Make this authentic pupusas recipe at home! Pupusas are crispy stuffed masa cakes from El Salvador, filled with refried beans, pickled jalapeños, and melted cheese. I serve these complete with a side of curtido, a type of cabbage slaw. They make a fun, easy snack or light dinner!
I’m a BIG fan of street food, and I love recreating Latin American favorites, from Mexican pambozas to Cuban mojo chicken and these crispy, cheesy Salvadoran pupusas.
As someone who hunts down the nearest food truck no matter which city I’m in, I came across pupusas recently in Austin while on a business trip and I’m hooked! These palm-sized, crispy masa cakes are golden outside and steamy inside. Pull them apart, and you get strings of melted cheese and a rich, tasty filling of refried beans and tangy pickled jalapeños (or really, anything you’d like). After a few rounds of testing at home, these came out just like I remember them. I even made a quick pickled cabbage slaw, called curtido, to serve with.
Things I Love About This Pupusas Recipe
- Simple ingredients. I make this pupusas recipe with masa harina to keep things authentic, but if you find yourself without, it turns out great with cornmeal, too. The rest of the ingredients are common fridge and pantry items.
- Easy method. Shaping pupusas is just as easy as shaping a crab cake or a potato patty. The only difference here is that you’ll stuff them with filling. It takes a little technique, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
- Customizable. You can make pupusas with all kinds of delicious fillings, from the type of cheese you use to meats, veggies, and more. It’s totally up to you.
What Are Pupusas?
Pupusas are thick, pan-fried corn cakes from El Salvador and Honduras. They’re made from masa harina, a type of cornmeal flour, and they actually remind me a lot of Colombian arepas or even quesadillas. Pupusas are stuffed with delicious fillings (in this case, refried beans, pickled jalapeños, and cheese, but the possibilities are endless!) before they’re fried.
To balance out all that cheesy goodness, it’s common to serve pupusas topped with a zesty, tangy slaw called curtido. I set out to make a version to enjoy at home, so obviously, I’m sharing it with you!
What You’ll Need
This pupusas recipe is very simple, with just a few basic ingredients needed to make the dough and curtido. I’ve put together some quick notes here. You’ll find the printable recipe in the recipe card after the post with the full ingredients list and instructions.
For the Curtido
- Shredded Cabbage – I use green cabbage, but feel free to use another kind, like red or napa cabbage.
- Carrot – Sliced up nice and thin. A mandolin or even a box grater works great for this.
- Dried Oregano – Or chopped fresh oregano if you prefer.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – You could also substitute a similarly sweet vinegar, like white or red wine vinegar. There’s quite a bit of vinegar in the dressing, so I don’t recommend white vinegar as it’s too strong for this recipe.
- Sugar – Use cane sugar if you have it, otherwise regular granulated sugar, brown sugar, or another sweetener, like agave or honey, will do the trick.
For the Pupusas
- Masa Harina – Translating literally to “dough flour”, masa harina is a type of coarse maize flour. It’s used to make tortillas, pupusas, and tamales (I use it in the topping for my tamale pie). If you don’t have masa harina, you can substitute cornmeal or corn flour in a pinch. The flavor just won’t be quite the same.
- Mozzarella – Or another shredded, melty cheese, like provolone or cheddar.
- Refried Beans – If I have time, I’ll make the homemade refried beans from my huevos rancheros recipe. Otherwise, store-bought refried beans work perfectly.
- Jalapeños – These can be pickled jalapeños or fresh, finely chopped. If you’re using fresh chilies, I recommend deseeding them first.
Prepare the Curtido
We’ll start by making the curtido, our zesty Salvadoran cabbage relish. This is a mix of cabbage, carrots, and oregano, marinated in a dressing of vinegar, sugar, and salt. It’s similar to coleslaw or sauerkraut, like a simplified version of the red cabbage slaw that I use for my fish tacos.
Do your best to plan ahead and make the curtido in advance, since it needs at least 3-4 hours to chill in the fridge (I sometimes even make it the day before!). Here’s how to do it:
- Combine the ingredients. Add your shredded cabbage, carrots, and oregano to a bowl.
- Add the dressing. In a second bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar with hot water, salt, and sugar. Stir well to fully dissolve the sugar, and pour that over the cabbage.
- Refrigerate. Stir your curtido, and then cover it and let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.
