Tlacoyos de Frijol con Salsa de Nopalitos (Black Bean Masa Cakes with Cactus Pico de Gallo)

Tlacoyos de Frijol con Salsa de Nopalitos. The Nahuatl word, tlahtlaōyoh,  is a name given to an antojito(snacks you crave) typical of central Mexico. Most common, the fried or toasted masa harina cakes are filled with ground black beans, chicharron, cheese or fava beans. They are best enjoyed as an appetizer or light meal or on the side with a soup or stew. I like to simply toast mine on the comal (griddle) and when cool enough, I store them in the fridge for a couple of days. When I am ready to serve, I drizzle them with a little oil and fry them until crispy. You can simply top with a spicy salsa, such as any variation of a toasted chile de arbol salsa, lettuce, cilantro and queso fresco. A fresh salsa de nopales is popular for tlacoyos as well. This is a pico de gallo  style fresh salsa with added diced, cooked cactus.  I especially enjoy my tlacoyos warm and crispy, topped with enchilada sauce, cheese and a fried egg. They are versatile and can be served anytime of the day or night.

Filled with black beans, topped with black beans and chorizo, nopalitos salsa and queso fresco!!  

Here are tlacoyos without the added chile ancho powder.

Tlacoyos

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Course: antojito, Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups masa harina
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chile ancho powder optional
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons annatto oil or olive oil optional

You will also need

• 1 cup refried black beans you want the beans to be thick like a paste
• oil for frying

For Salsa de Nopalitos

• 1 large jar of nopalitos drained, rinsed and chopped small
• 2 large roma tomatoes diced
• 2 serranos or 1 large jalapeño diced
• 1/2 cup red onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of Mexican oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the masa. Mix the oil in with the hot water. Gradually mix the water/oil into the dry ingredients until masa dough forms. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky. Roll masa into a log form and score it with a knife into 12 equal portions. Slice and divide masa dough into 12 equal balls.  Roll and flatten slightly. Place on wax paper lined plate. Cover with plastic and set aside.
• For salsa, in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir well to combine, taste for salt and set aside.
• Preheat a large comal or griddle to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Using the palms of your hands, take one masa ball and flatten into a 2 1/2 inch disk. Add 1 full tablespoon of black beans to the center. Fold together like a taco to seal.
• Gently start to roll and flatten in your hands, seam side down. Do not squeeze or push to hard or the beans will come out. You want to shape and flatten to resemble a long, flat football. Place flattened tlacoyos on hot surface. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until you get some browning. Drizzle a little oil over tlacoyos, they will begin to crisp and fry. Turn as needed. Serve right away. Garnish with salsa. 

Notes

Tlacoyos can be prepared ahead of time and cooked on the comal as instructed with no oil. When ready to serve, flash fry in some preheated shallow oil.

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Unfortunately where I live, fresh nopales are not easy to come by. So this is the next best thing. My mom used this brand often and it can be found in most markets.

Tips~ Drain and rinse them well with cool water. Use them for salsa’s, taco fillings, scrambled eggs, with chorizo, soups…Delicious!!

Tips~ I will often roll my masa dough into a log form and score it as even as possible. It makes it much easier to divide the masa into equal portions.

Tips~ This was the first one and as you can see I filled it with just a little too much of the black beans. It still cooked up fine, but you really don’t want any of the beans showing. The maseca brand is the most popular and most commonly available for masa harina.

To see full recipe on how to prepare Frijoles Chinitos (black beans) into a paste form, click onto picture. In the original recipe, I used cooked pinto beans. Either one will work, but for the tlacoyos, it is more traditional to use black beans.

Tlacoyos de Queso~ To see full recipe on how to prepare Caldillo de Jitomate, click onto the picture above. Any cheese would work for a filling as long as it’s not sliced too thick.

Tips~ I cook the tlacoyos on the comal with no oil. Cool them completely. Store in an airtight container. When ready to serve, fry in preheated oil. A shallow fry is good enough. It’s just to crisp the exterior and warm the inside. Serve with salsa.

Tlacoyos de Frijol

Salsa de Nopalitos

Tlacoyos filled with black beans, topped with  Habanero Salsa, queso ranchero and avocado.   https://pinaenlacocina.com/milanesa-steak-sandwiches-with-habanero-salsa/