Just-Add-Water Masa Cheese Rounds with Quick Lime Pickled Onions
Mix masa harina with warm water and salt into a soft dough, then press cheese inside small balls and flatten them into rounds. Cook them in an oiled skillet over medium heat on a camp stove or grate, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp at the edges. Top with lime-pickled red onion. The whole snack takes about 40 minutes.
All you need for the dough is a bag of masa harina and some water. Mix them in a bowl and you get a soft, pliable dough that tastes like fresh tortillas. Tuck some melty cheese inside, flatten, and griddle. You get crisp edges and a gooey middle.
The pickled onions take 10 minutes and need no cooking. They add a sharp, bright bite that cuts through the cheese. Make a batch at the end of a trail day and the whole site will wander over to see what smells so good.
Just-Add-Water Masa Cheese Rounds with Quick Lime Pickled Onions
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium flame or medium coals
- Pack weight
- 2 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Some water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet or flat griddle
- Camp stove or fire grate
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl or jar for the onions
- Spatula
- Clean damp cloth
- Plate
Steps
-
Pickle the onions
Put the sliced onion, lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt and the sugar in a small bowl or jar. Stir and press the onion down into the juice. Let it sit while you make the dough.
-
Mix the dough
In a large bowl, stir the masa harina, 1/2 tsp salt and chili powder. Pour in 1 1/2 cups warm water and mix with your hand until a soft dough forms.
-
Check the texture
The dough should feel like soft play dough, not sticky and not cracking at the edges. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if it cracks, or a little masa if it sticks. Let it rest 5 minutes.
-
Fill the rounds
Roll the dough into 12 balls, about the size of a golf ball. Press a thumb into each one, add about 1 tablespoon cheese, then pinch it closed and roll smooth.
-
Flatten gently
Pat each ball between your palms into a round about 1/2 inch thick. If the edges crack, pinch them back together. Keep the finished rounds under a damp cloth.
-
Heat the pan
Set a skillet or griddle over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. It is ready when a pinch of dough sizzles gently. If it smokes, lower the heat.
-
Cook until golden
Cook 4 to 5 rounds at a time, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown with crisp edges. Add the remaining oil between batches and keep the cooked rounds on a plate.
-
Top and serve
Drain the onions and pile a little on each warm round. Add hot sauce if you like. Eat them while the cheese is still melty.
Trail Notes
Mix the masa harina, salt and chili powder in a zip bag at home. At camp, pour it into a bowl, add water and go. Pack the cheese in a cooler at 40°F or below.
Keep the cheese cold until you fill the rounds. Don't leave leftover cooked rounds out for more than 2 hours. Eat them or put them back in the cooler.
Swap in a hard aged cheese, like cotija or Parmesan, grated fine. Block cheese like this holds up for a day or two in a cool, shaded bag.
Pack out the lime juice and onion scraps with your trash. Strain dishwater and scatter it at least 200 feet from streams, lakes and campsites.
Campers ask
Can I use cornmeal instead of masa harina?
No. Cornmeal is ground raw corn and won't hold together, while masa harina is made from corn treated with lime and forms a soft dough when mixed with water.
Why is my masa dough cracking?
It needs more water. Work in 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough feels like soft play dough and the edges stay smooth when you flatten it.
Can I cook these over a campfire instead of a stove?
Yes. Set a grate over medium coals, let the skillet heat for a few minutes, and cook as written. Rotate the pan so the rounds brown evenly.
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