hello, awesome party time with huaraches!

hurraches

Last winter while exploring the quaint little city of Victoria, BC, I stumbled into a hidden away Mexican restaurant called Hernande’z and discovered my new favorite dish – huaraches. Then a few months later, I found myself in Fort Greene, Brooklyn munching on one at the Brooklyn Flea and a week later I was in Williamsburg gorging myself on another at Smorgasburg. I was seriously hooked!

corn masa flour

Huaraches are flattened patties of corn masa and get their name from the popular Mexican sandal. They are topped with beans, cheese, vegetables, sour cream, and salsa and they are beyond delicious. I tend to associate Mexican food with long summer evenings, but there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the taste of the tropics in the middle of winter, right? Right!

mixing the masa dough

It looks like a big production, but turning masa flour into dough is quite simple – just add a little vegetable broth and salt and then shape into balls. The dough does tend to dry out quickly so it’s a good idea to cover everything with plastic wrap when you’re not working with it. My patties were a bit dry and cracked a bit around the edges, and while I’m sure a Mexican grandmother might give me dirty looks, taste-wise, I was happy with the results.

huaraches toppings!

It’s best to figure out your topping situation before starting the dough. So if you’re making your own refried beans or even just opening up a can, make sure they’re warm and simmering over low heat. Get your brisket sticky and shredded or crumble up some chorizo or shred some chicken if you’re into adding meat. I hope you’ve got some homemade salsa ready – this recipe works incredibly well with canned tomatoes (really!!!). Grate your cheese, shred your lettuce, mix up your guacamole or chop up your avocado. I also love to quick pickle some sliced red onion in lime juice for a bit of zing! The toppings are the best part so use what you like and don’t skimp! And it’s so easy to make your huaraches 100% vegan – just choose your toppings wisely!

Then mix up the dough, flatten it out with your hands, and start pan-frying. Or you can cover the the patties tightly in plastic wrap and let them sit in the fridge for a bit. The only real tricky part to these is flipping the huaraches so they don’t crack. And if they do crack, well, that’s where the loads of toppings become handy as a disguise! Gather some friends because this is a meal that is fun to eat! Once you hand over the hot patties to the awaiting crowd, everyone can add all the toppings they like. Hello awesome party time!!

huaraches

25 comments to “hello, awesome party time with huaraches!”

  1. 1
    NicoleD   December 13, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Yummm! I’ve never had them, but they sound really, really delicious. Love your colorful toppings!

  2. 2
    Elena   December 13, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    Hernande’z is the best! When I visited Victoria this spring, two different friends brought me there. I would have totally missed it otherwise. Wish I’d tried the hurraches…

  3. 3
    Kristen   December 13, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    Oh… I hate to That Kind Of Person, but it’s spelled “huaraches.” Sorry! :C

  4. 4
    kickpleat   December 13, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    Thanks Nicole!! These are really great and fun to make with friends.

    It is hard to find, Elena! A hidden gem for sure 🙂

    Fuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Kristen. The thing is, I totally googled it and then somewhere along the line reverted back to my shitty spelling. Thank you!!

  5. 5
    sara   December 13, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    Ooooh, this looks amazing! Great flavors! 🙂

  6. 6
    tea_austen   December 13, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    This looks so good. Want! Now!

  7. 7
    Joanne   December 14, 2011 at 3:24 am

    I absolutely love parties that are based around food. Any excuse to get a group of friends together and eat…I’m in.

    I’m also in for anything made with masa. And topped with fresh Mexican flavors. Hellagood.

  8. 8
    kickpleat   December 14, 2011 at 9:56 am

    Thanks Sara! This was so delicious.

    Yes!! Tara, c’mon on over!

    Thanks Joanne, parties with food are the best. And so are these 🙂

  9. 9
    Nettie Moore   December 14, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    These are wonderful! I am an LA girl and love anything Mexicano or the likes!! RIBA RIBA!!!

    Nettie

  10. 10
    Jessica @ Cajunlicious   December 14, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    So happy I found you through a fellow foodie, you’ve got yourself a new follower! xo Jessica @ Cajunlicious

  11. 11
    Joanne (Bijoux)   December 14, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    I had my hand on a bag of masa flour today while at a supermarket. I was a long distance from home and I didn’t feel like lugging a kilo of flour plus more stuff, on the subway so I left it behind. My loss because this huaraches dish looks mighty fine! Next time for sure…

  12. 12
    kickpleat   December 14, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Aw, thanks Nettie 🙂 Love Mexican food & your enthusiasm!

    Thank you, Jessica for stopping by!

    Joanne, I’m sure you’ll love them – worth the trip with a heavy bag of flour, I’m sure!

  13. 13
    Marilyn   December 14, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    These were amazing! I thought this would be a complicated meal, but it was so easy.
    I did add some more water to stop the cracking, and they all stayed in one piece. Thanks for the recipe!

  14. 14
    Megan Gordon   December 14, 2011 at 10:42 pm

    Niiiiiice! I recently went to a tamale-making party where we did the whole masa/topping this. Truthfully the host bought the masa already prepared because I guess it can be a little labor intensive, but they turned out wonderfully. These look like a close cousin — excited to try!

  15. 15
    Kathryn O   December 16, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Oooh, I love dishes like this where you can serve yourself and mix and match and play around with toppings. Looks delicious, and this is definitely the time of year when I start needing a reminder of warmer days..!

  16. 16
    Ashley   December 17, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Haha huaraches definitely sound like they make for awesome party time! I love Mexican food and have never tried this but I know I’d love it!

  17. 17
    nbm   December 17, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Sounds like the makings of a Mexican latke party, with Hanukkah in the offing. Guacamole instead of applesauce — hmm.

  18. 18
    Lucy @ Lucyeats   December 17, 2011 at 9:42 pm

    That looks wonderful! I love the bright, colourful toppings!

  19. 19
    Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic   December 18, 2011 at 7:49 am

    Never heard of nor tried huaraches before but these look awesome!

  20. 20
    kickpleat   December 18, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    Marilyn, so glad you enjoyed it! And managed to not get any cracks – hooray!

    Megan, I think these are much easier to make than tamales. Give it a go!

    Indeed, Kathryn – think of warm days and eat a bit of Mexican food 🙂

    I’m sure you would, Ashley! Enjoy.

    nbm, now you have me craving latkes!

    Thanks Lucy & Bianca!

  21. 21
    Dana   December 19, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    How is it possible that I have never heard of this incredible thing? We are big Mexican food lovers in this house and I actually find I like it better in the colder weather – nice and warming and hearty. I’ve always associated masa with tamales, something I don’t have the energy to make, but this is the PERFECT way to get the flavor without so much of the work. I’m totally making these and no doubt Randy will send you a thank you note! xo

  22. 22
    kickpleat   December 25, 2011 at 8:43 am

    Dana, yes, this is so simple and so delicious! I hope you give it a try and hopefully Randy will love these a whole lot 🙂

  23. 23
    Cathy H   February 3, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    Thank you for another keeper of a recipe! More than delicious! I sent the link to my daughter in Texas who misses Victoria and Hernande’z. This evening she made huaraches for friends in Austin and I made them here for us and in both locations we loved them. You have quickly become my favourite blogger!

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