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A must-have at fairs, family celebrations, and festive gatherings, Guatemalan garnachas are crispy, fried corn tortillas topped with savoury beef, crunchy cabbage slaw, tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of crumbly cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Garnachas Recipe
Bursting with flavour, satisfying and easy to make, garnachas are one of the most popular appetizers in Guatemala. I learned how to make these tasty snacks at our family ranch in Zacapa.
This region of Guatemala is cattle country so traditional Guatemalan dishes featuring beef — such as hilachas (shredded beef stew), salpicón de res (radish and beef salad) and garnachas — are popular snacks at family gatherings, parties, festivals and celebrations.
Since then they’ve become a favourite appetizer to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve as they pair perfectly with other international appetizers and festive drinks such as ponche de frutas (holiday hot fruit punch).
This garnachas recipe is also the version most popularly served as street food in Guatemala. They’re:
- Simple to make. Unlike some Guatemalan appetizers that require delicate batters or unique ingredients, making garnachas is very easy. You can also do some tasks in advance.
- Versatile. Garnachas are wonderfully versatile! While they’re traditionally made with shredded beef, you can easily switch things up by using ground beef, shredded chicken, or even refried black beans for a delicious (and vegetarian) twist.
- Perfect for parties. With their ability to pair effortlessly with a variety of tapas and appetizers, garnachas are the ultimate crowd-pleaser for any party.
- Rooted in Tradition: These appetizers are a beloved traditional Guatemalan food and an authentic dish worth trying!
Ingredients
- Beef: Chuck, blade or brisket roast are ideal as they become tender over time releasing deep, savoury, and hearty beef flavour that deepens during slow cooking.
- Masa Dough: Masa dough tortillas bring a warm, earthy, and slightly nutty flavour with a tender yet rustic texture. My mother-in-law takes her nixtamalized (alkaline treated) corn to the molinero to be ground into dough but this recipe calls for Maseca, the instant masa flour. Note that it’s not the same as cornmeal or corn flour as Maseca is nixtamalized before being dried and ground, giving it a distinct flavour and texture.
- Curtido: Cabbage slaw (curtido) has a tangy, mildly sour taste with a refreshing crunch. Make my recipe for curtido (takes 5 minutes) or just use finely shredded cabbage.
- Tomato Sauce: Simple tomato sauce that’s smooth and lightly seasoned.
- Crumbled Cheese: For a hit of saltiness, traditional recipes for garnachas use the famous queso seco (dried cheese) of Zacapa. It’s not easily available outside of Guatemala so you can substitute crumbled cotija, Greek feta or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. You want a cheese that adds a salty, tangy, and slightly crumbly richness to enhance the other flavours.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground Beef for Stewing Beef: Browned ground beef is a very popular substitute for the shredded beef. Add a dash of thyme for a flavour boost.
- Make it Vegetarian: Like my Black Bean Soup recipe, you can make this dish vegetarian. Use whole or refried black beans, preferably cooked from scratch rather than canned.
- Flat vs Fluted: Some Guatemalan cooks shape the masa dough into cups with fluted edges rather than flat crisps. The crispy flat method is the way our families in Zacapa and Guatemala City makes garnachas. But fluted cups (similar to Mexican sopes) do hold more filling so that’s an option if you’d like to give it a go.
How to Make Garnachas Guatemaltecas
Please scroll down to recipe card for full method and quantities.
- Steps 1 and 2: Simmer beef, onion and garlic in bouillon and water for 2 hours or in a slow cooker until tender. Remove the beef and shred it into small pieces.
- Steps 3 and 4: Combine Maseca flour with 1 1/2 cups water. Mix throughly for 2 minutes until it forms a soft dough. If dough feels dry, add water by the teaspoonful as needed.
- Steps 5 and 6: Divide dough into 15 equal balls of dough.
- Flatten the balls in a tortilla maker lined with plastic wrap. Or use two plates. The balls should be about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick.
- On a preheated griddle or non-stick skillet over high, cook the tortillas until done, turning once. Remove from griddle.
- Steps 7 and 8: When cool enough to handle, slice each tortilla in half through the middle so you have two thin rounds.
