Street FoodEasy

Tetelas (Oaxacan Bean Triangles)

Name: Tetelas (Oaxacan Bean Triangles)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 60 ml White tequila; 60 ml Orange juice fresco; 30 ml Lime juice fresco; 120 ml Refresco de toronja; 1 pinch Chilli powder; 1 pinch Salt; 1 cup Hielo; 500 g Corn dough; 250 g Bean negro cocido; 3 Árbol chillies tostados; 2 tbsp Pork lard; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Salt

35 min (20 prep + 15 cook) Easy 8 servings Oaxaca

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Triangular corn dough parcels filled with black bean.

About this recipe

Triangular corn dough parcels filled with black bean and chilli paste, a distinctively shaped Oaxacan street food.

History & Origin

Tetelas are one of the most distinctive snacks in Oaxacan cuisine, immediately recognisable by their triangular shape. The word "tetela" comes from the Nahuatl "tetl" meaning "stone", possibly referring to the pyramidal form. This snack originates from the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures of the Oaxaca valley. The preparation is deceptively simple: a disc of corn dough is spread out, filled with black bean paste mixed with chilli, and folded into three parts forming a perfect triangle. Tetelas are cooked on a clay griddle until the dough seals and forms a light crust. The most traditional filling is black bean with asiento (the residual fat from making chicharron). In Oaxacan markets, tetelas are sold freshly made, hot from the griddle.

Estimated cost

£2.50

Total cost

£0.31

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

200

Calories

Protein

32g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

300mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the relleno: grind the cooked beans with the garlic and the árbol chillies toasted until you get a paste thick. Fry in lard for 5 minutes.
2
Divide the dough into 8 bolitas of the mismo size. Add salt a the dough si not the tiene.
3
Aplana each bolita formando a disc of some 12 cm of diameter.
4
Place a tablespoon of pasta of bean in the centro of each disc.
5
Fold tres lados of the disc towards the centro formando a triángulo, pressing the bordes for sellar.
💡 Moja tus dedos with water for sellar mejor the dough.
6
Cook the tetelas in a comal (flat griddle) hot for 3-4 minutes on each side until brownedn slightly. Serve hots.