Mexican Tart

My Mexican Tart is a version of Mexican pizza, with a cornmeal crust and a more dense filling. It’s perfect for dinnertime, and can be made as simple or as extravagant as you want.

I’ll go ahead and admit that my intentions were to do a corn tortilla tutorial.

I won’t lie.

I lost patience after the 14th time of trying to nail it. It’s really not that difficult, but I got frustrated doing it with no tortilla press.  I really wanted to make them, but patience is not one of my greatest strengths, unfortunately.

I did, however, make something last minute that turned out better than I expected.

THIS ↓

Isn’t she pretty?? Sometimes plan B was just meant to be.

How Do You Make a Mexican Tart?

I made a simple dough with masa harina, water and salt and pressed it into a tart pan.

If you’re not familiar with masa harina, it’s a flour made from dried corn that’s used to make tortillas, tamales, empanadas, arepas, etc. It’s a core ingredient in Mexican cooking. You’ll find it in the baking aisle of your grocery store near the flour and cornmeal.

The difference between masa harina and cornmeal lies in the processing that masa harina undergoes called nixtamalization that gives it a distinct flavor. There’s also a textural difference. Cornmeal is corn that’s ground into fine or coarse texture, and masa harina is actually a flour with a finer texture and smoother consistency.

With the crust being prepared, you add the fillings. I chose shredded pork, because the day before I smoked a huge pork loin that came out beautifully and I had a good bit left.  

It was SO tender. I seasoned it with my favorite wet rub, and let the smoke do the magic. 

After chopping the pork, I added some canned black beans, corn, salsa, lots of cheese and black olives. I also added some sautéed yellow onion, but that’s optional.

This comes together really easily, and bakes in 30 minutes. If you don’t have any protein on hand, a store-bought rotisserie chicken would be perfect for this. It’s really satisfying and hardy, and it’s truly one of those dishes that actually gets better as it sits in the fridge. 

The crust isn’t overwhelming. I was afraid that it would be thick and too much, but it’s NOT! It’s just enough. I pressed it down pretty thin in the tart pan – so glad I did.

I didn’t drown the pork in a lot of salsa, even though I was tempted to. I put just enough to keep it moist, and then drizzled on some hot sauce, then the other toppings.   

Mexican Tart Variations

Ground beef with enchilada sauce   

Shredded chicken with salsa verde   

Go meat-free and swap in sautéed diced zucchini or eggplant

Bake in mini tart pans for individual servings

This is the perfect throw together weeknight dinner. You could also put it together the night before, refrigerate and throw it in the oven when you get home from work.

I just solved tomorrow night’s dinner dilemma for you.

You’re welcome.

Here’s your printable –

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Mexican Tart

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

A cornmeal crusted tart filled with shredded pork, black beans, white corn and lots of cheese - a crowd pleasing dinner.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Masa flour
• 1 ¾ cup water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray (or butter, or oil)
• ¾ lb. pulled pork (or beef, or chicken
• ½ yellow onion, diced and sautéed
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup white corn
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (I love Cholula)
• ¾ cup pickled jalapeños
• 1 ½ cup white sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• Grape tomatoes, sliced
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Limes, sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine masa through salt in a medium size mixing bowl.
3. Spray fluted tart pan (or pie pan) with nonstick spray; press masa dough into pan - should be about as thin as thin pizza dough.
4. Spread pork, onions, beans, corn, jalapeños, salsa and hot sauce. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
5. Top with remaining ingredients and serve.

Recommended Products

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

• 
  Le Creuset Stoneware Tart Dish, 1.5 qt. (9"), Cerise
• 
  Bob's Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour, 22 Oz
• 
  Mud Pie Salsa Double Dip Set, White | Dixie Chik Cooks

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 664Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1832mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 10gSugar: 16gProtein: 34g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Here’s your pinnable –