Learn how to prepare one of the most popular and richest Yucatecan appetizers that exist in Mexico, some rich and delicious turkey panuchos. This recipe consists of a thick corn tortilla that is filled with bean paste and, on top, turkey meat is added, which can be stewed pibil style or just seasoned. On the other hand, the panuchos can be served with lettuce, avocado and, on many occasions, a red onion pickle with habanero chili is also prepared, this adds a spicy and acid touch.
If you want to know the delicious flavor of the Yucatecan dish, read on and learn how to make turkey panuchos. The ingredients are easy to get and, in addition, turkey protein in some areas is very cheap.
Ingredients to make Turkey Panuchos:
- 500 grams of corn dough
- 50 grams of vegetable or lard
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup of ground beans
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pepper to taste
- 1 turkey breast
- 1 liter of water
- ½ cup liquid achiote
- 1 pinch of cinnamon powder
- Enough vegetable oil
- 1 avocado sliced
For the pickled onion
- 1 small red onion filleted
- 1 habanero pepper filleted
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 2 lemons the pure juice
- 50 milliliters of white vinegar
How to make Turkey Panuchos:
Wondering how to make panuchos? Well, to start with the turkey panuchos recipe, first cook the turkey breast. To do this, in a pot with a liter of water, place the breast, add a tablespoon of oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook approximately 35 minutes. Then reserve. Prepare the pickled onion. To do this, mix the filleted purple onion with the juice of 2-3 lemons, 50 milliliters of white vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano to taste, let stand for at least 30 minutes. Prepare the dough for the panuchos. In a container you must place the corn dough, the butter, and a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of baking powder, mix and knead until completely integrated. You should get a smooth and manageable texture.
Trick: you can add a little warm water if you notice the dough is very dry.
With the dough ready, take a portion of approximately 50 grams, roll it into a ball and then, with the help of a tortilla press, press lightly. Cook the tortilla on both sides on a hot griddle approximately 3 minutes. When the tortilla is precooked, cut it in half and fill it with ground beans. Repeat until you finish all the pieces.
In a frying pan, heat a little oil and lightly fry the panuchos. Then let it rest on absorbent paper or on a rack.
For the turkey stew, in a frying pan with a little hot oil, place the shredded cooked turkey. Also add half a cup of liquid achiote, the juice of 1 lemon, a pinch of cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, cook everything for 5 minutes.
Tip: if you can’t get liquid achiote, you can use achiote paste and dissolve it with chicken broth or orange juice.
When the stew and panuchos are ready, it’s time to serve. To do this, place a portion of the stew on the tortilla and also add a few slices of avocado and a little of the pickled red onion. The turkey panuchos are ready!
With what to accompany the panuchos of Yucatan?
If you don’t want to stew the meat, you can skip this step and serve it just seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano. You can even add another ingredient, such as: corn kernels, tomato, grated lettuce and egg. Also, if you want to get the rich flavor of the panucho, we recommend that you prepare the pickled purple onion, this will give it a special flavor. On the other hand, if you like the spicy habanero, it will have a balanced level of heat. And, if you don’t want as spicy, you can substitute jalapeno or omit any type of chili altogether.
We provide you with different sauces so that you can accompany the panuchos with the one you like the most:
- Sauce for tacos al pastor
- Mexican red sauce
- Peanut sauce with Chile de arbol
- Molcajete sauce
- Macha sauce
