Panuchos – fried tortillas stuffed with beans and chicken Recipe
Panuchos are a snack from Yucatán: small, slightly crispy tortillas stuffed with bean paste, served with chicken, vegetables and sauce. They look a bit like a cross between a tostada and a stuffed pita, but with a distinctly Mexican character. They’re perfect as handheld food for a party or a street food–style dinner.
Panuchos are the essence of Yucatecan street food – crispy fried tortillas with creamy beans hidden inside and juicy chicken on top. In structure they resemble small stuffed pockets that are easy to eat with your hands, but they burst with the intense flavors of garlic, chili and pickled onion. It’s a dish that brings the atmosphere of Mérida’s street stalls straight into your home kitchen.
Chef's tips
Warm the tortillas only briefly – if they stay too long on the dry pan they’ll dry out and crack when folded with the beans. The frying oil must not be too cool, otherwise the panuchos will soak up fat; if the tortilla starts to sizzle lightly right away, the temperature is just right. Make the bean paste rather thick than runny – if it’s too loose it will leak out of the tortillas during frying.
How to serve
Serve them immediately after frying, while the tortillas are still hot and crispy, preferably on a large platter so everyone can grab them with their hands during a home “street food night”. They go very well with cold beer or homemade lime and mint agua fresca, especially for summer grilling on the balcony. For larger gatherings, prepare all the components in advance and fry the tortillas to order in front of your guests – it always makes an impression.
Ingredients
- corn tortilla - 12 piece
- black beans - 250 g
- chicken - 300 g
- onion - 1 piece
- carrot - 1 piece
- lettuce - 0.5 head
- tomato - 2 piece
- garlic - 2 clove
- oil - 150 ml
- vinegar - 30 ml
- chili pepper - 2 piece
- salt - 1.25 teaspoon
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Cook the chicken in lightly salted water: place the meat in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 12–15 minutes, until fully cooked through. Remove, cool and shred into thin strips with your fingers or two forks.
- Drain and rinse the beans. Cut the onion into thin slices, grate the carrot on a coarse grater, shred the lettuce into thin strips and dice the tomatoes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 1 chopped clove of garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the beans, half a teaspoon of salt and 2–3 tablespoons of water.
- Cook the beans for 4–5 minutes, mashing them with a fork or masher until you get a thick paste. If it’s too dry, add a little water. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, mix the onion, carrot, vinegar, a pinch of salt and chopped jalapeños. Set aside for 10–15 minutes so the onion softens slightly and marinates.
- In a small pot or pan, heat the oil for frying over medium-high heat – check if it’s ready by dropping in a piece of tortilla; if it starts to sizzle immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Lightly warm each tortilla in a dry pan for a few seconds on each side so it becomes flexible. Then spread a thin layer of bean paste over one half of the tortilla, fold it in half and press the edges gently together.
- Fry the folded tortillas for 1–2 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken with a little salt and pepper. Prepare the lettuce and tomatoes in separate bowls as well.
- Gently open each panucho on one side (like a pocket), and fill with some lettuce, chicken, tomato and marinated onion with carrot. Serve immediately while the tortillas are still warm and crispy.
Storage
Panuchos taste best freshly fried, but leftover filled tortillas can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat them in a dry pan or oven until warmed through and slightly crisp again, and add fresh lettuce and tomato if needed.
