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Finished pambazo sandwich ready to serve warm and crispy

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Pambazos (Guajillo Dipped Mexican Chorizo & Potato Sandwiches)

This pambazos recipe mexican sandwich is a classic Mexico City style street food made with bolillo or telera rolls dipped in a smoky guajillo chile sauce, lightly fried until crisp, and stuffed with papas con chorizo. It gets finished with shredded lettuce, Mexican crema or sour cream, crumbled queso fresco or cotija, and a spoonful of salsa verde for the perfect spicy, savory, messy bite.

What are Pambazos? In this pambazos recipe Mexican sandwich, the bread is coated in a mild red chile sauce before it ever gets filled. The guajillo sauce gives that signature brick red color and a deep chile flavor without being overly spicy. Frying the dipped bread makes the outside crisp, then the warm potato and chorizo filling goes in, and the fresh toppings cool everything down.

Love Mexican tortas, bolillos, and street food at home?

Try our
Chicken Milanesa Sandwich (Mexican Torta),
Homemade Bolillos,
and
Fire-Roasted Chile de Árbol Salsa
for your next taquiza-style spread.

Quick Recipe Snapshot

Difficulty: Moderate (multi step, but fast once everything is prepped)
Prep Time: About 25 minutes
Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes
Servings: About 6–8 pambazos
Flavor Profile: Savory, lightly smoky, mildly spicy, creamy and fresh on top

Watch the Video

This step-by-step video walks you through the full pambazo process, from blending the guajillo sauce to dipping and frying the bread and stuffing it with papas con chorizo. Watching the video helps you match sauce thickness, bread crispness, and the best timing for assembling so the lettuce stays crisp.

Watch how to make pambazos step by step.

A Quick History of Pambazos

Pambazos are a popular antojito from central Mexico, especially Mexico City, known for bread that’s dipped in red chile sauce and fried before filling. The name is tied to “pan basso,” a humble bread, and the dish became a street food favorite because it’s filling, affordable, and easy to customize. The classic filling is papas con chorizo, then the sandwich gets topped with lettuce, crema, cheese, and salsa for that red, white, and green finish.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Crispy, saucy bread. The guajillo dip plus a quick fry gives you a crisp outside with chile flavor in every bite.
Classic papas con chorizo filling. Spicy chorizo and tender potatoes are salty, savory, and satisfying.
Mild heat, big flavor. Guajillo brings color and depth without making the sandwich too spicy.
Easy to customize. Add more salsa, swap cheeses, or make a vegetarian filling without changing the method.
Party-friendly. Prep the sauce and filling ahead, then dip and fry the bread fresh when you’re ready to eat this pambazos recipe Mexican sandwich.

Ingredient Spotlight

Ingredient	What to Know
Guajillo Chiles	These give pambazos their signature red color and mild smoky chile flavor. Remove stems and seeds so the sauce blends smoother and tastes cleaner.
Garlic & White Onion	Simple aromatics that round out the guajillo sauce and keep it from tasting flat.
Chicken Bouillon	Adds instant depth and salt to the sauce. Start small and adjust so it does not overpower the chile flavor.
Mexican Oregano	A small amount gives a classic herbal note that works well with guajillo.
Bolillo or Telera Rolls	Use soft rolls that can absorb sauce without falling apart. Slice like a hinge so the bread holds together while frying and filling.
Pork Chorizo	Use fresh Mexican chorizo that browns and crumbles. It seasons the potatoes as it cooks.
Russet Potatoes	Starchy and filling. Dice small so they cook fast and soak up the chorizo flavor.
Lettuce, Crema, Queso Fresco or Cotija	Crunch + cream + salty cheese keeps the sandwich balanced and not too heavy.
Salsa Verde	Optional, but highly recommended. A spicy salsa verde takes pambazos to another level.

Seasoning Tip: Because the sauce includes bouillon, start with ½ teaspoon salt when blending, then adjust after tasting. It is easier to add more than to fix an overly salty sauce.

