How to Make Pupusas

Last Updated: March 4, 2022 References

Have you driven past a food cart lately and wondered what a pupusa was? Pupusas are corn tortillas filled with cheese or other delicious fillings and cooked on a griddle. This national dish of El Salvador is best eaten hot, so learn how to prepare it yourself. Make the traditional pupusas, mix up curtido, the vegetable slaw it's served with, and then try a variation.

Ingredients

Pupusas

2 cups masa harina
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups warm water
1 cup grated white cheese
vegetable oil, for frying

Curtido

1/2 head cabbage
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Pupusas

1
Make the pupusa dough. Mix the masa harina, salt, and flour in a bowl. Stir it together till it forms a paste-like dough. It should be smooth, not lumpy.^{[1]
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- If it's still too lumpy after stirring, add one teaspoon of water at a time and stir out the lumps till it's smooth. If it's too wet or sticky, add one teaspoon of masa harina at a time, stirring until it thickens and smooths out.
2
Let the dough rest. Leave your dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Let it sit for 10 minutes.^{[2]
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3
Roll the dough into balls. Divide your dough into 8 balls, about 2 inches (5 cm) wide.^{[3]
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- It helps to lightly oil your hands before doing this. This will keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
4
Fill the pupusas. Take a ball of dough and press your thumb into the center. There should be a little indentation. Place 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of white cheese into the indentation and cover the dough over it. Do this will all the other dough balls.^{[4]
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- The cheese should be completely sealed into the pupusa. Otherwise, it will leak out when you fry it.
5
Form the filled balls into disks. Flatten the filled ball between your palms. The pupusa should become circular and flat, about 1/4-inch thick.^{[5]
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- Don't squeeze or roll too much or the filling may leak out.
6
Cook the pupusas. Heat a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add just a few tablespoons of oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the pupusas and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Then flip and cook them for 2 to 3 more minutes.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Randall Chambers
Personal Chef
Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.}
- Make sure that the pan is hot before you start cooking the pupusa. Otherwise, the food could get too oily and then dry out.^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Randall Chambers
  Personal Chef
  Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.}
- The pupusas should look golden in color when they're finished cooking.
7
Serve the pupusas. Serve the pupusas while they're still warm. Top with curtido and any sauces you like.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making the Curtido

1
Prepare your vegetables. Shred the cabbage, grate the carrots, and thinly slice the onion. Place them all in a large bowl and set it aside.^{[9]
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2
Mix the remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, water, salt, brown sugar, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Make sure there are no lumps of spice or brown sugar.^{[10]
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3
Combine the curtido. Pour the spiced liquid mixture over the prepared vegetables and stir really well. Make sure the vegetables are completely covered in the mixture.^{[11]
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4
Refrigerate. Cover the curtido and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before serving. It'll be even better if you refrigerate it overnight before serving. This will give it a slightly pickled flavor.^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Mixing It Up

1
Try a different kind of cheese. There are several kinds of cheeses that make good pupusa filling. Consider using: quesillo, queso fresco, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella.^{[13]
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- Consider mixing a small amount of cheese into the masa harina before you mix the dough. Try to use a dry cheese, like cotija.
2
Add another filling. You don't have to just fill the pupusas with cheese. If you want to add another filling, just be sure to use a small amount or don't use too many different ingredients. You don't want to have trouble containing the filling while rolling out the pupusas. Try these fillings:^{[14]
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- cooked pulled pork
- refried beans
- jalapenos
- diced bell peppers
- ham
- mushrooms
- cilantro
3
Serve pupusas with red salsa or tomato sauce. While curtido is the traditional coleslaw served with pupusas, you can also serve pupusas with salsa. You might also use something resembling a tomato or enchilada sauce to dip your pupusas into.
- For even better flavor, warm the salsa or tomato sauce before dipping your pupusas.
4
Garnish. Add a little extra flavor and color to the pupusas by adding a garnish. Sprinkle with a little bit of whatever cheese you like, or serve with lime wedges.^{[17]
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- The acidic citrus will help cut the richness of the pupusa filling.

Community Q&A

Question

How many people does this serve?

Community Answer

This recipe serves four or five people. You could always double or triple the recipe, though.