Codzitos
Codzitos are a Yucatecan snack of tightly rolled corn tortillas, usually with no filling at all, fried until crisp and served under tomato sauce and crumbled dry cheese.
Description
Codzitos are among the plainest tacos in Mexico, which is part of their appeal. Instead of wrapping a tortilla around meat or potato, cooks roll the tortilla itself into a tight tube and fry it until it shatters when bitten. The crisp rolls are then spooned over with a cooked tomato sauce and scattered with dry crumbled cheese. Posta describes them as a classic Yucatecan botana made only from corn tortillas, finished with tomato sauce and queso sopero, a salty cheese similar to cotija.
They are usually treated as a snack or starter rather than a main course. In Yucatán they show up at family gatherings and traditional parties, often alongside other botanas such as sikil p'aak and potato salad in escabeche.
Preparation
The technique is simple but calls for some patience. Warm tortillas are rolled as tightly as possible, while still pliable, and tied with string or thread so they keep their shape. The recipe published by Piña en la Cocina has the rolls rest uncovered on a rack for a full day so they dry out, which helps them fry crisp rather than greasy. The string is removed before frying, and the rolls are cooked in hot oil for a couple of minutes per side until golden, then stood upright to drain.
The sauce is usually chiltomate, a Yucatecan cooked tomato sauce built on roasted tomatoes and, often, habanero. It can be spooned on warm or at room temperature. Queso fresco or cotija can substitute for the regional cheese, and chopped cilantro is a common garnish.
Variations
Because the basic codzito is unfilled, it invites variation. Some cooks dust the hot rolls with chile-lime seasoning, and modern versions known as tacos de aire add fillings, according to Piña en la Cocina. Elsewhere in Mexico, filled and fried rolled tacos are generally called flautas or taquitos; the codzito's distinction is that the tortilla is the whole point.
Serving
Codzitos are served on a plate rather than eaten from the hand, since the sauce softens them quickly. They pair naturally with a cold beer and are often part of a spread of small dishes rather than a meal on their own.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 thin corn tortillas
- Cotton kitchen twine
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 1/4 white onion
- 1 habanero chile (optional)
- 1 tablespoon oil for the sauce
- Salt
- 80 g crumbled dry cheese (cotija or similar)
- Chopped cilantro
Steps
- Warm the tortillas on a comal until very pliable and keep them covered.
- Roll each one into a tight tube and tie it in two places with twine.
- Set the rolls on a wire rack and leave uncovered for about 24 hours to dry.
- Make the sauce: roast the tomatoes and onion on a dry comal until charred in spots, blend, then simmer in the oil with the whole habanero for 8 to 10 minutes. Salt to taste and remove the chile.
- Remove the twine. Heat 3 cm of oil to about 175 C and fry the rolls in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp.
- Drain upright on paper towels.
- Plate, spoon tomato sauce over the top and finish with cheese and cilantro. Serve at once.
If you are short on time, dry the rolls in a 100 C oven for 30 to 40 minutes instead of overnight.
Reviews
Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.
See also
References
- "3 botanas yucatecas ideales para gozar una tarde con los amigos". Posta. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Codzitos (Crispy Taquito Appetizer)". Piña en la Cocina. Retrieved 2026-10-10.