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This tlayudas recipe is for an iconic Oaxaca street food that is easy to make at home. It is sometimes called Mexican pizza or Oaxaca style pizza and generally consists of four ingredients. Start with a crispy corn tortilla, cover it with refried black beans, add quesillo or Oaxaca cheese and top it off with strips of meat. Try this delightful tlayudas Oaxaca recipe today.
What is Tlayudas Oaxaca or Tlayudas Oaxaqueñas?
Tlayudas are one of the most iconic foods from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico.
Tlayudas Oaxaqueñas are a simple street food that you’ll find at markets, restaurants and local eateries.
You’ll sometimes find tlayudas referred to as Mexican style pizza or Oaxaca Style Pizza. This is because they are served on a large crispy corn tortilla and sometimes served open-faced, resembling a pizza.
What Are Tlayudas Made Of?
Authentic tlayudas Oaxaqueñas consist of a large flat crispy tortilla smeared with refried black beans cooked with asiento or pork lard.
On top of the black beans is a layer of Oaxaca cheese or quesillo, which is white string cheese similar to mozzarella. The tlayuda is then topped with meat.
You can make your tlayudas more interesting with the addition of shredded cabbage, tomatoes, avocados, and your choice of meat.
Typical meat options are usually beef (tasajo or arrachera), pork (cecina), pork rib (costilla), Mexican sausages (chorizo); or chicken (tinga).
For a local treat, you can choose chapulines, or grasshoppers which are an Oaxaca specialty.
Tlayudas Oaxaca are typically eaten in the evening with street stands and restaurants selling them from 7:00 pm into the wee hours of the morning.
How To Pronounce Tlayudas
In the English language, there are no words that begin with the two letters “t” and “l.” Therefore, it’s not surprising many have a difficult time pronouncing tlayudas.
The tlayudas name has origins from the languages spoken in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, and later, Spanish.
As a result, you’ll find two popular spellings, “Tlayuda” and “Clayuda.”
To pronounce tlayuda, think of it as – tla-u-da, and put the emphasis on the “u.”
Discovering Tlayudas Oaxaca
Tlayudas, this traditional Oaxaca street food are renowned throughout Mexico. When we first arrived in Oaxaca, we made it a point to eat tlayudas for dinner on our second night.
At Tlayudas El Negro, a popular local restaurant, we each had tlayudas with different toppings.
Generally, tlayudas consist of a large, flat corn tortilla, about 12-14 inches (32 – 35 cm) in diameter.
Smeared on it is asiento or unrefined lard, beans, quesillo or Oaxaca cheese and meat.
Most restaurants and street vendors offer toppings such as cabbage, avocado, and your choice of meat.
At El Negro we had one with tasajo, which is thinly sliced beef. And the other, with costilla or pork ribs.
How To Eat Tlayudas Oaxaqueñas
When we first got the tlayudas, we were shocked by their size. These were stuffed gigantic slices of tortillas with the meat sitting on top.
Tlayudas can be served open face, like pizza or folded in half.
Ours were folded in half and topped with chepiche, a local aromatic herb. With the tlayudas were the traditional condiments of a red and green salsa, sliced radishes and lime, and pickled onions.
Not knowing how to eat them, as we didn’t have silverware on the table, we looked around for clues.
Noticing our puzzled faces, the table in front of us pointed to a nearby sink and told us to wash and eat with our hands.
While we did eventually ask for forks and knives to cut our meat, we later learned to eat tlayudas like locals.
Diving into our first experience with tlayuda was a tasty treat. Despite their gigantic size, the flavors were incredible.
The combination of the beans, Oaxaca cheese and the crispy tortilla textures was simple and sumptuous.
The aromatic chepiche herbs and different condiments elevated the tlayuda to new heights
While we could have easily shared one tlayuda, we each savored our delectable tlayudas until the very end.
READ MORE: The food in Oaxaca is diverse, rich in history and recognized internationally. Our article about our Cooking Class in Oaxaca takes you on a culinary journey from the local market to making emblematic Oaxaca dishes.
History of Tlayudas
In the state of Oaxaca, there are several communities in the Central Valley dedicated to the preparation of tlayudas.
Some of the communities are San Antonio de la Cal, Magdalena Teytipac, San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, San Mateo Macuilxochitl, among others.
The making of tlayudas is done by women who dedicate themselves to preparing them in an artisanal manner.
The origins are hard to track down, though references of women making tortillas and folding them go back to the 16th century as noted by Spanish Franciscan Monks.
