Tlacoyos De Frijol (Black Bean Tlacoyos)

The Tlacoyo

The Tlacoyo is a fundamental piece of Mexican gastronomy, since many meals & snacks have their origin in this dish: Sopes, Huaraches and Gorditas were created after this delicacy made with masa.

In particular, the tlacoyo consists of a kind of oval empanada of nixtamalized blue or regular corn that can be filled with different foods of vegetable or animal origin, such as beans, broad beans, alverjón, pork rinds or cottage cheese.

And generally they’re served with crema, cheese, salsas, nopales, onion and cilantro.

“Fun fact! You can also find Tlacoyos by these other names: clacoyo, clacoyito, tlatloyo o tlayoyo.”

Ingredients

We don’t need a lot of ingredients to make Tlacoyos but it does require other toppings and fillings to make this super delicious dish. It’s all about layers of flavor!

On this blog post, I will show you how to make the Tlacoyos and the Nopalitos (cactus) salsa. The fillings is made with beans which I will provide the link to the recipe below.

For the Masa Dough

• 1 ½ cup masa harina
• 1 ½ cup hot water
• ½ teaspoon table salt

For the Nopalitos Salsa

• 15 ounces cooked Nopalitos or 15 oz store bought jar 
• ¼ cup diced white or yellow onion.
• 1 large roma tomato diced into small cubes
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

The fillings

• 1 cup Refried Black Beans or Pinto Beans
• Other filling ideas are mashed green peas, broad beans (habas in Spanish), or cheese. In recent years people started filling them with meats like chorizo or shredded meat.

TOPPINGS

We eat the tlacoyos with a cactus salsa which is so important as a topping. It adds a whole nother flavor and textures. It’s the perfect final touch! 

Other delicious toppings are crumbled queso fresco, crema, avocado, lettuce, salsa, and radishes.

How To Make Tlacoyos

Make The Nopalitos Salsa – Start by making the salsa then set it aside: Mix the nopalitos, onions, tomato, cilantro and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Mold The Tlacoyo

• Fill a shallow dish with water to keep handy when working with the masa.
• Working one dough ball at time, with your fingertips, press a deep indent into the ball, then work it into a thick tortilla (about ¼ inch-thick).
• Place about 2 tablespoons of beans into the middle area. Using moist fingers, carefully bring edges of dough together, enclose filling, and press to seal. Roll the ball in your hands until smooth.

• Carefully and very lightly press the Tlacoyo with your hands flipping it side to side, until they form into a football shape. About ¼ inch-thick. If the edges crack, smooth them with a wet finger tip. Place Tlacoyo on a plate and set aside to make the rest.
• Repeat procedure with remaining dough and filling.

Cooking The Tlacoyo

• Heat a comal, large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once it becomes very hot, lower the heat to medium.
• Cook the Tlacoyos in batches (how many fit in the comal): Cook for one minute then flip them. Cook for 2.5 minutes. Then flip them again and cook for another 1.5 minutes.

• Place them on a plate lined with a kitchen towel and cover with same towel.
• Serve Tlacoyos with Cactus Salsa and add your favorite toppings.

Time to serve!

• Serve the Tlacoyos warm by layering with the nopalitos salsa and the toppings of your choice.

Equipment

Preferably use a comal but if you don’t have one, you can use a griddle or an iron-skillet. Make sure to use a skillet where the heat is distributed evenly to cook well.

How To Store The Tlacoyos

Any leftovers can be stored in a ziploc bag or an airtight container. They can be made ahead and simply heat up on the comal or skillet before serving.

Top tips:

• Make sure the dough is not dry. If it feels to dry, add one tablespoon of water at the time and knead again.
• The beans have to be on the dry side and cold to prevent them from spilling out when you seal them in the masa. 
• The Tlacoyos have to be on the thin side in order for it to cook thoroughly.
• Cook them for 1 minute on the first side, then flip them and cook them for 2.5 minutes. Flip them again and cook for 1.5 minutes. So they’re only flipped 3 times. 
• Avoid leaving them on the comal too long as they will get hard and dry. 
• Tlacoyos are a healthy dish since they’re not made with fat and don’t need to be fried to cook. Enjoy!!!

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The History

Tlacoyo is a traditional food from the center of the country and its consumption dates back to long before the arrival of the Spanish to the American continent.

When the ancient settlers of what is now known as Mexico undertook long journeys, they filled their “itacate” with tlacoyos and their gourd with water or pulque.

According to some records, the Spanish tried the tlacoyos for the first time in the tianguis of Tlatelolco and they liked it so much that they included this food in their diet, but not before adding products derived from beef and dairy products.

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