Mexican Huaraches (Food)

Huaraches Food is a traditional Mexican dish made with handmade masa and topped with beans, meat, salsa, and more. You'll love every bite!

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A huaraches food topped with ground meat, shredded lettuce, tomato slices, pickled red onions, cheese, and fresh cilantro on a wooden board, with a bowl of limes in the background.

Huaraches are a traditional Mexican dish made with thick oval-shaped masa that’s cooked on a hot griddle and topped with delicious ingredients.

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Their name comes from their shape, which looks similar to the popular Mexican sandal called a huarache.

These handmade masa bases are crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and perfect for loading up with beans, meat, salsa, cheese, and more!

Masa harina spread out with a package of Maseca on top.

Table of Contents

1 🌽 Ingredients
2 👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions
3 No tortilla press? No problemo!
4 🩴 Aren’t these sandals?
5 🔥 Frying Instructions
6 🫙 Storing Instructions
7 🙋🏻‍♀️ FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
8 Toppings
9 🍴 Side Dishes
10 😋 Hungry for More?
11 Mexican Huaraches (Food)

🌽 Ingredients

Masa Harina
Water
Salt (optional)

Masa Harina is the main ingredient to many Mexican recipes corn tortillas, masa for tamales, and champurrado.

You can’t substitute masa harina for corn flour either. Masa harina is a special corn flour that has gone through a highly alkaline process. It is also gluten free.

FYI, huaraches, on their own, are gluten free, but it really depends on what toppings you add.

A collage showing how to make the corn dough for the Mexican Huaraches.

👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, warm water, and salt.
Stir or mix until a soft dough forms. Add only enough water to help the dough come together without becoming sticky.
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest.

The texture should be like wet sand. Let the dough rest for a bit. About 15 minutes. It will dry out slightly during this wait time. If it dries out too much, you’ll end up with a tough huarache. Covering with a kitchen towel will prevent this from happening.

Wax paper placed inside of a tortilla press.

Preheat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat.
Knead the dough lightly for a few minutes until smooth.
Divide the dough into small portions and roll each into an oval or cigar-like shape.

There are such things in Mexico as huarache presses. Since tortilla presses are more popular in the US, this is what we’re using here.

No tortilla press? No problemo!

Use a pie plate, casserole dish, even skillet. Anything heavy that will press down and flatten the corn dough.

A hand showing how to form and make huaraches using a tortilla press.

Place the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap.
Use a tortilla press or another heavy object to flatten the dough into an oval shape.

Do this one by one or in small batches. If you do them all at once and then cook them, the dough will dry out.

Flattened masa between two pieces of wax paper.

Remove from the wax paper.
Place the uncooked huarache in your hand.

Do not discard the wax paper. It can be reused several times.

🩴 Aren’t these sandals?

Huaraches is also the word to describe Mexican sandals. Huaraches food was named after these types of sandals because of their oval shape, similar to the shoe.

Carefully transfer the masa to the hot griddle over medium-high heat.
Cook on each side until lightly browned and cooked through.
The masa may puff slightly as it cooks.
Keep the cooked huaraches warm under a clean kitchen towel while finishing the remaining dough.

Hot griddle is what is most commonly used, but you can take up a notch and fry them instead.

🔥 Frying Instructions

Pinch the center of the dough to make indentations.
Fry in hot oil for 30 seconds on each side.
Place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

🫙 Storing Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them on a skillet or comal until warm and slightly crispy again. You can also freeze cooked huaraches with parchment paper between each one for easier storage.

🙋🏻‍♀️ FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

What are huaraches made of?

Huaraches are made from masa harina, water, and salt to create a thick corn masa base.

Are huaraches the same as sopes?

Not exactly. Huaraches are longer and oval-shaped, while sopes are usually smaller and round. Other variations include tlacoyos which are stuffed with beans and gorditas which are stuffed corn pockets.

Can I make huaraches without a tortilla press?

Yes! You can flatten the dough using a heavy skillet, casserole dish, or pie plate.

Toppings

Popular toppings include a protein (see list below), lettuce, queso fresco, crema, onions, avocado, cilantro, and this roasted salsa verde recipe or roasted tomato salsa.

A homemade huarache topped with lettuce, cheese, onions, and cilantro sits on a wooden board—an inviting scene for huaraches food lovers. Nearby are a jar of sauce with a spoon, a decorative clay pot, limes, and fresh cilantro.

🍴 Side Dishes

Homemade huaraches are a delicious way to bring authentic Mexican street food to your table. The crispy masa paired with your favorite toppings creates the perfect bite every time. Once you learn how easy they are to make, you’ll want to enjoy them again and again.

😋 Hungry for More?

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