Making Tlayudas begins with the preparation of masa dough which comes from treating corn with lime or nixtamalization.
Once she has enough masa, she will make the large tortillas, pressed by hand, and then cook them over a comal.
These tlayuda tortillas are then sold the next day at markets all over the state.
Tlayudas refers to both the large tortillas as well as the dish. At the markets when the ladies call out “tlayudas”, “tlayudas” for sale, this is for the large flat, crispy tortillas.
Whereas at restaurants or markets, when you order a tlayuda, you’ll get the dish with all the toppings.
How To Make Tlayudas Oaxaca at Home
Tlayudas are easy to make at home and a fun alternative to traditional pizza.
With this tlayuda recipe, you can customize it with any toppings you like.
To taste the flavors of Oaxaca in your tlayudas recipe, consider using ingredients from the area.
Quesillo or Oaxaca Cheese for Tlayudas Recipe
One of the most important ingredients in a tlayuda is the quesillo or Oaxaca cheese. The cheese comes from the town of Etla, which is about 30 minutes away from Oaxaca city.
The cheese, sold in small balls, is stringy and made of cow milk. Quesillo is a little salty with a mild flavor. It melts easily and is used in quesadillas, tlayudas and many more dishes.
The origins of quesillo cheese are fascinating. Apparently, in 1885, legend has it that 14-year-old Leobarda Castellanos García from Etla invented the cheese.
As the story goes, she was in charge of taking care of curdled milk to make cheese. Distracted, she forgot and the “curd” passed the point to make cheese.
To hide her mistake from her parents, she poured hot water on it, resulting in a chewy mixture that tasted great.
Her parents tried the mixture and loved its exquisite flavors. They called it “quesillo” and it gained acceptance amongst the locals.
Where to Buy Quesillo
We were surprised to see Oaxaca cheese sold in grocery stores in the U.S.
It’s also available on Amazon from Real de Oaxaca. Real de Oaxaca offers authentic Oaxaca products without traveling to Oaxaca.
All the products are made in the finest Oaxaca tradition and can be shipped to you at home.
Use Oaxaca Tortillas or Tlayudas
As noted previously, tlayuda refers to both the Oaxaca tortilla and the dish. For your tlayudas recipe, make sure to use tlayudas, made with corn.
The tlayuda or Oaxaca tortilla is large and thin and baked on a comal or grill. You can find organic, hand-crafted tlayudas on Amazon, also from Real de Oaxaca.
Make Homemade or Use Canned Refried Black Beans
Refried beans is the other core ingredient in the tlayudas recipe. You can either use canned refried black beans or use the recipe below to make them at home.
In Oaxaca, the beans are typically cooked in asiento or unrefined pork lard.
In the recipe below, we added the drippings from Mexican chorizo sausages for extra flavor.
In your tlayuda recipe, feel free to flavor your beans with spices of your choice. Be sure to warm them up when you assemble your tlayuda Oaxaca.
Try Avocado Leaves or Hora de Aguacate
Avocado leaves or “hojas de aguacate” in Spanish are used in a variety of dishes in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla.
The avocado leaves which look like large bay leaves are used either dried or fresh. They are toasted and added to black beans, moles, soups, tamales, and more.
The leaves are also used for grilling chicken, fish, and meat.
In this tlayudas recipe, we toast the avocado leaves and crumble them into the back beans sauce.
Toasting the avocado leaves brings out the licorice and with hints of anise flavors.
Avocado leaves can be found in Mexican grocery stores and are also available on Amazon.
Award-winning chef, Rick Bayless, who specializes in Mexican cuisine, suggests combining bay leaves and cracked anise seeds as avocado leaves substitute.
Tlayudas Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Tlayuda Recipe Ingredients
- 2 Tlayudas or large corn tortillas
- 3.5 ounces quesillo or Oaxaca cheese Half cup for each tlayuda. You can substitute Oaxaca cheese with a “low moisture” mozzarella cheese.
Meats
- 2 Mexican chorizo sausages Large, you can substitute with any meat of your choice.
Refried Beans
- 16 ounces Refried Black Beans
- 2 tablespoons Avocado oil, Ghee or Lard (chorizo drippings)
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove
- 6 avocado leaves or hora de aguacate
Garnishes
- 2 Radishes sliced
- 1 Lime
- Mexican green or red salsa
- Chepiche An aromatic herb with peppery tarragon-like flavors. You may substitute with cilantro
Instructions
Refried Beans
- Toast the avocado leaves for a couple of minutes on the griddle
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Start frying the onions until they become transparent and start to brown.
