Salbutes (Yucatecan Puffed Tortillas)

About This Recipe

Salbutes are one of the most beloved street snacks of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula — small disks of fresh masa dough fried until they puff up into hollow shells, then topped with shredded achiote-marinated chicken, sour-pickled red onion (cebolla encurtida), avocado, lettuce, and tomato. They look similar to tostadas but the texture is completely different: salbutes are soft and pillowy underneath their crisp golden surface, where tostadas are uniformly crisp. The achiote (annatto) gives the chicken its characteristic deep orange color and faintly peppery, earthy flavor — utterly Yucatecan, unrelated to Mexican cuisine further north. Eaten with the hands at the mercado, three at a time, with a glass of horchata or a cold Indio beer.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 3 tbspachiote paste (recado rojo)
• 4 tbspfresh orange juice
• 2 tbspfresh lime juice
• 2 tbspwhite vinegar
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
• 1 tspfine salt
• 600 gboneless chicken thighs
• 1 largered onion, thinly sliced
• 120 mlfresh lime juice (for pickled onion)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspMexican oregano
• 350 gmasa harina
• 280 mlwarm water (for masa)
• 1/2 tspsalt (for masa)
• neutral oil for frying (about 500 ml)
• 1 largeavocado, sliced
• 1/4 headiceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 smalltomato, finely diced

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken

   Blend achiote paste, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt into a smooth marinade. Coat the chicken; refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

2. 2

   Make pickled onion

   Place sliced red onion in a bowl. Cover with boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. Combine with lime juice, salt, and oregano. Let stand at least 30 minutes — the onion will turn shockingly bright pink.

3. 3

   Cook the chicken

   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Sear the marinated chicken until browned, 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat, cover, cook 15 more minutes until cooked through. Cool slightly, then shred with two forks. Reserve any pan juices.

4. 4

   Make the masa dough

   Mix masa harina with warm water and salt. Knead 2 minutes into a soft dough that holds together but doesn't stick. If it cracks, add water 1 tsp at a time. Cover with a damp towel.

5. 5

   Form the discs

   Divide masa into 12 small balls (about 35 g each). Press each between two sheets of parchment using a tortilla press or a flat-bottomed plate, into 11 cm discs about 4 mm thick.

6. 6

   Heat the frying oil

   Heat 2 cm of oil in a wide pan to 190°C.

7. 7

   Fry the salbutes

   Slide a disc carefully into the oil. After 5 seconds, gently push the center down with the back of a slotted spoon — this encourages the disc to puff up dramatically into a hollow shell. Cook 60 seconds per side until deep golden. Lift onto paper towels.

8. 8

   Assemble

   Place each warm salbute on a plate. Top with a generous mound of shredded chicken. Add a slice of avocado, a pinch of shredded lettuce, a few cubes of tomato, and a tangle of pickled red onion.

9. 9

   Serve immediately

   Eat with the hands while warm. Have habanero salsa on the side for those who want extra heat. Cold beer or horchata to drink.

Variations

• •

  Salbutes de cochinita pibil: shredded slow-roasted pork instead of chicken.

• •

  Salbutes de pavo: smoked turkey breast, classic for Christmas leftovers.

• •

  Vegetarian: sub black beans or refried beans for the chicken; add queso fresco crumbles.

Storage

Fried salbute shells: same day, in a paper bag at room temp; recrisp in a 200°C oven for 3 minutes. Chicken filling and pickled onion: refrigerate 3 days separately. Assemble at the last moment.

Frequently Asked Questions