Street FoodMediumFree

Tlacoyos

Name: Tlacoyos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 bunch Fresh coriander; 150 g Requesón; 100 g Fresh cheese; 500 g Flour de maiz nixtamalizado; 300 g Black beans cocidos; 200 g Cactus paddles en conserva; 250 g Tomatillos en conserva; 2 Serrano chilli; 1 White onion; 30 g Pork lard

50 min (30 prep + 20 cook) Medium 8 servings Central

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 19 Mar 2026 · Updated: 25 Mar 2026

Thick oval masa cakes stuffed with black beans, ricotta or broad beans, topped with cactus, cheese and green salsa.

About this recipe

Tlacoyos are pre-Hispanic thick oval corn masa cakes, stuffed with black beans, ricotta or broad bean paste. They are cooked on a griddle until lightly golden on the outside whilst remaining soft and moist inside. Served topped with sauteed cactus paddles, crumbled fresh cheese, onion, coriander and a generous spoonful of green salsa, they are the favourite breakfast at markets in central Mexico and one of the oldest known antojitos.

History & Origin

Tlacoyos are one of the oldest foods in Mesoamerica, with archaeological evidence dating back over 3,000 years. Their name comes from the Nahuatl word tlatlaoyo, meaning moulded food. In pre-Hispanic times they were the staple food of workers and farmers, who carried them to the fields as lunch because their compact shape and substantial filling made them perfect for transport. The Aztecs stuffed them with beans or broad bean paste, fillings that remain traditional to this day. Tlacoyos survived the conquest and colonial period virtually unchanged, making them a direct window into pre-Hispanic eating habits. The markets of Coyoacan, Xochimilco and Tlalpan in Mexico City are famous for their tlacoyo stalls, where women with decades of experience prepare them on clay griddles from the early hours. They are considered by culinary anthropologists to be one of the most direct links between contemporary Mexican cuisine and the food of indigenous peoples.

Estimated cost

£7.40

Total cost

£0.93

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

245

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

410mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the dough mixing the flour of maiz with warm water and a pinch of salt until you get a dough soft that doesn't stick to your hands. Anade the lard and amasa 3 minutes mas.
💡 La consistency ideal es como plastilina: mouldable pero that not pegue.
2
Para the relleno of beans, machaca the cooked beans with a fork until hacer a pure thick. Season with salt.
3
Toma a porcion of dough of the tamano of a pelota of golf. Flatten it with your hands formando a ovalo, place a tablespoon of relleno in the centro and cierra the bordes. Moldea with shape ovalada and aplana slightly.
💡 Seal well the bordes for that not salga the relleno for the coccion.
4
Heat a comal (flat griddle) or sarten antiadherente over medium heat. Cook the tlacoyos 4-5 minutes on each side until it formen spots doradas.
💡 No agregues oil to the comal (flat griddle). Los tlacoyos cocinan in dry.
5
Prepare the green sauce licuando the tomatillos with serrano chilli, a trozo of onion, coriander and salt.
6
Sauté the cactus paddles drained in a sarten with a little oil, salt and chopped onion for 5 minutes.
7
Serve the tlacoyos hot cubiertos with cactus paddles, crumbled fresh cheese, green sauce and chopped coriander.
💡 Acompana with a buena red sauce for quienes prefieran mas picante.