Name: Tlayudas Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 whole-grain tortillas (or sub GF tortillas) 8-10 inches wide, or larger.; ½ head of cabbage ( 14-16 ounces), shredded; 1 cup shredded carrots; 4 radishes -thinly sliced (optional); ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion – or sub pickled onions or pickled shallots; 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more taste; ½ an english cucumber- sliced; 1 tablespoon jalapeno- finely chopped- optional; ¼-½ cup scallions sliced; ¼-½ cup cilantro- chopped; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus a little zest; 1 can refried black beans (or make refried beans from scratch!) loosened with ¼ cup water, seasoned with salt, cumin and coriander; Optional: Chicken carnitas , walnut Chorizo, or Turkey Chorizo; Optional: Oaxacan String cheese, Crumbled Queso Fresco Cheese, melty cheese; Optional sauces- Chipotle Mayo and/or Avocado-Cilantro Sauce (below) I like both!; Garnish with sliced avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, scallions, fresh summer tomatoes, hot sauce, or sour cream.; 1 medium avocado (perfectly ripe); 4-6 jalapeno slices; 1 garlic clove; handful cilantro- ¼ -½ cup ( tender stems, OK); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 4 tablespoons water; ½ teaspoon salt

Introducing Tlayudas! Traditional Oaxacan street food, tlayudas are like a Mexican style “pizza”, made with a crispy tortilla, silky refried beans, optional meat and cheese, delicious cabbage slaw, avocado and cilantro. This lightened-up version is vegan-adaptable and loaded with healthy veggies!

It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined.
~Henry James~

I’m so excited to share this recipe for Tlayudas with you because I know you are going to love them!

What are Tlayudas?

Thayludas (pronounced tley-oo-dahs ) originate from the Oaxacan region of Mexico are like Mexican style pizza, with a crispy tortilla as the base, creamy black beans as the “sauce”, then traditionally topped with Mexican string cheese and chorizo, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro.

Introducing Tlayudas! Traditional Oaxacan street food, tlayudas are like a Mexican style pizza, made with a crispy tortilla, silky refried beans, optional meat and cheese, delicious cabbage slaw, avocado and cilantro. This lightened-up version is vegan adaptable and loaded with healthy veggies!

Here above are what traditional Tlayudas look like, a specialty of Oaxaca, Mexico. Sooooooo delicious! While we were in Oaxaca, we had many versions of Tlayuda, most often with black beans, chorizo, avocado, tomato and cilantro and melty Oaxacan string cheese.

To be clear- this recipe is I’m sharing is not traditional– it is an adaption. Most of what you’ll find in Oaxaca look like these above- but we happened upon a healthy cafe that served up some vegan tlayudas piled high with crunchy slaw more like a tostada and I, of course, was smitten and wanted to share.

So to reiterate, this is not a typical tlayuda, but a lightened up, vegan version.

This recipe is vegan-adaptable and full of veggies and flavor! What I love about it most is the great texture — they are deliciously addicting! Keep them vegan (my favorite) or add melty cheese, chicken carnitas, or turkey chorizo – so versatile! You could also add this walnut chorizo!

The secret to the texture is the super crispy tortilla (simply toasted in the oven) that gets lathered up with silky refried black beans. To keep these lean, I’ve topped them with a mound of flavorful Mexican Cabbage Slaw along with cucumbers, carrots, radishes, onion and cilantro. The recipe is adaptable- meaning if you have vegans and meat-eaters under the same roof, you can add chicken, chorizo or cheese to some, while keeping others vegan for mixed households.

Another fun option is to let guests or family build their own, customizing to their own tastes and preferences! A Tlayluda party!!!

Finish the tlayudas with sliced avocado, lime, hot sauce, Chipotle Mayo or Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. The cabbage slaw keeps well until the next day, making leftovers a tasty option.