Volcanes de Barbacoa con Guacamole (Crisp Cheese and Beef Volcanoes)
Corn tortillas crisped in a pan, topped with a lava of melted cheese, shredded barbacoa and cool guacamole.
Made with Classic guacamole and Corn tortillas from masa harina and Barbacoa beef. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time30 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.61 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm your ready made barbacoa beef (see the base recipe) in a small pan until steaming hot all the way through. Drain off most of the juices.
4 min - 2
Heat half the oil in a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 4 tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden and starting to crisp. Remove and repeat with the remaining oil and tortillas.
1 min 30 s - 3
Return 4 crisp tortillas to the pan and scatter each with a quarter of the cheese. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the edges frizzle and turn crisp.
- 4
Slide each cheese topped tortilla onto a plate and pile with the barbacoa while the cheese is still molten.
- 5
Add a spoonful of your ready made guacamole (see the base recipe) to each volcán. Scatter with the onion and coriander and serve at once with the lime wedges.
Tips
- Crisp the tortillas until they snap. They need to hold the weight of the cheese and beef.
- Let the cheese bubble and brown at the edges. The crunchy cheese lace is the best part.
- Serve straight from the pan. Volcanes soften within minutes.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten straight away. Keep leftover barbacoa and guacamole in the fridge for up to 2 days, pressing cling film onto the guacamole, and reheat the beef until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
What are volcanes?
Volcanes are a Mexican street food. A corn tortilla is crisped and topped with melted cheese, then with meat such as pastor or beef, and salsa. The cheese gives the volcano shape its crisp, lacy edge.
Which cheese is best?
Oaxaca cheese melts and browns well. Low moisture mozzarella is the easiest UK swap, and a mild cheddar works too.
Can I make them dairy free?
Use a dairy free melting cheese, or skip the cheese and top the crisp tortillas with beef, guacamole and salsa for a lighter version.
More made with classic guacamole
Totopos con Guacamole y Pico de Gallo (Chips with Guacamole and Fresh Salsa)
GFDFEFHamburguesa Norteña con Queso y Rajas (Northern Style Queso Burger)
NFChimichangas de Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken Chimichangas)
EFNFTostadas de Garbanzo al Adobo (Adobo Chickpea Tostadas)
DFEFNFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.