History
Spanish Wikipedia traces the panucho to Mérida, near the San Sebastián neighbourhood by the Ermita de Santa Isabel, and says it was developed in Kanasín, which still calls itself the capital of the panucho; popular tradition credits a man known as Don Hucho, who fed travellers there. What sets it apart from the salbut is the layer of refried black beans inside the tortilla before it is fried. Panuchos are a supper food, sold in the evening at panucherías alongside salbutes and tortas, and in Cancún they sit on the chalkboard at Lonchería El Pocito.
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Common allergens: Gluten-free (corn)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500 g masa harina dough (or fresh masa), about 12 balls
- 200 g refried black beans
- 300 g cooked shredded turkey or chicken
- 2 cups shredded lettuce or cabbage
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Pickled red onion
- Vegetable oil or lard for frying
- Salt
- Habanero salsa to serve
Method
- Press each ball of masa into a 10 cm tortilla and cook on a hot dry comal for about 1 minute a side, until it puffs.
- As soon as a tortilla puffs, slit the thin top layer at the edge with a knife to open a pocket.
- Spread a tablespoon of refried beans inside each pocket and press the tortilla closed.
- Fry the filled tortillas in 1 cm of hot oil at about 180°C for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp at the edges, then drain.
- Top each with lettuce or cabbage, shredded meat, tomato, avocado and pickled onion, and season with salt.
- Serve straight away with habanero salsa.
Tip from the editors. If the tortillas will not puff, the comal is not hot enough; turn them once more and press gently with a cloth.
Where to eat panuchos
Panuchos in Cancún
Lonchería El Pocito ★ 4.4
Lonchería El Pocito on Calle 31 Norte in Cancún is a chalkboard-menu lunch counter for Yucatecan queso relleno, papadzules, poc chuc and panuchos.
OrderQueso relleno in tomato broth, papadzules, and the black-bean and pork tamal.
Why locals goA lunch counter on Calle 31 Norte, off the hotel strip, where locals on their break read the chalkboard menu to see what is left.
TipClosed Tuesdays, and lunch crowds clear the chalkboard, so arrive early; it opened in 1988 as La Cabañita.
TUCH Cantina Yucateca Huayacán ★ 4.2
TUCH Cantina Yucateca on Avenida Huayacán in Cancún serves Yucatecan plates and drinks, with live music Wednesday to Sunday and botana free with each drink.
OrderA cantarito de tequila with the free botana, then cochinita pibil or panuchos from the menu.
DrinkCantarito de tequila
FoodFree botana with every drink
TipThe botana arrives free with your drinks, so order drinks first; the cantina opens at 13:00 every day and runs to 02:00.
Panuchos in Mérida
Panuchos Mercado Santa Ana ★ 4.5
Mercado Santa Ana stalls Mérida run panuchos and salbutes with shredded turkey, pickled red onion and habanero from 06:00 through late morning.
TryPanuchos and salbutes
La Lonchería Castillo Santa Ana ★ 4.3
La Lonchería Castillo inside Mercado Santa Ana Mérida is one of the stall row's most-recommended panucho and salbut counters, cochinita fillings.
TryPanuchos and salbutes Yucatecos
La Chaya Maya ★ 4.4
La Chaya Maya on Santa Lucía in Mérida pours tortillas on a clay comal in the dining room and runs sopa de lima, poc chuc and panuchos seven days a week.
SignatureSopa de lima, Poc chuc, Papadzules, Cochinita pibil
Eladio's Centro ★ 4.0
Eladio's Centro on Calle 59 Mérida runs the Yucatecan free-botanas-with-drinks tradition, with live trova and a sprawling cantina dining room.
SignatureFree botanas with drinks, Sopa de lima, Cochinita pibil
More cities are in research. Want panuchos covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.