Panuchos (Yucatán-Style Bean-Stuffed Tortillas)

These Yucatán-style panuchos feature crisped masa pockets stuffed with refried beans and topped with smoky, saucy chicken, pickled onions, and creamy garnishes.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

In This Recipe

Why It Works

• Sealing two uncooked tortillas only at the edges creates a reliable pocket without relying on an unpredictable tortilla puff.
• Parcooking the panuchos sets the masa and prevents tearing when the bean filling is added.
• A cochinita pibil–inspired salsa coats shredded meat with achiote-and-citrus flavor, delivering the essence of the traditional topping in a fraction of the time.

Panuchos are a masa-based specialty from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula: crisped tortillas stuffed with refried beans and topped with rich, tangy toppings. At their core, they’re deceptively simple—just masa, beans, and fat—but assembling them is a multi-step process.

If you’re familiar with the broader family of masa shapes, you might wonder how panuchos differ from gorditas. While both involve thickened tortillas, gorditas are typically fried until deeply crunchy throughout. Panuchos, by contrast, are thinner, with a crisp exterior that yields to a creamy bean-filled interior, designed to support saucy toppings without collapsing.

In Yucatán, panuchos are most commonly topped with the famous barbecued pork dish cochinita pibil and pickled red onions, a pairing that’s so classic it borders on mandatory. The pork’s citrusy, achiote-laced richness and the sharp bite of the onions balance the fried masa and beans beautifully. That said, making traditional cochinita pibil is an all-day affair, involving banana leaves and long, slow cooking. My recipe uses a streamlined chicken topping that delivers similar flavors with a fraction of the time and effort, keeping the focus on panucho assembly and technique.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

Tips for Filling and Shaping Panuchos

Classic panuchos are made by cooking a tortilla on a comal until it puffs, then slitting it open and filling it with beans. That puff is essential—but it can be tricky to produce consistently at home. To make the process more reliable, this recipe uses two uncooked tortillas pressed together and sealed only around the edges, forming a pocket from the start.

Pressing the tortillas thin ensures they cook through quickly and evenly. The panuchos are first parcooked just long enough to set the masa and give them structure. Working with one at a time, each pressed-together tortilla pair is then carefully slit open and filled with refried beans, which are spread into an even layer before the edges are gently pressed back together to reseal the pocket. Traditionally, panuchos are filled only with frijoles refritos, though slices of hard-boiled egg are sometimes tucked inside.

A final fry crisps the exterior and warms the beans, creating the contrast that defines a good panucho: crisp, creamy, rich, and ready for toppings.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

Panucho Toppings

Once fried, the panuchos are dressed simply and generously. To mimic the flavors of the classic cochinita pibil topping without the long cook time, I borrow its signature flavorings—achiote, warm spices, citrus, and garlic—and turn them into a quick blender sauce. Tossed with shredded poached or store-bought rotisserie chicken and lightly warmed, the sauce delivers depth, heat, and a hint of smokiness thanks to charred habanero and garlic.

Feel free to mix up the meat topping: Instead of cochinita pibil or the chicken topping included in this recipe, you can use carnitas, birria, or tinga.

The one topping I consider non-negotiable is pickled red onion. Its acidity cuts through the richness of the fried masa and beans, keeping each bite from feeling heavy. Yucatán-style pickled onions—traditionally made with bitter orange juice or a citrus blend—are delicious here, adding brightness and subtle bitterness. From there, you can keep it simple or get creative with unconventional additions like Oaxaca cheese, charred fresh chiles, or even kimchi.

Once assembled, panuchos are best eaten hot and freshly fried, when the textures are at their peak and the toppings meld into the beans and masa below.

Keep Screen Awake

For the Meat Topping (see notes for other topping options):

1 habanero chile

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup (90 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice, from one orange

1 tablespoon (20 g) achiote paste

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

2 whole allspice berries

1 whole clove or a pinch ground

1 1/2 cup (360 ml) chicken broth

1 pound (454 g) store-bought rotisserie chicken or homemade poached chicken, shredded into bite-size pieces (about 3 cups shredded)

For the Panuchos:

2 cups (224 g) masa harina

1 1/2 cups (360 g) water

2 cups store-bought or homemade frijoles refritos (Mexican refried beans)

2 tablespoons lard, divided

Pickled red onions, for serving

Sliced hard-boiled egg, for serving

Sliced avocado, for serving

**For the Meat Topping: **Adjust oven rack to upper position and preheat broiler on high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, then spread the habanero and garlic on top. Broil, turning once, until habanero and garlic are charred in spots on both sides, 2 to 5 minutes per side.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso 1.

In a blender, blend the habanero, garlic, orange juice, achiote paste, black peppercorns, oregano, allspice berries, clove, and chicken broth. In a large bowl, combine sauce and chicken. Toss to coat. Set aside.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso 1.

For the Panuchos: In a large bowl, use a spatula to combine masa harina and water until a dough forms. Divide into 8 smooth balls, about 70 grams each. Using a tortilla press, press each ball of masa into a 6-inch tortilla. Working with two uncooked tortillas at a time, gently place one over the other and press only the edges together with your fingertips. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso 1.

Preheat an empty comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cook panuchos, 1 at a time, until surface is cooked and lightly spotty brown, about 45 seconds per side; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining panuchos.

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Using a knife, carefully slit each panucho open along one side to create a 5- to 6-inch opening. Spoon 1/2 cup of refried beans inside, spreading them into an even layer while leaving a small border around the edges. Gently press the tortillas back together along the opening to reseal the panucho.

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On empty comal or cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon lard over high heat until melted. Add 1 panucho and cook until exterior is crisp and beans are warmed through, 1 minute per side. Transfer to a large serving platter. Repeat with remaining panuchos, adding another tablespoon of lard as needed if skillet dries out.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso 1.

Add reserved sauced chicken to now-empty hot skillet, stirring occasionally until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Top panuchos with sauced chicken, pickled onions, hard-boiled egg, and avocado.

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

Special Equipment

Blender, tortilla press, comal or cast iron skillet

Notes

Other good topping options include cochinita pibil, tinga, birria, pulled pork, and other shredded meats.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
792	Calories
35g	Fat
83g	Carbs
42g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts Servings: 4 Amount per serving Calories 792 % Daily Value* 35g 45% Saturated Fat 8g 41% 131mg 44% 965mg 42% 83g 30% Dietary Fiber 17g 62% Total Sugars 10g 42g Vitamin C 68mg 342% Calcium 204mg 16% Iron 10mg 54% Potassium 1570mg 33% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)