🇸🇻 Authentic Pupusas
A national dish of El Salvador.
🫓 Ingredients (Makes 8–10 pupusas)
For the masa:
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2 cups masa harina (Maseca for tortillas)
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1½–1¾ cups warm water
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½ tsp salt
Traditional fillings:
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1½ cups shredded mozzarella or queso Oaxaca
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1 cup refried beans (thick, not runny)
Optional additions:
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Cooked chicharrón (finely ground pork)
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Loroco (traditional edible flower bud from El Salvador)
🥬 Quick Curtido (Must-Have Topping)
Curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage slaw always served with pupusas.
Ingredients:
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2 cups finely shredded cabbage
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½ carrot, grated
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¼ onion, thinly sliced
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½ tsp dried oregano
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½ tsp salt
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1 tbsp vinegar
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½–¾ cup warm water
Mix everything together and let sit at least 30 minutes (longer = better flavor).
🔥 How to Make Pupusas
1️⃣ Make the dough
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Mix masa harina and salt.
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Gradually add warm water.
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Knead until soft and smooth (like playdough).
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Let rest 5–10 minutes.
If dough cracks, add a little more water.
2️⃣ Shape & Fill
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Divide into golf ball–size balls.
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Flatten slightly in your hand.
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Add 1–2 tbsp filling in center.
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Carefully fold edges over filling.
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Gently flatten into a ¼–½ inch thick disk.
Tip: Lightly oil your hands to prevent sticking.
3️⃣ Cook
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Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium.
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Cook 3–4 minutes per side.
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They should develop golden spots and may puff slightly.
Do NOT press them like tortillas.
🌶️ Serve With:
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Curtido (on top or side)
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Simple tomato salsa (licuado sauce)
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Sour cream (optional but common outside El Salvador)
🔥 Traditional Filling Combinations
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Queso only
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Frijol con queso
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Chicharrón con queso
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Revueltas (beans, pork, and cheese together)
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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The authentic chicharrón filling recipe
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A fully traditional fermented curtido (3-day method)
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Or tips to prevent cracking and leaking 🫓