How to Make Pupusas
Once your curtido has marinated, you’re ready to prepare the pupusas following the how-to below.
- Make the dough. Mix up a quick dough from masa harina, water, and salt. I like to stir everything together with a spatula first, and then knead the dough with my hands until it’s nice and soft. Afterward, divide and roll the dough into 8 equal-sized balls.
- Flatten the dough. Next, flatten the dough balls between your palms so that they’re about ¼” thick. I like to keep a bowl of water nearby to wet your hands in between, to help with sticking.
- Fill and shape the pupusas. Now, add ½ tablespoon of refried beans to the center of each dough circle, topped with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, and diced jalapeños. Fold the dough up and around the filling and pinch the edges together before rolling/shaping the dough back into a ball. Press gently to flatten the pupusas to a half-inch thickness.
- Fry. Once your pupusas are ready to go, fry them in a skillet with a splash of oil. Mine usually take about 4-5 minutes per side to get a crispy, golden sear.
- Serve. Enjoy your pupusas with curtido on the side. They’re best served fresh, so dig in!
Recipe Tips
- Avoid sticking. This recipe makes a pretty sticky dough. If the water isn’t enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands while you shape it, add a little oil to the water. You can also use only oil and lightly coat your hands while you work.
- Use a cookie scoop. A large cookie scoop makes portioning the dough super easy. I recommend a 2-ounce scoop.
- Use parchment paper. After shaping the pupusas, place them on a sheet of parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment, grease a baking sheet or cutting board instead to keep them from sticking.
- Keep them warm. To keep the pupusas warm but still crispy, place a wire rack over a baking sheet, and place the whole thing into the oven on low. Once you’ve fried a batch of pupusas in the skillet, transfer them to the rack in the oven.
More Filling Options
There are so many filling possibilities! You can keep it super simple and stuff your pupusas with only refried beans, or try any of the following ideas:
- Protein. Any shredded cooked or braised meats go great in pupusas. I think these would taste amazing stuffed with Puerto Rican pernil or Mexican beef machaca or chicken mole.
- Cheese. Swap melty mozzarella for gouda, cheddar, Oaxacan cheese (queso), or crumbly Cotija cheese.
- Veggies. Baked butternut squash is another favorite filling in place of beans, or you can use acorn squash.
- Different beans. Instead of refried beans, try cooked and pureed black beans, white beans, or pinto beans.
Can You Freeze Pupusas?
Yes, the easiest way to make these ahead is to freeze them! Arrange the filled, unbaked pupusas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop that into the freezer and let the pupusas freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. They can stay frozen for up to 4 months and they’re fine to bake straight from frozen. Just add a couple of minutes to the frying time.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Like most fried things, pupusas are best enjoyed hot and crisp from the skillet. That being said, keep any leftovers in an airtight container to refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- Reheat. I prefer to reheat these in a lightly oiled skillet, or the toaster oven so that the outside crisps up again. The microwave makes pupusas a bit soggy.
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Make the curtido:
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Combine the ingredients. Add cabbage, carrots, and oregano in a bowl. Combine vinegar, hot water, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and stir to combine.
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Chill. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Make the pupusas:
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Make the dough. Combine masa harina, water, and salt in a bowl. Stir with a spatula, then knead until you have a very soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and shape into balls.
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Fill the dough. Add some water to a bowl – you will use this to wet your hands so the dough does not stick. Flatten the balls between the palms so they are ¼-inch thick. Place some refried beans onto the dough (around ½ tablespoon), mozzarella cheese, and pickled jalapenos.
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Fold. Lift and pinch the edges and roll the dough again into a ball. Flatten it gently to 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
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Fry the pupusas. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add pupusas and cook for 4-5 minutes per side.
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Serve. Serve the pupusas while still warm with curtido on the side.
- Filling options. For the filling, you can go with other options or just use refried beans. Baked squash instead of beans is a good choice.
- Sticky dough. If you feel the water is not enough to keep your dough from sticking, then add some oil to the water or just use oil.
- Use a cookie scoop. If you do not want to divide the dough, you can use a 2-oz. cookie scoop to portion out the dough.
- Use parchment paper. When you are done shaping the pupusas, place them on a piece of baking paper to prevent sticking to kitchen surfaces.
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1462IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
