pupusa recipe

This is a step-by-step on how to make pupusas! This recipe hails from El Salvador and is made by mixing corn flour with water and salt. It&#x27;s topped with a quick pickled cabbage slaw called curtido.

Pupusa Recipe

head of cabbage ((2 cups of shredded cabbage))

carrot

oregano

water

apple cider vinegar

salt

sugar

water ((from the faucet is fine))

(7.5 ounces) shredded mozzarella ((or Oaxacan cheese

pickled jalapeño peppers (diced)

butternut squash

olive oil oil

To a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrots and Mexican oregano. In a measuring cup, stir together the hot water, vinegar, salt and sugar; pour it over the cabbage/carrot mixture. Allow it to come to room temperature and then cover it with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably a day before serving.

To Make the Pupusa Dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt. Pour in the cold water and using a spatula, stir the masa until mostly combined. Then, using your hands, mix the dough until a very soft dough forms. The dough will be very soft. This is totally okay; this means a delicious pupusa is on the way!

I found it easiest to use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop and scoop out the masa into balls onto a piece of parchment. You could also do this with your hands but be sure to make the water/oil mixture above and coat your hands with it first.

To Make the Curtido:

Add the water to a measuring cup and pour in the oil (you can eyeball this). Lightly dip your hands in the water/oil mixture, making sure your palm are evenly coated. This will make it so the masa doesn’t stick to your hands.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. I like to place the pupusas in the oven while I make the rest of the pupusas so they can stay warm and melty. I placed a cooling rack atop a baking sheet and placed it in the oven.

Working one at a time, flatten the balls gently until they're about 1/2-inch thick discs. Place a tablespoon or two of mozzarella cheese, a small bit of diced jalapeño and squash into the center and wrap the dough around the filling creating a half moon shape. Pinch the edges to seal it completely. And then pat the dough gently, flattening it and alternating hands until it reaches about 1/4-inch thick and about 4-inches in diameter. Feel free to re-grease your hands as needed. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

Meanwhile, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of neutral oil and brush the surface with a silicon brush. Add the pupusas to the pan, fitting two to three at time. Don’t be shy to break out another cast iron skillet (if you own it). Cook each pupusa for 4 to 6 minutes per side and then transfer to the baking sheet in the oven. Repeat this process until you’ve worked your way through all of the pupusas.

To Assembe the Pupusas:

Serve the pupusas with the curtido, wedges of lime and salsa.

To Serve the Pupusas:

Pupusa Recipe - a simple step by step guide to making griddled Salvadoran Corn cakes filled with refried beans and cheese with cilantro and scallions. Easy and delicious! Vegan adaptable!

Salvadoran Pupusas! 

masa harina corn flour (corn meal or polenta is not the same)

olive oil

½ -1 cup shredded cheese- Oaxacan Cheese, mozzarella or jack

½ -1 cup refried beans (homemade beans

shallot, diced & sautéed

cilantro

roma tomatoes, quartered

½ onion, rough chopped

garlic

jalapenos

Mix the masa harina flour with salt in a medium bowl. Add the warm water and oil and kneed until it becomes a pliable dough. (see notes)

Fill a bowl with warm water ( for hand dipping) with a tiny splash of olive oil.

Line a sheet pan with parchment or simply place a piece of parchment on the counter.

Prepare your fillings, gathering them around. If using the shallot, finely chop and saute until deeply golden and tender.

Dip your hands in the oiled water, divide the dough in half. Then form 4 equal-sized balls (with each half), a total of eight similar-sized balls, dipping your hands in the water as needed to prevent sticking.

Flatten a ball into a 4 inch round in the palm of your greased hand, creating a cup. (TIP: If the edges crack or crumble, the dough needs a little more water.)

Place a little of the filling inside (1 tablespoon beans, 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 teaspoon shallots, cilantro and scallions) and fold the edges up and around up to enclose. Roll into a neat, sealed round ball.

Flatten one more time using your two palms  ( to about ½ inch thick) and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with all the pupusas.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook each side until crispy and golden, about 5-7 minutes, each side. Keep warm in an oven until serving.

Serve with Curtido, Salsa Roja or  hot sauce, sour cream or avocado, cilantro and lime.

Place all ingredients (except the oil) in a blender and puree.  Heat oil in a medium pot.  Carefully pour in the tomato mixture- it will spatter so hold a lid over the pot at an angle, like a shield with the other hand. Bring to a simmer, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, until thickened and darkened. Cool and serve.

