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Molcajete

Laura Muller | October 23, 2024

Cooking for Día de los Muertos is one of Laura Muller’s most cherished traditions. This year, she’s honoring her loved ones with a special molcajete that’s prepared on the Xolo Sugar Skull Griddle. The beef, shrimp, and nopal pads get a great sear on the griddle and come together perfectly served in warmed tortillas. 
 

Level
Intermediate
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Serves
4-6
Cook it With Our
Molcajete

Ingredients

For the beef

½ tablespoon pork lard 
Salt 
Pepper 
2 cloves minced garlic 
1 pound steak 

For the shrimp al ajillo

2 cloves minced garlic 
1 chile guajillo, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon cooking oil 
Salt 
1 pound shrimp 
 

For the nopales

3 nopal cactus paddles 
Salt 
4 slices of queso fresco

Plus, warmed tortillas for serving 

Directions

  1. Start by cooking the beef. Melt the pork lard on the griddle over medium heat. Season the thin steak with salt, pepper, and minced garlic, then cook in the lard until browned and cooked through. Set aside. 
  2. Prepare the shrimp. Using the same griddle and the remaining beef juices, add the cooking oil. Sauté the sliced chile ancho and minced garlic for a minute. Then, add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and are fully cooked. Set aside. 
  3. Place the nopal cactus paddles on the griddle. Sprinkle with salt and cook for a few minutes on each side, until they change color. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Set aside. 
  4. Place the slices of queso fresco on the griddle and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until they are lightly browned. 
  5. Place all the cooked ingredients—beef, shrimp, nopales, and queso fresco—into a molcajete or back onto the griddle. Serve warm and let everyone build their own tacos. 
Laura Muller
Laura Muller
Contributed By: Laura Muller


Laura Muller is a Hispanic cooking influencer with over 12 years of experience transforming traditional Mexican recipes into healthier, low-fat versions. Her YouTube channel, Las Recetas de Laura, has over 2.6 million followers who trust her for nutritious Mexican dishes. Born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico, Laura's love for cooking was inspired by her abuelita, Conchis.


She holds a degree in communication sciences and a postgraduate degree in journalism from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Now based in Chicago, Laura continues to share her passion for healthy Mexican cuisine through her online platforms Food and Deals by Laura and as a journalist and radio news anchor at Radio Claret America.
 

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