Description
Detailed Recipe & Step By Step Instruction Here
This easy Pupusa recipe shows you how to make bean and cheese-stuffed corn tortillas, a Salvadoran classic. They’re crisp on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside, and traditionally served with curtido—a tangy cabbage slaw.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 cups masa harina
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2¾ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or oil of choice) for frying
For the Filling:
- 15 oz refried beans
- 1 packet chicken seasoning (preferably Goya)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Curtido:
- ½ head green cabbage, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced (or ½ cup pre-shredded carrots)
- ½ onion, thinly sliced
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup boiling water (or more as needed)
Instructions
Make the Curtido:
Boil a large pot of water and cook cabbage until soft.
Reserve ½ cup of the cabbage water, then drain the rest.
In a bowl, combine the boiled cabbage, carrots, onions, salt, vinegar, and reserved hot water.
Let it sit and marinate while you prepare the pupusas.
Prepare the Filling:
In a bowl, mix the refried beans, chicken seasoning, and mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
Make the Dough:
In a large bowl, combine masa harina and salt.
Gradually add warm water, mixing by hand, until a dough forms with a play-dough-like consistency.
Shape the Pupusas:
Take a small ball of dough and flatten into a disc in your palm.
Shape it into a shallow cup and fill with 1–2 tablespoons of the bean mixture.
Close the dough around the filling to form a ball, then gently flatten back into a disc.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Cook the Pupusas:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
Cook 3 pupusas at a time for 2–3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden.
Repeat with remaining pupusas.
Serve:
Serve hot, topped with curtido and optionally salsa roja.
Notes
Zucchini Variation: Grate zucchini, salt and season it, then squeeze out excess water and mix with mozzarella cheese.
Pork (Chicharrón) Variation: Boil and pan-fry pork with garlic and seasoning, then blend with tomato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Mix with cheese.
Freezing Tip: Pupusas can be made ahead and frozen before frying. Defrost and cook as directed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pupusa
- Calories: 165 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 568 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg