Pambazos

Pambazos are a mouth watering Mexican sandwich stuffed with a mixture of potatoes and chorizo, lettuce, queso & crema. The bread is covered in a delicious guajillo salsa and crisped to perfection. Irresistible!

The Pambazo History

This Mexican dish originated in Veracruz and was created in honor of Empress Carlota, by a chef named Jose Tüdös. He was inspired by the shapes of the Citlaltépec volcano, also known as Pico de Orizaba.

But the most popular form that we know of originated in Mexico City, where they are sold mainly as a street antojito (snack).

Want to learn how to make a Pambazo sandwich? Let me show you how to make it step by step with my easy and authentic recipe.

Ingredients

For The Salsa

• 5 to 6 large guajillo peppers  – remove the seeds prior to cooking. If you can’t find guajillo peppers, you can use Chile Negro, California or New Mexico.
• ¼ large onion – white or yellow will work fine.
• 1 large garlic clove peeled
• ½ teaspoon salt – I like to use kosher salt since it has a better flavor profile.
• ½ teaspoon black pepper – freshly grinded is the best!

For The Pambazo

• 3 yellow potatoes or 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes. Cutting the potatoes first will speed up the cooking process.
• 9 ounces (250 g) beef or soy chorizo.
• 4 telera breads cut in half. See below for substitutions.
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Toppings

• 2 cups shredded lettuce like romaine or iceberg
• 1 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco
• ½ cup Mexican crema
• Mexican pickled onions
• salsa chile de arbol Optional
• or salsa verde Optional

Note: You can make ahead the salsas, pickled onions and even the chorizo and potato mixture. This will save you lots of time when you get hungry and are ready to eat!

The Pambazo Pan (the bread)

This dish uses telera bread which is fluffy and soft inside, golden and crispy on the outside. It’s similar to the bolillo but the telera has a smoother top and the shape is flatter.

If you can’t find telera bread, find any other kind that has is soft but solid inside. The texture on the top must be smooth in texture.

How To Make Pambazos

Want to learn how to make a Pambazo sandwich? Let me show you how to make it step by step with my easy and authentic recipe.

Cook The Pambazo Salsa

• In a small to medium pot, add the ¼ of a large onion, 1 garlic clove and a ½ teaspoon of salt & pepper. Add enough water to cover the onions.
• Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the guajillo chiles making sure they’re completely under the water. Turn off heat and let them sit for 10 minutes or until the chiles are soft and pliable.

• In a blender or food processor, add the chile guajillos, onion, garlic plus 1 ½ cup of the chili water. Blend until smooth and transfer to a bowl.

Make The Chorizo & Potatoes

• While the chiles are getting hydrated, cook the cubed potatoes in a small pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes on medium-high heat or until soft. Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, add the chorizo and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes to the cooked chorizo and mix well or smash them a little bit in the chorizo a little bit to form a more solid consistency. This will help the chorizo/potato mixture stay inside the sandwich better.

Make The Pambazos

• On a large skillet or comal, add the 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat over medium heat.
• Brush the telera with the salsa or dip it into the salsa to cover the outside of the bread.
• Fry the bread on the skillet or comal until lightly crispy on the outside. Repeat the process for all of the bread.

Open the telera bread and fill with the chorizo and potato mixture, lettuce, crema, crumbled queso, pickled onion and salsa if using any.

This dish is messy so be ready and grab lots of napkins! It’s also finger licking good and no one will judge you for that. Enjoy!

Are Pambazos spicy?

Pambazos are not spicy since the Chile Guajillo Salsa is naturally mild. Guajillo’s have tangy and smoky flavor profile and it’s on the moderate heat level—500 to 5,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale. They do have a lot of flavor and they are perfectly for family-friendly cooking.

Serving suggestions

This Mexican sandwich goes perfectly with a tall glass of Jamaica, Agua De Melon or the classic Horchata.

Typically they are not served with a side dish but if you must, then I suggest serving them with refried beans or these delicious Chiles Toreados.

For dessert make Arroz Con Leche or Sweet Empanaditas.

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