- Panfry the tortilla halves in vegetable oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel or napkin.
- Steps 9 and 10: Build your garnachas by topping each tortilla with a spoonful of meat, tomato sauce, curtido (or shredded cabbage), sprinkle of cheese and parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions and Expert Tips
- Masa Dough: The dough should be the consistency of putty after you’ve added the water. If it’s too wet the dough won’t hold its shape in a ball. If too dry, the tortillas will have cracked edges when cooked.
- Making the Tortillas: Be sure to make the tortillas thick enough so you can slice them in half. If they’re too thin, they’ll disintegrate when you add the topping. Garnachas are intended to be messy fun but you want them to stay together for at least a few minutes.
- Shredded Cabbage: If you opt to use shredded cabbage rather than the marinated slaw (curtido), use a small, tender cabbage and slice it thinly. If the cabbage is old and tough, it will be too hard to eat.
- Cocktail Party Pairings: Enjoy your garnachas with Guatemalan guacamole, Chojín, Russian salad or any other fun and tasty appetizer recipes you love.
- Dinner Party Pairings: Pre-dinner enjoy with appetizers followed by traditional Guatemalan main dishes such as Pollo Jocón (Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce), Pepián de Pollo, Tapado Seafood Soup or this Bacalao Salt Cod Stew. After dinner, wrap it up with this No-Bake Mango Pie.
- Drink Pairings: Add extra Guatemalan flair to parties with this picosita beer cocktail, horchata or these other traditional Guatemalan drink.
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Recipe
Guatemalan Garnachas
Guatemalan garnachas (garnachas Guatemaltecas) are deliciously crispy, corn tortillas topped with shredded beef, tomato salsa, marinated cabbage, and a sprinkle of crumbled dry cheese. They’re a popular street food snack and appetizer at fairs, parties and gatherings.
Servings: 30
Calories: 90kcal
Cost: $15
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Instructions
Simmer beef, onion and garlic in bouillon and water for 2 hours or in a slow cooker for 6 hours until tender. Remove the beef and shred it into small pieces.
Combine Maseca with 1 1/2 cups water. Mix throughly for 2 minutes until its forms a soft dough. If dough feels dry add water by the teaspoonful as needed.
Divide dough into 15 equal-sized balls.
Flatten the balls in a tortilla maker lined with plastic wrap. Or use two plates. The balls should be about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick.
On a preheated griddle or non-stick skillet over high, cook the tortillas until done, turning once. Remove from griddle.
When cool enough to handle, slice each tortilla in half through the middle so you have two thin rounds.
Panfry the tortilla halves in vegetable oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel or napkin.
To assemble top each tortilla with a spoonful of shredded meat, tomato sauce, curtido (or shredded cabbage), sprinkle of dried cheese and parsley.
Serve immediately.
Notes
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- The masa dough should be the consistency of putty after you’ve added the water. If it’s too wet the dough won’t hold its shape in a ball. If too dry, the tortillas will have cracked edges when cooked.
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- When making the tortillas, be sure to make them thick enough so you can slice them in half. If they’re too thin, they’ll disintegrate when you add the topping.
-
- Ground Beef for Stewing Beef: Browned ground beef is a very popular substitute for shredded beef. Add a dash of thyme for a flavour boost.
- Make it Vegetarian: To make this dish vegetarian, use whole or refried black beans, preferably cooked from scratch rather than canned.
- Flat vs Fluted: Some Guatemalan cooks shape the masa dough into cups with fluted edges rather than flat crisps. The crispy flat method is the way our families in Zacapa and Guatemala City makes garnachas. But fluted cups (similar to Mexican sopes) do hold more filling so that’s an option if you’d like to give it a go.
Nutrition
Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
FAQs
While both Mexican and Guatemalan garnachas share similar ingredients, the preparation and presentation set them apart. Mexican garnachas typically feature masa (corn) dough molded into a cup shape, cooked on a griddle or comal, and filled with savoury toppings. They’re somewhat similar to sopes (another masa-based snack).
Guatemalan garnachas are made using masa dough tortillas that are cooked, sliced in half, and fried before being topped with flavourful ingredients. They’re flat rather than cup-shaped.
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