A vibrant, high-resolution photograph showcases pambazos on a rustic clay plate, drenched in guajillo chile sauce, stuffed with chorizo and potatoes, and topped with shredded lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and salsa.

Pambazos Recipe: Mexico’s Salsa-Dipped Street Sandwich That Brings the Heat

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If you want to turn heads on the street, nothing beats a Pambazo — Mexico’s bold, salsa-dipped torta stuffed with fluffy potatoes, chorizo, and all the fixings. Unlike the fried masa snacks we’ve been enjoying, this antojito is all about soft bread, a spicy red chile bath, and a satisfying, messy bite that screams pure street food joy.

Picture this: A vendor dunks a fluffy bolillo roll into a simmering guajillo chile sauce until it turns that signature deep red. Onto the comal it goes, sizzling and soaking in flavor, before being split open and stuffed with chorizo and potato filling. Then comes the shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, crema, and salsa — the perfect blend of spicy, soft, and creamy in every bite.

Pambazos are a celebration of texture and color, a sandwich you need two hands (and a few napkins) to conquer. They’re a Mexico City and Veracruz street food classic, made to be eaten standing up, sauce dripping, grinning ear to ear.

Pro Tips for Next-Level Pambazos

  • Crispier Bread: Lightly toast your bolillos or teleras before the guajillo dip so they hold their shape and stay slightly chewy inside.
  • Perfect Potatoes: Parboil before dicing so they fry up with a tender center and crispy edges.
  • Chorizo Choice: Use fresh, loose chorizo — avoid overly fatty or gummy packaged versions.
  • Dip Smart: Use tongs to quickly dunk bread in guajillo salsa — no soaking, or it’ll fall apart.
  • Serve Immediately: These taste best eaten right off the comal, while the outside is crisp and the filling is piping hot.
A vibrant, high-resolution photograph showcases pambazos on a rustic clay plate, drenched in guajillo chile sauce, stuffed with chorizo and potatoes, and topped with shredded lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and salsa.

Pambazos (Salsa-Dipped Mexican Sandwiches)

Pambazos are iconic Mexican street sandwiches made with bolillo bread dipped in guajillo chile sauce, grilled on the comal, and stuffed with chorizo, potatoes, lettuce, crema, and queso fresco.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Snack, Street Food
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 bolillo or telera rolls
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 cups water for soaking chiles
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup cooked crumbled chorizo
  • 2 cups diced cooked potatoes
  • ½ cup shredded lettuce
  • ¼ cup Mexican crema
  • ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • Salsa of choice

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the Chile Sauce: Soak guajillo chiles in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend with garlic, salt, and soaking water until smooth. Strain for a silky sauce.
  • Make the Filling: In a skillet, heat chorizo and add the cooked potatoes. Stir until coated and warmed through.
  • Dip and Cook the Bread: Heat a comal or skillet with a drizzle of oil. Dip each bolillo into the guajillo sauce and sear on both sides until lightly crisp and vibrant red.
  • Assemble the Pambazos: Slice open each roll. Fill with the chorizo-potato mixture, then top with lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and salsa.
  • Serve Hot: Enjoy immediately, standing over the sink or street-style — napkins required!
  • Notes:
  • Add pickled jalapeños or avocado slices for extra flair.
  • Serve with a cold Mexican lager or agua fresca.
  • Make extra chile sauce — you’ll want to dip twice!
Keyword pambazos, Mexican street food, salsa-dipped torta, chorizo and potato sandwich
Freshly dipped pambazos sizzle on a cast iron comal, their guajillo chile-stained bread developing a crisp red crust as they cook.

Pambazos hitting the comal — the moment they transform from soft tortas to chile-drenched street food icons.

Tips for Next-Level Pambazos

  • Crusty Bolillos Only: Use day-old bolillo or telera rolls — they hold up best to the chile sauce.
  • Strain the Guajillo Sauce: This keeps the texture velvety smooth and avoids clumps on the bread.
  • Sear in Lard (Optional): For extra street-style authenticity, use a dab of pork lard instead of oil.
Two vibrant Mexican pambazo sandwiches filled with chorizo and potatoes, topped with lettuce and queso fresco, served on a wooden board with salsa, a tortilla, and a drink, over a colorful woven placemat.

Pambazos con papa y chorizo — soaked in guajillo chili, fried to perfection, and stuffed with bold flavor. A street food classic that always delivers.

Other Street Bites to Try

The Final Bite

If Tlacoyos are ancient and gorditas are fluffy, Pambazos are the rebels of the antojito world — messy, bold, and unapologetically drenched in flavor. There’s nothing dainty about them, and that’s exactly the point. Whether you’re on a bustling Mexico City street or frying one up in your home kitchen, pambazos remind us that sometimes the best bites are the ones that leave sauce on your fingers and a grin on your face. So roll up your sleeves, dip that bread, and take a big, spicy bite of tradition.