Tlayuda is a traditional Mexican recipe (from Oaxaca) for a classic street food dish of what is essentially a giant tostada topped with beans, cheese, vegetables and meat. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Tlayuda.
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Tlayuda is Oaxaca’s most iconic street food. At its core, a tlayuda is a large, partially dried corn tortilla — roughly 30 to 40cm in diameter — that’s grilled over coals until it blisters and crisps at the edges while staying pliable in the centre. It’s spread first with asiento (unrefined pork fat, the deeply savory sediment left after rendering lard), then with refried black beans, then piled with quesillo (the pulled string cheese of Oaxaca), shredded cabbage or lettuce, tomato, avocado, and your choice of meat: tasajo (dry-cured beef), cecina (chile-marinated pork), or chorizo. It can be served open-faced or folded in half. Either way, it is a full meal. Authentic Oaxacan tlayuda tortillas are enormous, semi-dried white corn tortillas not available in most stores. Large flour tortillas are the most practical substitute and grill beautifully. If you can find large corn tortillas those are closer to tradition. Asiento is the rich, savory pork-fat sediment used in Oaxaca. Pure lard, rendered bacon fat, or even a good drizzle of olive oil will approximate its richness. You may have difficulty finding quesillo ‘Oaxacan cheese’ low-moisture mozzarella pulled into shreds is the next closest option. Note that Mexican chorizo is softer than the Spanish equivalent and crumbles more readily after cooking.
Ingredients:
For the Tlayuda Base:
4 large flour tortillas (30cm)
2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil, for grilling
For the Asiento/Bean Layer:
2 tbsp lard (substitute: bacon fat or olive oil)
425g tin black beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste
For the Toppings:
225g quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese), pulled into shreds
140g shredded green cabbage or romaine lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
Salsa verde or salsa roja, for serving
Lime wedges
For the Meat (choose one):
225g tasajo (dry-cured Oaxacan beef), barbecued and thinly sliced
OR 225g cecina (chilli-marinated thin-cut pork), grilled
OR 225g Mexican chorizo, cooked and crumbled
OR shredded chicken tinga (chipotle-braised chicken) for a widely available alternative
Method:
For the refried beans: Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add 1 tbsp lard or oil and use to fry the minced garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the drained black beans, cumin, and a big pinch of salt. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash the beans until mostly smooth but with some texture remaining — not completely puréed. If the mixture is very thick, add a splash of water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beans are a thick, spreadable paste that holds its shape. The finished paste should be deep, almost chocolatey in colour and deeply savoury. Remove from heat.
If using chorizo, cook it in a dry frying over medium-high heat until well browned and crumbled (about 8 minutes). If using steak or cecina, season generously and cook over the highest heat your pan or grill allows for 2–3 minutes per side — you want to char on the surface. Let it rest, then slice thinly. If using chicken tinga, warm it through in a pan. Keep the meat warm.
Heat a large dry heavy-based frying pan or comal over medium-high heat. Lay one tortilla flat and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, pressing down gently, until the surface blisters and some spots turn light golden-brown. The tortilla should become noticeably stiffer and dryer — this is what you want. It should be crackly at the edges and barely pliable in the centre. Set aside and repeat.
With the tortilla is still warm, brush or rub ½ tbsp of lard or asiento across the surface — it should melt in immediately, soaking into the warm tortilla. Then spread a generous layer of the black bean paste over the surface, leaving about a 12mm border around the edge. The bean layer should be about 6mm thick. Don’t be shy — this is the flavour base for everything that follows.
Scatter a generous handful of pulled quesillo strings over the beans. Return the topped tortilla to the frying pan or grill over medium heat, cover loosely with foil or a lid, and heat for 2–3 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and pool into the beans. The cheese should look glossy and just starting to stretch. If you’re grilling over charcoal, place it directly on the grate for that signature char and smoke.
Transfer the tlayuda to a board or large plate. Layer on the shredded cabbage, tomato slices, and your choice of meat. Fan avocado slices across the top. Scatter fresh onion and coriander. Spoon salsa over everything and serve with lime wedges.
