pupusa

Like its kissing cousin, the Mexican gordita, Salvadoran pupusas are a stellar corn flour pancake stuffed with fillings such as shredded cheese and braised meats, then griddled. Pupusas have the advantage of being stuffed before they're cooked, ensuring an irresistible gooey layer of cheese inside. Our recipe features a simple refried bean filling in addition to melted Oaxacan cheese, and gets topped with curtido, a simple cabbage, carrot and onion slaw.

Cheese and Bean Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed, Griddled Tortillas) with Cabbage Slaw Recipe

masa dough

recipe Perfect Refried Beans, cooled

queso Oaxaca

Vegetable oil,

recipe quick curtido

Hot sauce and lime wedges,

Using wet hands, roll masa dough into 15 golf-ball-sized balls. Place balls on a baking sheet and cover with a moist towel. Working with one ball at a time, use your thumb to press a deep indent into the ball, then use your hands to work it into a small "bowl" with a 1/4-inch-thick edge.

Place about 1 heaping tablespoon refried beans into the bottom of the "bowl," then top with about 1 heaping tablespoon shredded cheese. Using moist fingers, carefully bring dough edge together, enclosing the filling within, and press to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to return it to a uniform ball shape. Carefully pat pupusa down into a flat round about 4 inches wide and about 3/4 inch thick; if edges crack, run a wet finger around them to smooth them. Place pupusas on a baking sheet and keep covered with a towel as you work. Repeat with remaining masa balls and fillings.

Lightly coat a large cast iron skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add pupusas and fry, turning once, until well-browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Drain pupusas on a paper towel-lined plate, than transfer them to plates and top with curtido. Serve with hot sauce and lime wedges, if desired.

This tasty Salvadoran dish is often paired with a traditional cabbage salad called Encurtido Salvadoreño.

Pupusas Revueltas

chicken breast

vegetable oil

onion,

garlic,

green pepper,

tomato,

tsp salt

instant corn flour (masa harina)

water

lb low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated

head cabbage, chopped

carrots,

red pepper flakes (optional)

oregano

olive oil

salt

brown sugar

vinegar

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan. Add chicken, and sauté until chicken turns white. Constantly stir the chicken to make sure it is evenly cooked.

Add onion, garlic, green pepper, tomato, and salt, and mix well. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is cooked through (to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F). Remove the pan from the stove. Put the mixture in a bowl and cool in the refrigerator.

While the chicken mixture is cooling, place the corn flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually stir in enough water to make a stiff tortilla-like dough.

When the chicken mixture has cooled, mix in the cheese.

Divide the dough into 24 portions. With your hands, roll the dough into balls. Press a hole in each ball with your thumb.

Put about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the hole formed in each ball. Fold the dough over to completely enclose it. Press the ball out with your palms to form a disk.

In a very hot iron skillet, cook the pupusas on each side until golden brown.

Blanch the chopped cabbage in boiling water for 1 minute. Discard the water.

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add the grated carrots, sliced onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, olive oil, salt, brown sugar, vinegar, and water.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with Pupusas Revueltas or as a side for other dishes.

Pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador, are a simple and affordable recipe to make. Stuff them with cheese, meat, or vegetables, and fry them up for a filling snack or lunch!

Pupusa Recipe from El Salvador

masa harina

tsp kosher salt

mozzarella cheese

Vegetable oil (for cooking)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together salt and masa harina. Then use a mixing spoon to mix in the water. When the dough gets too hard to mix, begin kneading the dough with your hands until everything is combined.

Form the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Use your palm to flatten the balls into a disk.

When they are flat, lay about 1 tbsp of shredded cheese in the middle, then ball up the dough to form a ball again. Finally, flatten into a disk again now that the cheese is inside.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and allow to heat up. Add the pupusa into the pan, and cook for about 5-10 minutes on one side, until the outside is crispy and you see a few small char marks. Flip the pupusa and grill again on the other side. Enjoy!

Thick and chewy corn tortillas are filled with beans and cheese, pan fried, and topped with a fresh cabbage slaw. This easy pupusa recipe is perfect for a snack or casual dinner!

How to Make Pupusas (Recipe + VIDEO)

cabbage slaw mix

lime (juiced)

For the Fillings -

refried black beans

Monterey jack cheese

oli (avocado, olive, canola)

chicken

For the slaw: Set out a medium mixing bowl. Combine the cabbage slaw mix with the lime juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Pupusa dough: Set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the masa harina, salt, and water. Mix by hand until the mixture is very soft and smooth. Set aside.

Set a large cast-iron skillet on the stovetop. Set the refried beans, shredded Monterey jack cheese, and any other fillings you would like to use on a clean work surface.

