Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed Corn Cakes)
In short: Griddled corn masa cakes stuffed with melting cheese and refried beans, served with tangy curtido slaw and a mild tomato sauce. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 455 kcal
Pupusas are El Salvador's national dish: thick, hand-patted corn masa cakes stuffed with melted cheese, refried beans or loroco and cooked on a hot griddle until speckled and crisp at the edges. They are eaten with the hands, usually for dinner, with a pile of curtido (lightly pickled cabbage) and a thin tomato sauce. All you need is masa, a filling and a little patience with shaping.
Instructions
- Mix the masa harina and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water gradually, kneading until you have a soft, smooth dough that feels like modeling clay and does not stick to your hands. If it cracks, add water a tablespoon at a time. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
- Mix half of the cheese with the refried beans for 6 bean and cheese pupusas. Keep the other half of the cheese, mixed with the loroco if using, for 6 cheese pupusas.
- Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Put the oil in a small bowl and rub a little on your hands.
- Roll a lime-sized ball of masa (about 85 g / 3 oz). Press a deep well into it with your thumb, cupping it in your palm. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling and pinch the dough closed around it.
- Pat the ball back and forth between your palms until it becomes a flat disk about 12 cm (5 in) wide and 7 mm (1/4 in) thick. Patch any holes with a pinch of dough.
- Cook the pupusas on the hot griddle for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until puffed and speckled with brown spots. A little cheese leaking out and crisping is a good sign.
- Serve hot with curtido and tomato sauce on the side.
Tips
- If the filling leaks while you shape them, the dough is too dry or the disk too thin. Work a spoonful of water into the masa and use a little less filling.
- Break up any cold clumps of cheese and let the filling come to room temperature so it spreads evenly inside the dough.
Questions and answers
What fillings are traditional for pupusas?
Cheese, refried beans and a mix of the two are the vegetarian classics. Loroco, a fragrant flower bud, is a popular addition to the cheese.
Can I make pupusas ahead of time?
Shape them up to 4 hours ahead and keep them between sheets of plastic. Cooked pupusas keep for 3 days in the fridge and reheat well on a hot skillet.
Can I freeze pupusas?
Yes. Cooked pupusas freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen on a medium skillet for about 4 minutes per side.
How long does it take to make Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed Corn Cakes)?
About 1 h in total: 40 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed Corn Cakes)?
About 455 kcal per serving, with 16 g of protein, 64 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 455 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
