Tlacoyos are a classic Mexican oval-shaped patty made with masa dough and typically filled with beans and cheese. Top them with a delicious fresh salsa and you’re set to enjoy a delicious and easy to make meal!
What are Tlacoyos?
Tlacoyos are a delicious Mexican dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. These tasty treats are a type of antojito, which is a small snack or appetizer that is commonly sold by street vendors in Mexico.
Tlacoyos are made from masa, which is a type of corn dough that is used to make many different traditional Mexican dishes. The masa is shaped into an oval (almost like an empanada) or triangular shape, and then filled with a variety of ingredients such as refried beans, cheese, fava beans, potatoes, or shredded meat. The filled masa is then cooked on a comal or flat griddle.
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.
And generally they’re served with crema, cheese, spicy salsa, cactus salad, pickled onion and cilantro.
“Fun fact! You can also find Tlacoyos by these other names: clacoyo, clacoyito, tlatloyo o tlayoyo.”
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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 or blue corn masa. If you have access to fresh tortilla masa from a latin store, you can use that as well.
- 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. You can also use this Nopales Salad instead.
- In a large deep bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt. Stir in water a little bit at the time to thoroughly combine. Knead dough just until it comes together into smooth dough, about 2 minutes.
- Keep the dough in the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rest for 15 minutes.
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). Or use a tortilla press to form a thick tortilla.
- 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 the palms of your hands flipping it side to side, until they form into a rhomboid 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 masa 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 & Reheat
Storage
- Fridge: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It’s important to make sure they are fully cooled down before placing them in the container to prevent condensation from forming and making them soggy. You can also wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Freezer: They can also be frozen following the above method. They keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Microwave: This is probably the quickest and easiest method. Simply place the quesadilla on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until heated through. The downside to this method is that the quesadilla may become a bit soggy.
Oven or air fryer: If you want your quesadilla to be a bit crispier, try reheating it in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F, place the quesadilla on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.
Stovetop: If you have a bit more time, you can also reheat your quesadilla on the stovetop. Heat a skillet over medium heat, place the quesadilla in the skillet, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until heated through and crispy.
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!!!
Enjoy…..
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Tlacoyo Recipe:
Tlacoyos De Frijol (Black Bean Tlacoyos)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup masa harina
- 1 ½ cup hot water
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 15 ounces cooked Nopalitos or 15 oz store bought jar diced into small cubes
- 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
- Cactus Salsa
- Avocado, lettuce, radishes optional
- crumbled queso fresco and Mexican crema optional
Instructions
Make the Masa Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt. Stir in water a little bit at the time to thoroughly combine. Knead dough just until it comes together into a smooth ball, about 2 minutes.
- Keep the dough in the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Form The Tlacoyo
- Fill a shallow dish with water to keep handy when working with the masa.
- Make a masa ball (about 60 grams) the size of very large golf ball and with your wet fingertips, press a deep indent into the ball, then work it into a thick tortilla (about ¼ inch-thick).
- Place about 1 to 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 edges crack, smooth them with a wet finger tip. Place Tlacoyo on a plate and set aside.
- Repeat procedure with remaining dough and filling.
Cook 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 to keep them warm and not dry out.
Make the Nopalitos Salsa
- Mix the nopalitos, onions, tomato, cilantro and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Serve
- Serve the Tlacoyos warm by layering with the nopalitos salsa and the toppings of your choice.
Muy Delish Notes:
- 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.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
The History
The origins of tlacoyos can be traced back to the pre-hispanic era, when the ancient Aztecs would prepare a similar dish made from beans and corn. The word “tlacoyo” actually comes from the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztecs and other indigenous people in Mexico. Tlacoyo roughly translates to “half-cooked” or “half-baked,” which is a reference to the way that the masa is cooked before it is filled with the delicious toppings.
When the ancient settlers 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.
I have actually never had tlacoyos before but now I can’t wait to try them after seeing your recipe! I’m going to be making this for dinner tonight!
This recipe was really easy to make and a perfect alternative to Taco Tuesday. The thickness of the tortilla was perfect for handling the toppings.
Such a delicious authentic dish with an interesting history! Yum!
I love what an easy meal this is!
So delicious! And your step-by-step photos were so helpful. I froze a batch for later and am excited to have it ready to enjoy again!
They were so good but mine didn’t turn out so pretty LOL STILL GOOD!
I enjoyed these tlacoyos with beans just as you described them. Made a tomato salsa and they were so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Your Tlacoyos look delicious, I love the different toppings you serve with them. Thanks for all the tips, looking forward to trying your recipe.
This is absolutely deilcious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Thanks so much Shadi! So glad you like it!
Oh wow! These look absolutely fantastic! I love all the flavors, especially with the Nopalitos Salsa.
Yep! The nopalito salsa on top of the tlacoyos add a very delicious layer. Thanks Tara! xo, Ana
I just tried it and it was so good!! Everyone at my house loved it!
I’m so happy to hear that the family loved these Tlacoyos Toni! Thanks for the feedback!
I love this recipe. I lived In Mexico for many years and miss tlacoyos so much! I keep coming to this post to make the recipe and never disappoints!
Thank you Tavo! How cool that you liked in Mexico too!
Wow! This meal is a huge hit at our house. We love how easy this is to make and fun! I’m totally adding this to our monthly rotation. My kids loved it!
Thanks so much Andrea! I appreciate the feedback 🙂 Xo, Ana
These Tlacoyos recipe is so.delicious! I have a few leftover and will have them for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!