Picaditas
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Bring the flavors of Mexican street food into your kitchen with my picaditas recipe. They’re golden brown, crispy, and topped with your favorite fix-ins!
These picaditas remind me of my favorite Mexican street food
When I need a fun appetizer or snack that’s a bit more creative than nachos, I make picaditas, also known as sopes. They’re one of my favorite Mexican street foods because they’re so simple to make, incredibly versatile, and the perfect excuse to pile on all my favorite toppings.
I always fry the masa cakes until they’re lightly crisp around the edges while staying soft and fluffy in the middle. Once that’s done, the toppings are entirely up to you. Here’s why I love making them:
- Just 4 basic ingredients. The masa cakes are made with simple pantry staples, and the toppings are easy to customize.
- No special equipment needed. I shape the dough with a Ziploc bag, so there’s no need for a tortilla press.
- Perfect for sharing. I love setting out a variety of toppings and letting everyone build their own picaditas. It’s become our revamped ‘taco Tuesday’.
Let’s make them together!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Masa harina. Known as dried corn dough, this classic Mexican ingredient is needed to make sopes. Be sure to look for corn flour labeled “masa harina,” NOT cornmeal, as the flavor and texture are very different.
- Salt. For flavor.
- Hot water. To make the dough.
- Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any frying oil works. When I’m feeling especially naughty (or when I’ve made pork carnitas and have leftover drippings), I’ll use pork lard.
- Toppings. This time around, I used refried beans, shredded lettuce, salsa, sliced avocado, cheese, and lime crema. I’ll add some favorites below!
Topping ideas
- Veggies. Diced onions, tomatoes, sautéed zucchini, or pickled jalapeños.
- Protein. Carnitas, taco meat, sofritas, chicken al pastor.
- Sauces. Sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa verde.
- Garnish. Lime juice, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro.
How to make picaditas
Step 1- Make the masa dough. Combine the masa and salt in a bowl. Pour hot water into the bowl and mix until absorbed. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then form it into a dough ball, cover, and rest for 10 minutes.
Step 2- Divide the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized dough balls. Cover and set aside.
Step 3- Press. Cut open a Ziploc bag like a book. Place one dough ball on it. Cover the ball with the other side of the bag, then press it with a heavy skillet to flatten.
Step 4- Cook and shape. Transfer the dough to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds per side. Transfer the cooked dough to a plate, chill for 30 seconds, then pinch around the edges to create a rim.
Step 5- Fry. Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the corn cakes, flipping every 30 seconds until crispy and golden. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 6- Add toppings and serve. Serve them with your favorite toppings.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pinch the edges while they’re still warm. The masa is much easier to shape before it cools. They’ll be quite hot, so I like to use a paper towel to avoid burning myself.
- Don’t worry if they crack. If a rim tears while you’re shaping it, simply pinch it back together. The dough is very forgiving.
- Start with hot oil. I always wait until the oil is hot before adding the picaditas. Otherwise, they can stick to the skillet and break apart. Wait until a few drops of water sizzle in the pan, then fry.
- Keep them warm as you cook. When I’m making a big batch, I like to keep the finished ones in the oven at 200F so they stay fresh as I’m frying.
More Mexican street food recipes
Picaditas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound masa harina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 375 mls water hot
- 1/4 cup oil to fry
Instructions
- Mix together masa harina and salt in a medium bowl. Pour hot water into the bowl and mix together until all the water is absorbed. Knead the dough with your hands for 5 minutes, until the dough becomes firm: not too dry or sticky.
- Form the dough into a bowl and cover for 10 minutes to rest.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into balls, using the palm of your hands. Cover the dough and set aside.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut open one zip lock bag, like a book, and place one ball of dough on it. Cover the dough with the other side of the plastic bag and press with a heavy iron skillet to flatten it out. Transfer the dough to a skillet and cook for 30 seconds per side. Transfer the cooked dough to a plate, chill for 30 seconds, and pinch the edges, around the entire dough, to create a rim. Cover the cooked dough with a towel.
- Pour the oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the sopes, flipping every 30 seconds until the dough becomes crispy and golden. Remove it from the skillet and dry them on paper towel.
- Serve the sopes with your favorite Mexican toppings like refried beans, shredded lettuce, salsa, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 2023
Only 4 ingredients to make this dish? Very nice. Wanna try.
Mario! Thanks so much for sharing the photos you took of the final recipe- they looked so good. I appreciate you making so many of them and posting them on Instagram!
Can I use butter instead of oil here?
Yes you can, Mario!
Finally i found masa harina. I am excited to try this recipe when my friends come for dinner.
I bought all ingredients today in the shop as my friends come for dinner tomorrow. I really am excited
To make them these.
I never heard of masa harina before. What is that actually?
Wow I really want to try this. I like Mexican food so much. But dont know where can I find masa harina…
This reminds me of Spain!