Pambazos Recipe – Diethood

Do you love Mexican food? Then friends, do I have a treat for you! Today, we are going to learn how to make “pambazos,” which are sandwiches made with chorizo, potatoes, and lots of delicious fixings.

Similar to elotes, pambazos are hidden gems within the street-food scene in Mexico City. Locals love grabbing one of these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner alike. They’re creamy, tangy, crunchy, and hearty – in other words, you need this sandwich in your life.

Why You’ll Love This Pambazos Recipe

• Authentic. This recipe uses authentic Mexican ingredients to recreate all the textures and flavors of pambazos you’d be able to buy from street vendors in Mexico City.
• Flavorful. From the chili sauce, to the chorizo filling, to all the fixings – every layer of these sandwiches are packed with incredible flavor. Don’t miss it!
• Doable! This recipe has a couple of steps, but they can be completed in stages and don’t involve any complicated techniques. Make your chili sauce one day, then use it to toast the bread and assemble your sandwiches the next.

What You’ll Need

There are several components to making authentic pambazos, but don’t let the length of the ingredient list scare you. Many of them are pantry staples. The rest can be easily found in supermarkets or your local Mexican market or you can order them online.

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make pambazos. Please scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list.

For the Guajillo Pepper Sauce

• Dried guajillo peppers – These are the base of the dish so try to get a hold of them. If you absolutely can’t, New Mexican chilis are the closest thing.
• Olive oil – Feel free to swap it out for vegetable, corn, or canola oil.
• Onion – Only use white onion. Yellow onion is sweeter, whereas red onion is spicier. Anything other than white onion will change the sauce’s flavor.
• Garlic – I recommend fresh garlic, but garlic paste or garlic powder will work.
• Salt & Black Pepper – Table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt are all okay to use. I also like to use freshly ground black pepper here, but it’s okay to use pre-ground pepper.
• Water – Helps emulsify the sauce for a smooth, cohesive texture.

For the Filling

• Canola oil – Don’t use olive oil here at all. Since we’re grilling the breads, we need a higher smoke point oil, so go for corn or vegetable oil if you need to use a substitute.
• Telera bread – Mexican bolillos and birote, Kaiser rolls, bread rolls, and even French baguettes will work as substitutes.
• Guajillo pepper sauce – You’ll make some in step one of this recipe.
• Chorizo – You can usually find this at the grocery store. Remove the chorizo from the casings and break it up.
• Potatoes – Diced and cooked, these will be mixed in with your chorizo.
• Pickled red onions – I almost always get these in a jar from my local grocery store. They add a crunchy texture and a tangy pop that balances the guajillo sauce.

To Assemble Your Pambazos

• Lettuce – Romaine lettuce is crunchier so I prefer it, but use whatever you’ve got on hand.
• Mexican crema – Sour cream thinned with a bit of milk also works.
• Cheese – Cotija cheese adds tanginess to brighten up the sandwich. If you can’t find it, use crumbled queso fresco.
• Salsa – Add your favorite kind of salsa before serving. Both red and green salsa works!

Variation Ideas

• Use cabbage. Shredded cabbage is a common topping for Mexican tortas (sandwiches), so feel free to swap it out.
• Use carnitas or birria. Their juiciness and flavor profiles will make a mind-blowing pambazo. Use them instead of, or in addition to, the chorizo filling.
• Add refried beans. Before adding the chorizo and potatoes or other fillings, spread some refried beans on each bread half for extra flavor.
• Make them Veracruz-style. Forget the guajillo sauce completely and make pambazos like a regular sandwich. They’re still delicious!
• Add avocado. Whether it’s diced avocado or guacamole, it’ll add a perfectly yummy creaminess.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Don’t store fully assembled pambazos because the bread will soak up all the moisture and your sandwich will fall apart. What you can do instead is store all of its components separately.

The telera bread can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Everything else should be refrigerated in airtight containers.

In airtight containers each of the components will keep in the fridge as follows:

• The guajillo sauce will keep for up to a week.
• The chorizo and potatoes filling for up to 5 days.
• The lettuce will only keep for 1-2 days before losing its crispness.
• Everything else, like the crema and cotija cheese, should be refrigerated according to package instructions.

When it’s time to reheat, pop the chorizo and potatoes mixture into the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm.

Can I Freeze Extras?

Only the chorizo filling, sauce, and telera can be frozen. Everything else will have to be freshly prepared or a prepped couple of days in advance.

Place the chorizo and potatoes into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months. The sauce can be frozen in a freezer-friendly bag or container for up to 6 months. Teleras have to be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed into a freezer-friendly bag or container. They’ll last up to 3 months.

When you want to make pambazos again, transfer the filling, sauce, and bread into the fridge overnight. The next morning, set them on the counter until they’re completely thawed. Meanwhile, you can prep the rest of the ingredients.

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