from a pickled habanero and onion garnish
‘Salsa Verde’
- Charred fresh 'jalapeño' peppers blended with tomatillos (small green tomatoes) and garlic, producing a wonderfully fresh- tasting and vibrant green ('Verde') salsa.
- You’ll learn how to make salsa the traditional way - using a Mexican ‘comal’ (iron plate) and a handmade volcanic ash ‘molcajette’ (mortar). You’ll discover about the importance of charring, balancing smokiness, spice and aroma. Once you've practised this - it's easy to re-create at home too!
- In Mexico they say “un buen taco es 50% taco y 50% salsa” - “a great taco is 50% taco and 50% salsa”! Taquerias are regarded for their ability to offer customers a great selection of 'salsas caseras' (in house salsas). Made typically with fresh or dried seared chillies, and tomatoes or 'tomatillos' salsa is key in both elevating, and balancing out, the hearty taco fillings.
Soft Corn Tortillas
- You’ll learn how to make the softest and most pliable corn tortillas - the taco foundation! You'll experience the art of hand-making 'masa' (the dough for tortillas), shaping, pressing, and cooking tortillas.
- Using a simple 'prensa' (tortilla press) you'll then transform the 'masa' into tortillas, before toasting the tortillas on the grill until soft and warm, with a delicate graininess on the outside...like true 'Doñas' of the 'cocina' ;)
- In Mexico they say “Sin maíz no hay país” - “without corn there's no country”! Corn is the bedrock of Mexican food culture and corn dough ‘masa’ is shaped in countless formats to recreate some of Mexico's most beloved street food. Fun fact alert!: did you know in Mexico some 25-30 masa formats exist? - think of tacos, flautas, tostadas, quesadillas, sopes and many many more...
'HABANEROS EN ESCABECHE' - PICKLED habaneros
'Habaneros' are Mexico’s fieriest chillies, and one of the most widely used chillies to accompany slow cooked meat dishes. Pickled - mixed with vinegar and lime - habanero peppers bring an intense heat and zestyness that elevate everything from hearty taco fillings to sandwiches! As a garnish - these pickles give the final touch making the tacos real flavour bombs!