- Add the garlic to lightly fry
- Add the beans and mash down until they become a paste or use a blender
- Add the chorizo drizzling.
- Add the avocado leaves crumbled
- Taste to check if they need salt
- Lay the tortilla on the griddle
- Spread the refried beans on the tortilla
- Top the tlayuda with the quesillo or Oaxaca cheese
- Optional: Add strips of chile de agua or bell peppers
- Optional: Add avocado slices
Meat
- Cook your meat per your instructions
- If cooking Mexican chorizo sausages, cook on medium heat for about 5 – 7 minutes until brown
Assembling the Tlayudas Oaxaca
- Warm the tortilla on a griddle
- Spread the refried bean paste on the tortillas
- Spread the Oaxaca quesillo cheese on the tortillas
- Optional: Add slices of chile de agua pepper or bell peppers strips as a substitute
- You can also add slices of avocado, shredded cabbage, or tomatoes
- Optional. You can keep your tlayuda as an open face “pizza” or eat it folded in half.
- Warm-up your tlayuda on a griddle or a pan for a few minutes
- Place chorizo on top or inside your tlayudas
- Serve immediately and enjoy while hot
Notes
Nutrition
Read More Food and Travel Article
Food in Mexico – Top 15 Local Foods You Want To Have
Oaxaca Foods – Your Best Guide To The Most Authentic Food
The Best Guide To Chocolate in Oaxaca
Your Ultimate Guide To The Best Authentic Food in Mexico City
15 Authentic Guadalajara Foods You Want to Have
Jericalla Recipe – Easy Mexican Dessert From Guadalajara to Make
Rosemary is the editor-in-chief and strategist at Authentic Food Quest.
Traveling slow since 2015 with her partner, Claire, she has explored the cuisine in 45 countries and more than 240+ culinary cities.
Her writing about local food specialties has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post.
As a food and travel writer, Rosemary has co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
Rosemary is an avid runner when she’s not eating and exploring new destinations. She has run ten marathons and counting.
Before Authentic Food Quest, Rosemary held senior-level strategy positions in advertising.
Find out more about Authentic Food Quest
This was such a fun and delicious recipe! Thank you so much!!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kristen. Cheers.
This was such a fun and delicious recipe! Thank you so much!!
We love trying recipes from different cultures and this is a perfect one for that! It’s great that you taught us how to pronounce it too!
So, glad to get your feedback, Pam. Do tag us and let us know how your tlayuda turns out. Cheers.
We love trying recipes from different cultures and this is a perfect one for that! It’s great that you taught us how to pronounce it too!
So thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, Pam. Hope you enjoyed making tlayudas. Cheers.
These are great. A great change of pace from a regular tortilla.
You are right, not only a change from a regular tortilla but a slice of Oaxacan culture too 🙂 Cheers.
These are great. A great change of pace from a regular tortilla.
You are right, Diana. A nice twist to the familiar. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.
I remember having this on a past trip to Mexico and I’m thrilled to be able to recreate this at home! It was delicious!
Great to hear, Jamie. It is always wonderful to taste the flavors of travel at home. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.
I remember having this on a past trip to Mexico and I’m thrilled to be able to recreate this at home! It was delicious!
That’s wonderful to hear, Jamie. Cheers.
I think I’m going to love tlayudas more than pizza! Thanks for all of the great tips. And not going to lie, I really want to try with grasshoppers!
Yay, a brave soul. Actually, the grasshoppers were not too bad. A little crunchy but full of flavor. Do tag us and let us know how your tlayudas turn out. Cheers.
I think I’m going to love tlayudas more than pizza! Thanks for all of the great tips. And not going to lie, I really want to try with grasshoppers!
Awesome, a brave soul. The tlayudas with grasshoppers are a local delicacy and quite delicious. I think you would them. So glad you enjoyed the article. Cheers.
Very cool. Thank you for all of that info! I can’t wait to give these a try with the chorizo and beans!
Thanks, Michelle. It’s tasty and quite easy. Hope you like it 🙂 Cheers.
Thank you for introducing me to a new dish and these amazing tlayudas. It’s always wonderful to learn about different foods and recipes from around the world.
Glad you enjoyed discovering tlayudas. Thanks for stopping by.
This looks absolutely delicious! And I love how easy it is to make too. 🙂
Thanks, Carrie. Hope you try to make it soon. It’s quite tasty and fun to make. Cheers.