Use a scoop to measure out 3-4 tablespoon balls of pupusa dough. They should be slightly larger than golf balls. Rub your hands with additional masa to keep them dry. One at a time, press the masa balls into flat disks about 5 inches wide, or the width of your palm. Place 1 teaspoon of refried beans in the center then cover with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Add a scant amount of any other filling you would like. Be careful not to overfill the pupusas or they will be hard to seal.

Gently fold the sides of the dough up over the fillings and pinch. Then pinch along the sides of the dough creating a clam shell shape. Rotate the closed pupusa in your hands to create a ball. Then gently flatten into a thin disk, about 4 inches across. Check the sides and pinch to seal any areas where filling might be coming out. It’s ok to see a little bit of black beans peeking out here and there, but you don’t want fully open areas.

Heat the skillet over medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot add 4 to 6 pupusas to the skillet at a time. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. Repeat the filling, shaping, and frying until you have used all the pupusa dough. Add oil to the skillet as needed.

Serve immediately, or keep warm in a low heat oven, until all the pupusas are cooked.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/h5dRJRGm.mp4

How to Make Pupusas - These thick and chewy corn tortillas are filled with beans and cheese, pan fried, and topped with a fresh cabbage slaw. Our easy pupusa recipe is perfect for a snack or casual dinner!

How To Make Pupusas

Pupusas Sazonadas with Loisa

Heirloom White Corn Masa Harina

tbsp Loisa Sazón

tbsp Loisa Adobo

tsp Loisa Sal Marina or other sea salt

refried beans

queso fresco

Toppings

tbsp curtido

¼ sweet and spicy jalapeños

Mix 1 cup Masa Harina, Loisa Sazón, Adobo, and Sea Salt. Whisk together and combine.

Slowly add 1 cup of water and combine with masa harina mixture until a dough forms.

Form a small ball between your hands. Dip your fingers in oil and water combo to prevent dough from sticking to your hands. Make an indentation with your thumb in the center of the dough ball.

Use 1 teaspoon of each bean and cheese and place into the dough. Seal and form a ball again. Then pat back and forth between your hands rapidly until you form a disc. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough.

Heat a skillet or Comal over medium-high flame with 2 tbsp coconut or avocado oil.

Add 2-3 pupusas at a time and cook 4-5 minutes each side. Until dough is cooked through and the pupusas are golden brown with some char.

Serve warm with your favorite toppings like curtido (fermented cabbage slaw), sweet and spicy jalapeños, and some more queso fresco on top.

Pupusas de Frijol con Queso

beans

grapeseed oil

Salvadoran quesillo (can substitute shredded Monterrey Jack

lbs white masa harina

water,

Curtido and salsa roja

red onions, thinly sliced

carrot

tbsp kosher salt

red pepper flakes,

apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and carrot and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside. 

In a second large bowl, combine the salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the water and apple cider vinegar.

Pour the spiced vinegar mixture over the vegetables and knead until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Store the curtido in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

In a blender on high speed, blend the cooked beans and broth until smooth. Set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the grapeseed oil until it shimmers. Pour the blended beans into the pan and bring to a boil; keep them on medium heat and constantly stir until they reach a stiff texture and no liquid remains, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Transfer the beans to a large bowl. Add the quesillo and mash the cheese into the beans so that no large chunks remain. The mixture should be thoroughly combined and have a uniform color, with no parts too cheesy or too concentrated with beans. Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine the masa harina and water and knead until it reaches the consistency of Play-Doh. (You may choose to do this in batches. Divide the water and the masa harina and mix one batch at a time.) When the dough is pressed, its sides should not tear.

Pour some water into a small bowl and keep it handy for moistening the dough. Roll about 3 ounces of masa (slightly larger than a golf ball) between the palms of your hands until it forms a completely round ball. Then start flattening it with the fingertips of your dominant hand. Rotate the round slightly so that it gets pressed down evenly. Once the round is about 5 inches in diameter, cup your hand so that the pressed-out dough is now a pocket. Put about 3 ounces of filling into the pocket and press the filling tightly inside. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center to seal the pupusa, and twist off any remaining dough. This should form a filled disk. Using your dominant hand, pat and flatten the disk until it is 6 to 7 inches in diameter. (If the dough cracks at any point, it needs more moisture; add more water and mix into the dough until it becomes elastic again.)

Set a comal or griddle over medium-high heat. When the comal is hot, add the pupusas and cook until they puff up and the exteriors have browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the pupusas to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat the process until you run out of masa and filling.

Serve the pupusas immediately with curtido and salsa roja. ¡Provecho!

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Top 6 pupusa recipes from across the web

The most viewed pupusa recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Cheese and Bean Pupusas (Salvadoran...

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Pupusas Sazonadas with Loisa

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The most viewed pupusa recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine