Saturday, February 8, 2025
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Pupusas Recipe


Make this genuine pupusas recipe at house! Pupusas are crispy stuffed masa muffins from El Salvador, full of refried beans, pickled jalapeños, and melted cheese. I serve these full with a facet of curtido, a kind of cabbage slaw. They make a enjoyable, straightforward snack or mild dinner!

I’m a BIG fan of road meals, and I like recreating Latin American favorites, from Mexican pambozas to Cuban mojo hen and these crispy, tacky Salvadoran pupusas.

 

As somebody who hunts down the closest meals truck regardless of which metropolis I’m in, I got here throughout pupusas just lately in Austin whereas on a enterprise journey and I’m hooked! These palm-sized, crispy masa muffins are golden outdoors and steamy inside. Pull them aside, and also you get strings of melted cheese and a wealthy, tasty filling of refried beans and tangy pickled jalapeños (or actually, something you’d like). After just a few rounds of testing at house, these got here out identical to I bear in mind them. I even made a rapid pickled cabbage slaw, referred to as curtido, to serve with.

Issues I Love About This Pupusas Recipe

  • Easy components. I make this pupusas recipe with masa harina to maintain issues genuine, but when you end up with out, it seems nice with cornmeal, too. The remainder of the components are frequent fridge and pantry gadgets. 
  • Simple methodology. Shaping pupusas is simply as straightforward as shaping a crab cake or a potato patty. The one distinction right here is that you simply’ll stuff them with filling. It takes a little bit approach, however you’ll get the grasp of it very quickly.
  • Customizable. You may make pupusas with all types of scrumptious fillings, from the kind of cheese you utilize to meats, veggies, and extra. It’s completely as much as you. 
Overhead view of pupusas with curtido on a plate garnished with jalapeño and lime slices.Overhead view of pupusas with curtido on a plate garnished with jalapeño and lime slices.

What Are Pupusas? 

Pupusas are thick, pan-fried corn muffins from El Salvador and Honduras. They’re constituted of masa harina, a kind of cornmeal flour, and so they truly remind me plenty of Colombian arepas and even quesadillas. Pupusas are full of scrumptious fillings (on this case, refried beans, pickled jalapeños, and cheese, however the potentialities are countless!) earlier than they’re fried. 

To stability out all that tacky goodness, it’s frequent to serve pupusas topped with a zesty, tangy slaw referred to as curtido. I got down to make a model to get pleasure from at house, so clearly, I’m sharing it with you!

What You’ll Want

This pupusas recipe could be very easy, with only a few fundamental components wanted to make the dough and curtido. I’ve put collectively some fast notes right here. You’ll discover the printable recipe within the recipe card after the publish with the complete components record and directions.

For the Curtido

  • Shredded Cabbage – I take advantage of inexperienced cabbage, however be happy to make use of one other type, like crimson or napa cabbage. 
  • Carrot – Sliced up good and skinny. A mandolin or perhaps a field grater works nice for this.
  • Dried Oregano – Or chopped contemporary oregano when you desire.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – You could possibly additionally substitute a equally candy vinegar, like white or crimson wine vinegar. There’s fairly a little bit of vinegar within the dressing, so I don’t advocate white vinegar because it’s too robust for this recipe.
  • Sugar – Use cane sugar when you have it, in any other case common granulated sugar, brown sugar, or one other sweetener, like agave or honey, will do the trick.

For the Pupusas

  • Masa Harina – Translating actually to “dough flour”, masa harina is a kind of coarse maize flour. It’s used to make tortillas, pupusas, and tamales (I take advantage of it within the topping for my tamale pie). When you don’t have masa harina, you may substitute cornmeal or corn flour in a pinch. The flavour simply gained’t be fairly the identical.
  • Mozzarella – Or one other shredded, melty cheese, like provolone or cheddar.
  • Refried Beans – If I’ve time, I’ll make the do-it-yourself refried beans from my huevos rancheros recipe. In any other case, store-bought refried beans work completely.
  • Jalapeños – These could be pickled jalapeños or contemporary, finely chopped. When you’re utilizing contemporary chilies, I like to recommend deseeding them first.
Pupusas arranged in rows on a tray garnished with lime slices.Pupusas arranged in rows on a tray garnished with lime slices.

Put together the Curtido

We’ll begin by making the curtido, our zesty Salvadoran cabbage relish. It is a mixture of cabbage, carrots, and oregano, marinated in a dressing of vinegar, sugar, and salt. It’s just like coleslaw or sauerkraut, like a simplified model of the crimson cabbage slaw that I take advantage of for my fish tacos

Do your greatest to plan forward and make the curtido upfront, because it wants at the very least 3-4 hours to sit back within the fridge (I typically even make it the day earlier than!). Right here’s methods to do it:

  • Mix the components. Add your shredded cabbage, carrots, and oregano to a bowl.
  • Add the dressing. In a second bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar with scorching water, salt, and sugar. Stir properly to totally dissolve the sugar, and pour that over the cabbage.
  • Refrigerate. Stir your curtido, after which cowl it and let it sit within the fridge for 4 hours, or in a single day.

Find out how to Make Pupusas

As soon as your curtido has marinated, you’re prepared to organize the pupusas following the how-to under.

  • Make the dough. Combine up a fast dough from masa harina, water, and salt. I prefer to stir every thing along with a spatula first, after which knead the dough with my palms till it’s good and gentle. Afterward, divide and roll the dough into 8 equal-sized balls.
  • Flatten the dough. Subsequent, flatten the dough balls between your palms in order that they’re about ¼” thick. I prefer to preserve a bowl of water close by to moist your palms in between, to assist with sticking. 
  • Fill and form the pupusas. Now, add ½ tablespoon of refried beans to the middle of every dough circle, topped with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, and diced jalapeños. Fold the dough up and across the filling and pinch the sides collectively earlier than rolling/shaping the dough again right into a ball. Press gently to flatten the pupusas to a half-inch thickness.
  • Fry. As soon as your pupusas are able to go, fry them in a skillet with a splash of oil. Mine normally take about 4-5 minutes per facet to get a crispy, golden sear.
  • Serve. Get pleasure from your pupusas with curtido on the facet. They’re greatest served contemporary, so dig in!

Recipe Suggestions

  • Keep away from sticking. This recipe makes a reasonably sticky dough. If the water isn’t sufficient to maintain the dough from sticking to your palms whilst you form it, add a little bit oil to the water. You can too use solely oil and evenly coat your palms whilst you work. 
  • Use a cookie scoop. A big cookie scoop makes portioning the dough tremendous straightforward. I like to recommend a 2-ounce scoop.
  • Use parchment paper. After shaping the pupusas, place them on a sheet of parchment paper. When you don’t have parchment, grease a baking sheet or slicing board as an alternative to maintain them from sticking.
  • Hold them heat. To maintain the pupusas heat however nonetheless crispy, place a wire rack over a baking sheet, and place the entire thing into the oven on low. When you’ve fried a batch of pupusas within the skillet, switch them to the rack within the oven.
Two hands breaking apart a pupusa over more pupusas on a tray.Two hands breaking apart a pupusa over more pupusas on a tray.

Extra Filling Choices

There are such a lot of filling potentialities! You possibly can preserve it tremendous easy and stuff your pupusas with solely refried beans, or strive any of the next concepts:

  • Protein. Any shredded cooked or braised meats go nice in pupusas. I feel these would style superb full of Puerto Rican pernil or Mexican beef machaca or hen mole.
  • Cheese. Swap melty mozzarella for gouda, cheddar, Oaxacan cheese (queso), or crumbly Cotija cheese.
  • Veggies. Baked butternut squash is one other favourite filling rather than beans, or you should utilize acorn squash
  • Completely different beans. As a substitute of refried beans, strive cooked and pureed black beans, white beans, or pinto beans.
Pupusas stacked next to curtido on a stoneware plate.Pupusas stacked next to curtido on a stoneware plate.
Overhead view of pupusas with curtido on a plate garnished with jalapeño and lime slices.Overhead view of pupusas with curtido on a plate garnished with jalapeño and lime slices.

Can You Freeze Pupusas?

Sure, the best solution to make these forward is to freeze them! Prepare the crammed, unbaked pupusas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop that into the freezer and let the pupusas freeze till strong, then switch them to a freezer bag or container. They’ll keep frozen for as much as 4 months and so they’re superb to bake straight from frozen. Simply add a few minutes to the frying time.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

  • Refrigerate. Like most fried issues, pupusas are greatest loved scorching and crisp from the skillet. That being stated, preserve any leftovers in an hermetic container to refrigerate for 2-3 days.
  • Reheat. I desire to reheat these in a evenly oiled skillet, or the toaster oven in order that the skin crisps up once more. The microwave makes pupusas a bit soggy.

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Make the curtido:

  • Mix the components. Add cabbage, carrots, and oregano in a bowl. Mix vinegar, scorching water, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl and stir till sugar dissolves. Pour the combination over the cabbage and stir to mix.

  • Chill. Cowl and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Make the pupusas:

  • Make the dough. Mix masa harina, water, and salt in a bowl. Stir with a spatula, then knead till you could have a really gentle dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal components and form into balls.

  • Fill the dough. Add some water to a bowl – you’ll use this to moist your palms so the dough doesn’t stick. Flatten the balls between the palms so they’re ¼-inch thick. Place some refried beans onto the dough (round ½ tablespoon), mozzarella cheese, and pickled jalapenos.

  • Fold. Elevate and pinch the sides and roll the dough once more right into a ball. Flatten it gently to 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining components.

  • Fry the pupusas. Warmth 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add pupusas and cook dinner for 4-5 minutes per facet.

  • Serve. Serve the pupusas whereas nonetheless heat with curtido on the facet.

  • Filling choices. For the filling, you may go together with different choices or simply use refried beans. Baked squash as an alternative of beans is an effective alternative.
  • Sticky dough. When you really feel the water is just not sufficient to maintain your dough from sticking, then add some oil to the water or simply use oil.
  • Use a cookie scoop. If you don’t want to divide the dough, you should utilize a 2-oz. cookie scoop to portion out the dough.
  • Use parchment paper. When you find yourself finished shaping the pupusas, place them on a bit of baking paper to forestall sticking to kitchen surfaces.

Energy: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fats: 2g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1462IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg

Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ in accordance with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.

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