Step-by-Step: How to Make This Pambazos Recipe Mexican Sandwich

Make the Guajillo Sauce

Soften the chiles. Remove stems and seeds from the guajillos. Simmer in water until softened, about 8–10 minutes.
Blend smooth. Blend the softened guajillos with garlic, white onion, Mexican oregano, bouillon, salt, and enough soaking water to make a smooth, pourable sauce.
Strain if you want it silky. Strain through a fine sieve for a smoother sauce that coats the bread evenly.

Make the Papas con Chorizo Filling

Cook the potatoes. Dice the potatoes and boil until fork-tender, then drain well.
Brown the chorizo. Cook the chorizo in a skillet until browned and cooked through.
Add onion and potatoes. Add chopped onion, then the potatoes. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes pick up flavor and get a few golden edges.
Lightly mash a little. Mash a few potato pieces so the filling holds together inside the bread.

Dip and Fry the Bread

Slice the rolls. Slice bolillo or telera rolls open but keep one side attached like a hinge.
Dip the outside. Dip the outside of the bread in guajillo sauce. Focus on coating the exterior so the inside stays sturdy.
Lightly fry. Fry the sauce-coated rolls in a little oil until crisp and lightly browned on both sides.

Assemble and Serve

Fill. Stuff each fried roll with the warm potato and chorizo filling.
Top. Add shredded lettuce, a drizzle of crema or Mexican sour cream, queso fresco or cotija, and salsa verde.
Serve immediately. Pambazos are best hot and crispy, with cold toppings added right before eating.

Pambazos (Guajillo-Dipped Chorizo & Potato Sandwiches)

Mexico City style pambazos are soft bolillo or telera rolls dipped in a smoky guajillo chile sauce, lightly fried until crisp, then stuffed with papas con chorizo and topped with shredded lettuce, crema, crumbled cheese, and salsa verde.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Ingredients

Guajillo Sauce

15 guajillo chiles stems removed and seeds removed
2 garlic cloves
1/4 white onion
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt start here, then adjust
3 cups water for simmering chiles, plus more as needed for blending

Bread

6 to 8 bolillo or telera rolls
1/4 cup neutral oil for lightly frying bread, plus more as needed
Filling
2 tablespoons neutral oil to cook potatoes, more if needed
3 to 4 medium russet potatoes peeled and diced small
1/2 white onion diced
1 1/2 pounds pork chorizo
1 teaspoon garlic salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Toppings

2 cups shredded lettuce romaine or iceberg
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup cotija cheese optional, or use instead of queso fresco
Salsa verde to taste (spicy recommended)

Instructions

Guajillo Sauce

Add the deseeded guajillo chiles to a pot and cover with water; bring to a gentle simmer. Keep the chiles submerged so they soften evenly.
Add the white onion and garlic cloves to the pot with the chiles and continue simmering until the chiles are fully pliable.
Remove the softened chiles, onion, and garlic from the pot.
Transfer the softened guajillo chiles to a blender along with the softened onion and garlic clove.
Add Mexican oregano, chicken bouillon, and salt to the blender.
Add regular water to help everything blend smooth (chile soaking water is optional), add more as needed until the sauce is smooth and pourable.
Blend until completely smooth. A high-powered blender makes this extra silky, and if your blender isn’t as strong, blend longer and strain if needed. Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl for dipping.

Papas con Chorizo Filling

Peel the potatoes and dice into small, even cubes.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the diced potatoes in an even layer and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Toss once to coat.
Spread the potatoes back into an even layer and let them cook undisturbed so a light crust forms (stirring too often can make them mushy), once browned underneath, stir and repeat until tender with golden edges.
Once a crust has formed on the potatoes, add the diced white onion and cook 2–3 minutes until softened.
Stir the potatoes and onion together until evenly combined.
Add the pork chorizo (if using a large pan, push the potatoes to one side and cook the chorizo on the other; if your pan is smaller, cook the chorizo separately and combine afterward). Cook the chorizo, breaking it up, until browned and fully cooked.
Stir to combine the chorizo with the potatoes until evenly mixed.
Cook until the filling is cohesive and not watery; lightly mash a few potato pieces if needed.