Memelita is a Mexican street food staple made from a thick, fried tortilla that is topped with beans, cheese, and a variety of other tasty ingredients. Memelita are easy to make and can be enjoyed as a snack or light meal.
- Publisher: Pithy Recipe
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 4
Memelita
What is Memelita?
Memelita are a type of Mexican street food made from a thick, oval-shaped tortilla that is fried until it is crispy and then topped with various ingredients such as beans, cheese, and salsa.
They are similar to sopes and gorditas and are typically served as a snack or light meal. Meanwhile, sopes and Memelita are similar dishes that can be enjoyed as a snack or light meal, but they do have some differences in terms of their shape, size, ingredients, and preparation.
Memelita are often made with masa, a dough made from ground corn that is commonly used in Mexican cuisine to make a variety of dishes such as tortillas, tamales, and pupusas.
Ingredients for making Memelita
- 2 cups masa harina (corn flour)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Possible ingredient substitutes
- Masa harina: If you don’t have masa harina on hand, you can try using cornmeal or fine corn flour as a substitute.
- Salt: You can use any type of salt in this recipe, or omit it if desired.
- Water: You can use any type of liquid in place of the water, such as broth or milk, to add additional flavor to the dough.
Method Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the masa harina and salt. Add the warm water and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Flatten each ball of dough into a thin, oval shape about 1/4 inch thick.
- Place the Memelita in the hot skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the Memelita from the skillet and drain on a paper towel.
- Serve the Memelita hot, with your choice of toppings.
Related Video
Memelita
This is a video about Memelita.
Video Credits: Freshness Princess
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Recipe Tags: Memelita, Recipe
Servings
- As a snack or appetizer: Memelita can be served as a snack or appetizer, either on their own or with a side of salsa or guacamole for dipping.
- With beans and cheese: Memelita can be topped with refried beans and shredded cheese, and then heated until the cheese is melted.
- With meat and vegetables: Memelita can be topped with cooked ground meat, diced vegetables such as tomatoes and onions, and shredded cheese.
- With salsa and sour cream: Memelita can be topped with salsa and a dollop of sour cream for a spicy and creamy flavor combination.
- With scrambled eggs: Memelita can be topped with scrambled eggs, diced vegetables, and shredded cheese for a breakfast-inspired dish.
Overall, the possibilities for serving Memelita are endless, so feel free to get creative and come up with your own unique topping combinations!
Tips
- Use the right flour: Masa harina, a type of corn flour, is the traditional flour used to make Memelita. It is important to use masa harina, as it has a different consistency and flavor than other types of flour.
- Add the right amount of liquid: The amount of liquid you need to add to the masa harina will depend on the humidity and temperature of your kitchen. Start with the amount of liquid specified in the recipe, and add more as needed to form a smooth, pliable dough.
- Roll out the dough evenly: When rolling out the dough into a thin, oval shape, try to make it as even as possible to ensure that the Memelita cook evenly.
- Use a hot, dry skillet: To get the best results, it is important to use a hot, dry skillet when cooking the Memelita. This will help the Memelita to cook quickly and evenly and give them a crispy texture.
- Experiment with toppings: The beauty of Memelita is that they can be topped with a variety of ingredients to suit different tastes. Experiment with different toppings and fillings to create your own unique combinations.
Remarks
This Mexican street food staple is a fun and flavorful way to add some variety to your meal repertoire. Whether you are serving Memelita as a snack or a light meal, we hope that our recipe has inspired you to give them a try.
We hope you will experiment with different toppings and fillings to create your own unique Memelita combinations. Thank you for following along with our recipe, and happy cooking!