To make Salsa Roja: 

Thank you for this tasty recipe. Made this evening and even my 8 year old loved these!  She wants to take to camp for lunch tomorrow 
I did not have time to make the curtido so I served with cabbage tossed with apple cider vinegar salt and dill. It was a nice compliment. 
Will definitely make again

Theses turned out so good. Love that we can make them vegan with the refried beans!

Love these and super easy.  My kiddo enjoys making (and eating) them with me, too!

These turned out delicious. Our kids love them and served them with your Mexican slaw. next time I'll make the curdito.

Wow—this was so fast, simple  and delicious—definitely the sum is greater than the parts.  Reminiscent of tamales but with much less effort and with a lovely toothsome crispness from the shallow fry (I liked the darker fried ones best).  I added fresh corn kernels  to my refried beans + cheddar but am looking forward to trying more fillings.  Any suggestions (I presume dryish ones work best)?  I didn’t need the bowl of water/oil—my dough was really easy to work with and held together without being sticky at all (I made it by adding 1 ¾ c boiling water to the masa+salt, mixing and then letting that sit covered until it was cool enough to handle—or longer if you want—then I smushed in the oil by hand making a nice moist dough.  I rolled it into a fat log that I cut into 8 slices that I flattened and filled.  Worked great.  Pupusas were a discovery for me — this was something I’d never heard of and we loved it.  Thanks for that!

First time making something like this and we love them. Time consuming but I imagine I will get a bit faster now that I have done them one time. Thankful for your tips and pictures. Enjoy the filling and look forward to making them again. Thank you --A question, after making would they freeze well?

fantastic! love pupusa's but the nearest restaurant is 30 miles away, so thankful I found this recipe! Tastes authentic and delicious! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/K6dWM4ML.mp4

How to make griddled Salvadoran Pupusas made with masa flour, filled with refried beans and melty cheese. Serve these with Curtido and Salsa Roja. A simple, easy vegetarian version of Papusas, that is Vegan adaptable. Video

Salvadoran Pupusas Recipe

With only 5 ingredients and about 30 minutes, you can have this easy and flavorful Pupusa Recipe. A great side dish or appetizer that is cheesy and delicious.

masa harina corn flour

fine sea salt

mozzarella cheese

queso fresco (crumbled)

Add the masa, water, and salt to a large bowl. Stir together. Start kneading with your hands until a soft, smooth, moist dough forms. You may need to add a little more water, up to ¼ cup. You know it is ready when you can gently pinch some together and it doesn’t crack.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss together the mozzarella and queso fresco, set aside.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. I like to weigh them to make sure they are the same size, but you can eyeball it.

Take one of the dough portions and pat it into a large disc in your hands. Add 1/8th of the cheese mixture to the center. Fold and pinch the dough over the cheese. Roll into a ball.

Gently pat and press the ball into a round disc about 1/4th inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Keep any dough you are not working with covered so it doesn’t dry out.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Once hot, spray with cooking spray. Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly charred. Place on a wire rack while you are cooking the remaining pupusas. Serve immediately.

Pupusas are a delicious dish that comes from El Salvador.

How to Make Pupusas

Maseca

tsp salt

water (water)

vegetable oil

Add the Maseca and salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.

Slowly add the warm water to the bowl and mix with your hand until you have a moist and soft dough.

Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.

Cut through the sides of a ziploc bag making a flap. Then put one of the dough balls inside the bag.

Use a heavy pot to flatten the ball.

Put as much cheese that will fit on top of the flattened ball.

Fold the dough as if making an empanada. Use the plastic bag to help you do this.

Shape it back into a ball. Use the bag to help you do this.&nbsp;

Put the flap back over the ball and flatten again. It shouldn't be thin like a tortilla. They should be thick.

Heat up a skillet over medium heat.

Coat the pot with enough oil to keep the pupusa from sticking.

Once the oil is hot add the pupusa and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the pupusa is nicely browned and cooked through.

Transfer the pupusa to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the above steps with the remaining five balls.

Add more oil as needed to keep the pupusas from sticking.

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

tbsp kosher salt

red pepper flakes,

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.

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Pupusa Recipe

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Top 5 pupusa recipe recipes from across the web

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

Top Tags

Pupusa Recipe

Salvadoran Pupusas!

Pupusa Recipe

How to Make Pupusas

Pupusas de Frijol con Queso

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