Traditional Panuchos Yucatecos

Panuchos Yucatecos features a crispy tortilla, creamy beans, flavorful shredded pork, and vibrant toppings to create a delicious and satisfying culinary experience! Learn how to make them at home with this easy step-by-step recipe.

this recipe

If you made my cochinita pibil recipe and got some leftovers, then this recipe is for you!

Panuchos are a traditional Mexican dish that originated in the Yucatan region. They are commonly found as street food in Merida and all over the state, enjoyed as a snack or full meal.

Panuchos Yucatecos are made by creating a hollow pocket inside a freshly made corn tortilla and stuffing it with refried black beans.

Once stuffed, the tortillas are fried until lightly crispy, then topped with shredded pulled pork (cochinita), avocado slices, boiled eggs, and a traditional salsa made of pickled onions and habanero peppers. They are super DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

• Cochinita: To make the authentic recipe you’ll need cochinita pibil, a traditional dish made of marinated pork with achiote paste, vinegar, and spices. You can substitute pork with shredded chicken or turkey.
• Tortillas: You’ll need freshly homemade corn tortillas. You can also use store-bought tortillas in a pinch and spread the beans on top instead of stuffing them.
• Beans: The traditional recipe calls for frijol colado, a specialty from Yucatan. However, I made this recipe with regular refried black beans and I can tell you it is still delicious and more easy to prepare.

For garnish

• Pickled onions: The authentic Panuchos Yucatecos are served with xnipec salsa a Yucatan-style salsa made with red onions, habanero chiles, and citrus juice. If you prefer to skip the spice, you can serve them with Mexican pickled onions (cebollas curtidas) instead.
• Eggs: You’ll need sliced boiled eggs. The eggs can go either stuffed with the beans or topped on a panucho, for presentation.
• Avocado: Fresh avocado adds creaminess and helps to balance the spiciness of this dish.

How To Make Panuchos Yucatecos

Make the beans filling

• Heat pork lard in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until slightly browned.
• Mix in black beans along with cooking water and bring to a simmer.
• Set heat to medium-low. Use a potato masher and mash the beans until nicely smooth. 
• Cook stirring constantly until beans are creamy. Set aside.

Make the Xnipec salsa:

Place sliced onions and habanero peppers into a medium bowl. 

Add bitter orange juice, oregano, and salt to taste. Toss for 1 minute, adjust salt to taste, and set aside.

Make the tortillas

Combine masa harina and water until you’ll have a smooth dough that resembles play-dough.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat.

Moisten your hands with a bit of water and divide the dough into 12 portions. Take a portion of the dough to roll it into a ball.

Place the ball between the plastic sheets and slightly press it with a heavy dish (or a tortilla press) to make a thick tortilla about 4.5″/11.5cm in circumference.

Remove the tortilla peeling the two plastic sheets and carefully place it on the hot skillet.

Cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute or until you’ll see some dark spots appear and the tortilla starts to puff (read the notes below).

Stuff the tortillas

Now, using a small knife, cut a slit in the side of the tortilla to make the pocket that will contain the stuffing.

Place the thick tortilla between a kitchen towel to keep it soft and repeat the steps until all masa is used.

Stuff each tortilla with a good spoonful of creamy black beans and press on top to nicely spread the beans inside.

Fry & assemble

In a large frying pan heat a few tablespoons of pork lard or oil over medium heat.

Working in batches, fry as many pieces as fit in your pan until slightly crispy on both sides.

Place the fried panuchos on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels, to remove excess oil.

Assemble

Place panuchos on a large serving plate and top each with cochinita pibil and some pickled onions.

Add some slices of boiled eggs, then top with sliced avocado and serve immediately with your favorite salsa on the side. I used salsa roja but any Mexican salsa works too.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• To be able to do the pockets on the tortillas, make sure they’re not as thin as a regular tortilla but neither too thick like a sope. Something in between.
• Let the tortilla nicely cook until you’ll see some dark spots here and there, this will allow it to inflate!
• Make the pockets on the tortillas as soon as you remove them from the skillet or comal, if you allow them to cool down it won’t be easy to cut them. Use a kitchen towel to take the tortilla with your hands so you won’t burn yourself.
• If nothing of this work and you aren’t able to make the pockets, just spread the beans on the fried tortillas, instead of filling them before. Is not traditional but is less stressful!
• Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying the tortillas, so you can achieve a crispy texture without the tortillas becoming too greasy.

What To Serve With Panuchos

I like to serve Panuchos Yucatecos as a main meal because they’re so fulfilling! Sometimes I also add Mexican cabbage salad, shredded lettuce, or fresh tomatoes as extra toppings.

On occasions like parties or gatherings, if you serve them as appetizers, pairing them with a refreshing drink like agua de guayaba or tepache is a good choice.

And you can also offer a variety of salsas and dips as condiments for dipping or drizzling over the Panuchos Yucatecos. This can include classic salsas like pico de gallo, habanero sauce, or salsa verde, as well as cilantro lime crema or sour cream-based dips.

Storage

Panuchos Yucatecos are best enjoyed fresh, as their crispy texture can diminish when stored. However, if you have ingredients leftovers you can store them separately following my recommendations:

First, make sure everything has reached room temperature. Then, place each component in airtight containers. If you going to freeze them, label the containers with the date of preparation to keep track of freshness.

• Meat: Shredded pork last 4-5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Beans & salsa: They last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 2-3 months in the freezer.
• Tortillas: Make sure you made the pocket on all of them and then wrap them tightly with cling film and (if you freeze them), also with foil to prevent freezer burn. They last up to a week in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.
• Pickled onions: They last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing.

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