History
The salbut takes its name from Yucatec Maya: sáal buutʼ, roughly light and stuffed. It is a Yucatán Peninsula dish of a corn tortilla fried in oil or, preferably, lard until it puffs a little and stays soft, then topped with lettuce, tomato, pickled onion, shredded turkey or chicken and avocado. Unlike the panucho it has no beans inside. Cooks also top it with cochinita pibil, relleno negro or chicken in escabeche. Salbutes are sold in the evening at panucherías, and in Cancún they are one of the plates the Mercado 23 fondas cook.
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Common allergens: Gluten-free (corn)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh masa or masa harina dough
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 g cooked shredded turkey or chicken
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Pickled red onion
- Lard or vegetable oil for frying
- Habanero salsa
Method
- Knead the salt into the masa and divide it into 12 balls.
- Press each ball into a thin tortilla about 10 cm across.
- Heat 1 cm of lard or oil to about 180°C and fry the raw tortillas one at a time for 40 to 60 seconds, until they puff and turn pale gold but stay soft.
- Drain on paper.
- Top each salbut with lettuce, shredded meat, tomato, avocado and pickled onion.
- Serve at once with habanero salsa.
Tip from the editors. Fry the masa raw, not pre-cooked on a comal; that is what makes a salbut puff and stay tender rather than crisp.
Where to eat salbutes
Salbutes in Cancún
Mercado 23 fondas ★ 4.2
Mercado 23 fondas are the lunch counters of the Mercado Javier Rojo Gómez in downtown Cancún, cooking cochinita pibil, salbutes, papadzules and relleno negro.
OrderCochinita pibil tacos or a plate of salbutes, then papadzules or relleno negro if the fonda has them.
Why locals goLunch counters inside the working market, reached from Avenida Chichén Itzá and Avenida Tulum, serving cochinita and tamales while it is busy before 14:00.
TipGo between 08:00 and 11:00, when the best food is served; the market slows down by 14:00. Bring small peso notes.
Salbutes 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
Salbutes y Panuchos Doña Tina ★ 4.3
Salbutes y Panuchos Dona Tina is a small Santa Ana market stall; panucho row regulars line up before the 07:00 opening for pavo and cochinita.
Why locals goSmall Santa Ana market stall, the panucho row regulars line up before opening at 07:00.
TipOrder panucho de pavo and salbut de cochinita.
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
Mercado de Santiago ★ 4.4
Mercado de Santiago Mérida runs Lonchería La Lupita cochinita tacos and lechón al horno under 120 pesos, breakfast-to-lunch counter row in Santiago barrio.
TryCochinita pibil and lechón al horno
More cities are in research. Want salbutes covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.