Mexico City on a Plate: How to Make Pambazos, 2027's Cuisine to Know

Every year, food forecasters pick a cuisine they expect to rise. For 2027, Datassential chose CDMX, the regional cooking of Mexico City. In its 2027 Trends Report, published on 7 October 2026, the firm said CDMX dishes are appearing more often on menus. It found that 58% of US consumers, and 75% of millennials, are interested in trying the cuisine.

One dish stood out in the research: pambazos. Datassential found that 49% of consumers are interested in trying them but haven't yet. Here's how to make them at home.

What makes Mexico City food special

Mexico City is one of the world's great street-food capitals. Its cooking draws on ingredients and traditions from across Mexico, shaped into fast, bold, deeply satisfying dishes eaten at market stalls and corner stands. Datassential also highlighted huaraches, oblong corn bases topped with beans, meat, salsa and cheese, and pulque, a fermented agave drink. It found pulque appearances on US alcoholic drink menus were up 147% over four years.

Datassential describes pambazos as "a griddled bread roll dipped in mild red chile sauce and stuffed with potato and chorizo".

What is a pambazo?

A pambazo is a soft white bread roll that is split, filled, dipped or brushed all over in a mild red sauce made from dried guajillo chillies, then crisped on a hot griddle. The outside turns brick red, slightly crisp and a little smoky, while the inside stays soft and filling. It's messy, generous and absolutely delicious.

Pambazos with potato and chorizo

Makes: 4 | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 35 minutes

For the guajillo sauce

• 6 dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ white onion
• ½ tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you can find it)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 250 ml of the chilli soaking water

For the filling

• 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 250 g fresh Mexican-style chorizo, casings removed
• ¼ white onion, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste

To assemble

• 4 soft, oval white bread rolls (traditional pambazo rolls, or soft sub or bolillo-style rolls)
• 2–3 tbsp oil or lard for the griddle
• Shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• Mexican crema or sour cream
• Crumbled queso fresco or feta
• Your favourite salsa, to serve

Method

1. Soak the chillies. Toast the guajillos in a dry pan for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant, without letting them burn. Cover with just-boiled water and soak for 15 minutes.
2. Blend the sauce. Blend the soaked chillies with the garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, salt and 250 ml of soaking water until very smooth. Strain into a wide, shallow dish. Simmer it briefly in a pan for 5 minutes if you prefer a mellower flavour, then cool slightly.
3. Cook the potatoes. Boil the potato cubes in salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Drain well.
4. Make the filling. Fry the chorizo in a large pan over medium heat, breaking it up, until cooked and the fat has rendered. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and fry for 5–8 minutes, lightly crushing some cubes, until everything is coated in the red chorizo fat. Season to taste.
5. Fill the rolls. Split the rolls lengthwise, leaving a hinge along one side. Fill generously with the potato and chorizo mixture and press closed.
6. Dip. Quickly dip each filled roll in the guajillo sauce, or brush it on all over. Coat the outside without soaking the bread through.
7. Griddle. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Cook the pambazos for 2–3 minutes per side until the outside is lightly crisp and deep red.
8. Finish. Open each pambazo, tuck in shredded lettuce, add a drizzle of crema and a scattering of cheese, and serve immediately with salsa.

Tips for success

• Use slightly stale rolls. Day-old bread holds up better when dipped in sauce.
• Don't over-dip. A quick coat is all you need. Too long and the roll will fall apart.
• Guajillos are mild. They bring colour and fruity depth rather than fierce heat. Add a chipotle or arbol chilli to the blender for more kick.
• Wear an apron. The sauce stains, so this is a tea-towel-and-napkins kind of meal.

Variations

• Vegetarian: Replace chorizo with sautéed mushrooms, smoked paprika and a little cumin, or use plant-based chorizo.
• Bean version: Spread refried beans inside the roll before adding the potatoes.
• Chicken: Use shredded cooked chicken in place of chorizo, tossed in a spoonful of the sauce.

Make-ahead plan

Pambazos come together quickly at the end if you prepare in stages. The guajillo sauce can be made up to three days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. The potato and chorizo filling can be cooked a day ahead and reheated in a pan until hot through. When you're ready to eat, simply fill, dip and griddle. Pambazos are best eaten straight from the pan, so assemble them just before serving.

Make it a CDMX night

Serve pambazos with a simple salad of sliced radishes and lime, a bowl of guacamole and agua fresca or hibiscus tea. Hibiscus also makes Datassential's 2027 "New Classics" list.

Where to find the ingredients

Dried guajillo chillies are widely available in Latin American shops and online, and keep for months in an airtight container. Fresh Mexican-style chorizo is a raw, spiced sausage, quite different from cured Spanish chorizo. If you can't find it, season minced pork with smoked paprika, ancho or chipotle powder, garlic, cumin, oregano and a splash of vinegar.

The takeaway

If forecasters are right, Mexico City's street food will soon be showing up on far more menus. Pambazos are a delicious place to start: humble ingredients, big flavour and a joyfully messy eating experience you can recreate in your own kitchen.