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How to Make Delicious Homemade Pupusas

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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

Scale

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

Find it online: https://glonfo.com/how-to-make-delicious-homemade-pupusas/