Tlayuda is Mexico’s answer to pizza. But don’t expect tomato sauce and basil leaves.
This popular Oaxacan street food is made on an enormous tortilla and spread thickly with black beans (Take note: these aren’t ordinary black beans – they’ve been blended with a heaping of roasted garlic and onion, cumin, and chile powder). A good, homemade tortilla really makes this recipe shine. Purists will spread the tortilla with lard, too – though I prefer a light brush of vegetable oil. Finally, cheese is sprinkled on top, as is your choice of meat (beef, pork, or browned chorizo) and a garden’s-worth of toppings (think avocado, tomato, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, and jalepenos). It can be served open-faced or folded in half.
*If you don’t make your own tortilla, omit the first cooking on the grill.*
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4-6 people | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 20 minutes |
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Tlayuda is Mexico’s answer to pizza. But don’t expect tomato sauce and basil leaves.
This popular Oaxacan street food is made on an enormous tortilla and spread thickly with black beans (Take note: these aren’t ordinary black beans – they’ve been blended with a heaping of roasted garlic and onion, cumin, and chile powder). A good, homemade tortilla really makes this recipe shine. Purists will spread the tortilla with lard, too – though I prefer a light brush of vegetable oil. Finally, cheese is sprinkled on top, as is your choice of meat (beef, pork, or browned chorizo) and a garden’s-worth of toppings (think avocado, tomato, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, and jalepenos). It can be served open-faced or folded in half.
*If you don’t make your own tortilla, omit the first cooking on the grill.*
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Ingredients
For the Tlayuda “Pizza”
- 13 oz homemade corn tortilla (or several store-bought)
- 4 oz fresh chorizo sausage
- 8 oz oaxaca cheese (or substitute monterey jack or mozarella)
For the Black Bean Spread
- 5 cloves garlic (large), unpeeled
- 1 small onions , peeled and sliced in thick rings
- 15 oz canned black beans
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt (to taste)
Toppings (as desired)
- 1 handful green lettuce , sliced (or cabbage)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro (fresh)
- 1/2 avocado , peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 jalapeno (fresh), sliced (optional, for heat)
- 1 tomato , chopped
- queso fresco , crumbled
- salsa
- lime (wedges)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 450F. Brown the chorizo sausage in a skillet. Set aside. Add the garlic and onion to the grill and cook until browned and softened, turning once (if the garlic is too small and threatens to fall through the grates, simply put them on a piece of foil). Set aside.
- For the tortilla: If preparing your own corn tortilla, follow my recipe – but instead of making several small tortillas, make one thick 13-inch tortilla. Corn tortillas can be fragile; to minimize handling I recommend rolling the dough out on a pizza peel that has been heavily dusted with masa harina. Do not flip. While rolling, occasionally press with your hands on the top edge and side to crimp back together any jagged bits. Brush the top of the tortilla with vegetable oil.
- Slide tortilla onto a well-oiled grill at 450F. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes. Keep on the pizza peel, under a damp (not wet!) cloth until needed.
- For the black bean topping: Add a can of black beans with their liquid, chili powder, cumin, and salt to a blender or food processor. Peel the grilled garlic and onion and them to the mix. Pulse until mostly combined.
- Assembly & cooking: Spread the tortilla(s) with black bean spread (there may be a little leftover – it makes a great dip). Sprinkle on the cheese and cooked chorizo sausage. Grill for a few minutes until very hot and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish as desired with chopped lettuce, cilantro, avocado, sliced jalepeno, tomato, queso fresco, and/or salsa. Squeeze lime wedges over the top. Enjoy with a contented sigh and too-big bites.
Recipe Notes
This Tlayuda may also be made made in the oven, ideally with a baking stone or the bottom of the pizza may not crisp up. In the oven the cheese takes 5-8 minutes to melt and bubble. Be sure to use a homemade corn tortilla for best results.