I just love how simple this is! And it looks & sounds tasty too. 🙂
I love authentic dishes like this, and I can’t wait to make it for Cinco de Mayo!
Great to hear Jessica. Do let us know how it turns out. Cheers.
I hadn’t heard of this until recently, and I sure was missing out! So hearty and bold; the whole family loved it! Easily, a new favorite recipe in my home!
Love this traditional recipe. I went to my local ethnic store and found it. It is so delicious. I plan to make this more.
Super delicious! I used chorizo and the refried beans were out of this world. I’ll make them again on their own!
Awesome, Jessica. Indeed. Delicious and easy. So glad you made them and will make them again. Cheers 🙂
Thanks for sharing this delicious traditional recipe. Love to try it. yes food always comes with history.
Thanks, Swathi. We think knowing about the food history adds to the experience. Excited for you to try it soon. Cheers.
The Oaxaca pizza sounds delicious. I typically prefer chicken but I’m open to a meat similar to beef fajita steak. When I saw the first picture, I thought they were quesadillas.
The great thing about tlayudas is that you can make them your own with your favorite toppings. Give it a shot and let us know what you think. Cheers.
I would really like to try these! They look really delicious and would be perfect for the family.
Go ahead and make them Kita. They are so easy to make and can be enjoyed with toppings of your choice. Cheers.
I have not tried Tlayudas before but this really looks delicious! I’d skip the grasshoppers though. I will try to recreate this at home and use pork floss or pork adobo flakes. Scheduling this dish for Wednesday next week.
Great to hear Kristine. Please do let us know how they turn out. And, above all, have fun. Cheers.
Yum! Looks fabulous! I am so curious to try this Oaxaca pizza!
It’s easy to make and loads of fun. Give it a try, Catalina. Cheers.
oh this looks so good. i’m def saving for later.
I had never heard of this til now. It looks really good too. I’m always up for trying out something new. I can’t wait to see how this is going to taste.
Great to hear Kathy. This is certainly unusual. but easy and tasty. Give it a go and let us know how it turns out. Cheers.
I’ve never heard of tlayudas or tried them but that looks delicious! Thanks for teaching me something new as always.
You are most welcome, Jennifer. So glad you enjoy reading our articles. Cheers.
Oh pizza, thanks for sharing this oh so good recipe! It looks delicious by just looking at it.
I’ve never heard of this before. It really looks like a delicious meal. I’m in love with the colorful display on your recipe card. Have to make this sometime in the future.
Thanks so much, Brandy. Definitively save it until you are ready to make it. So easy and loads of family fun. Thanks for stopping by.
Wow! Those are huge! I had never heard of tlayudas until today, although one of our Guatemalan friends make a similar dish.
That’s interesting, Pam. What is the name of the dish in Guatemala? Hope you try making tlayudas. Tasty and easy to make. Cheers.
WOW, they look so good. And I love the photo of the wings, what a nice touch, haha.
Thanks, Samantha 🙂
It is really interesting to read the history behind a recipe I’ve not heard of before. Definitely a meal I would love to try sometime.
Thanks for your feedback, Sarah. Glad you enjoyed reading about tlayudas. Next, step is to make them. You’ll have fun and enjoy a variation on traditional pizza. Cheers.
This looks amazing! The bread looks similar to pita but I imagine much more delicious.
Aww yeah. I need these bad boys in my life. I’ve never heard of them before, but they look awesome. I have to try this.
So much wonderful information – a little getaway excursion to Mexico, just reading your post! And honestly, at first I expected that this would be difficult to actually make at home in Ohio, but the recipe is so very easy! Thanks for sharing this lovely, authentic recipe!
You are most welcome, Shelley. Glad you enjoyed reading the article and bringing a little taste of Mexico, home. Cheers
Mexican cuisine is one of our favorites so I knew I had to try this! Absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make them again!
Wonderful to hear, Beth. So good and easy to make, right. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing all the history behind this recipe. This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
Glad you enjoyed learning about the tlayudas, Erika. I’m excited for you to make them at home. Cheers.
This sounds so tasty. I love chorizo.
Glad to hear Beth. Can’t go wrong with tasty chorizo. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.
I had never heard of Tlayudas before but I’m so glad I came across your post!! This recipe turned out absolutely delicious, and was so easy to make at home! Love it!
Wonderful to hear Anjali. You are right, totally easy to make and so tasty. Glad you enjoyed tlayudas. Cheers