Garnachas Oaxaqueñas
Crispy fried masa boats topped with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, and fresh garnishes. A beloved Oaxacan street food that's restaurant-quality but made at home in under an hour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 24g
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina (corn flour for tortillas)
- 1.25 cups warm water
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium onion, diced small
- 1 can (15 oz) refried beans
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta)
- 1 cup fresh lettuce, shredded (cabbage or iceberg)
Instructions
- 1
Pour 2 cups masa harina and 0.75 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.
- 2
Pour 1.25 cups warm water into the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms that holds together but is not sticky.
- 3
Let the dough rest in the bowl for 5 minutes, covered with a damp towel, so the flour fully absorbs the water.
- 4
Dice the onion into pieces smaller than a grain of rice — about pencil-tip size — and set aside in a small bowl.
- 5
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large non-stick pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Add 1 pound ground beef to the hot pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon into small crumbles as it cooks, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
- 7
Add the diced onion to the beef and stir once every 30 seconds until the onion turns from white to translucent, about 2 minutes.
- 8
Remove the beef and onion from the pan to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving any fat in the pan.
- 9
Pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball.
- 10
Gently press the ball into a shallow bowl or cupped hand, flattening it to a round 3 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick with a slight rim around the edge.
- 11
Carefully slide the flattened disk into the hot fat in the pan (it should sizzle immediately) and fry for 2 minutes until the underside turns golden-brown and crispy.
- 12
Using a slotted spatula, flip the garnacha and fry the other side for 1.5 minutes until it also turns golden and the edges look dark and crispy.
- 13
Slide the garnacha onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- 14
Repeat steps 9–13 with the remaining dough until you have 8 garnachas total.
- 15
While the last garnachas fry, open the can of refried beans and pour the contents into a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 16
Stir the beans once every 30 seconds until they are warm throughout and steam rises from the surface, about 3 minutes.
- 17
Spoon 1 tablespoon of warm refried beans onto the flat top of each warm garnacha.
- 18
Top each garnacha with a pinch of the cooked ground beef and onion mixture, about 2 tablespoons total.
- 19
Layer 2 tablespoons shredded lettuce on top of the beef, covering the surface.
- 20
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon crumbled cotija cheese or feta over the lettuce on each garnacha.
- 21
Arrange the finished garnachas on a serving platter and serve immediately while the masa bases are still warm and crispy.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- damp towel
- small bowl
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or large non-stick pan
- wooden spoon for breaking up meat
- slotted spoon
- plate
- shallow bowl or cupped hand for shaping
- slotted spatula or fish spatula
- paper towels
- small saucepan
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