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With only 5 ingredients and about 30 minutes, you can have this easy and flavorful Pupusas Recipe on the table. A great side dish or appetizer that is cheesy and delicious.
I love a good Pupusas Recipe. We have been making these ever since we started buying them from a vendor at our local farmers market that would sell them fresh.
She was nice enough to give us her recipe because they were so delicious that we couldn’t stop making them, and for good reason.
They take minimal ingredients and time, and they are filling and flavorful, and you can really serve them with any of your favorite Mexican-themed meals.
While Pupusas are actually from El Salvador, they still go great with tacos, enchiladas, and so much more.
I’ve seen them served with a variety of beans and sauces. A savory pupusa is seriously one of my favorite foods.
Kids absolutely love these from the first bite. They are perfect for kids and adults alike, so when they are requested in my house, there is absolutely no way that I’m turning down making them.
Want a fun and easy, not to mention super flavorful recipe to add to your meal plan? You need to make this Pupusas Recipe.
Some of our other favorite “Mexican” themed side dish/appetizers that we have on our site include: Smoky Chipotle Mexican Street Corn, Pico de Gallo and Southwest Egg Rolls.
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE PUPUSAS RECIPE:
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- WHAT IS THE TASTE AND TEXTURE OF THESE?
- WHAT IS THE BEST PAN TO USE?
- CAN I FILL THESE WITH OTHER THINGS?
- ANY ADDITIONS?
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Homemade Cheese Pupusas Recipe
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easily available and minimal ingredients.
- This can be doubled.
- Super cheesy and delicious and perfect for anyone.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Masa harina corn flour
- Water
- Fine sea salt
- Mozzarella cheese
- Queso fresco
HOW TO MAKE PUPUSAS RECIPE:
- Combine masa harina, water, and salt to a large bowl. Stir together.
- Start kneading the pupusa dough with your hands until a soft, smooth, moist dough ball forms. You may need to add a little more water, up to ¼ cup. You know it is ready when you can gently pinch some together and it doesn’t crack.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, toss together the mozzarella and queso fresco, set aside.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. I like to weigh them to make sure they are the same size, but you can eyeball it.
- Take one of the dough portions and pat it into a large disc in your hands.
- Add 1/8th of the cheese mixture to the center. Fold and pinch the edges of the dough over the cheese. Roll into a ball.
- Gently pat and press the ball into a round disc about 1/4th inch thick.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Keep any dough you are not working with covered so it doesn’t dry out.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. Once hot, spray with cooking spray.
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly charred.
- Place on a wire rack while you are cooking the remaining pupusas. Serve immediately.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT IS THE TASTE AND TEXTURE OF THESE?
The cheese gets nice and melty in the center and the outside is slightly crisp from the griddle.
They taste cheesy with the masa harina also shining through for a nice balance of flavor.
WHAT IS THE BEST PAN TO USE?
We like to use a cast iron skillet for this recipe.
It really gets the high heat that we want that will easily melt the cheese and give you the nice char marks on the outside that they are known for.
CAN I FILL THESE WITH OTHER THINGS?
The most basic way to fill these is with cheese or cheese and beans.
Shredded pork, your favorite taco meat, chicharron, or your favorite vegetables, there is no wrong way to fill these!
ANY ADDITIONS?
Authentic pupusas are a thing to behold. All that melty cheese filling!
This simple recipe is easy to change up, too.
- Refried Beans: Add a tablespoon of beans or black beans to the filling for extra protein.
- Salsa Roja: Serve with salsa roja on top for a spicy kick.
- Cabbage Slaw: Pair with a traditional cabbage slaw for added crunch.
- Green Bell Pepper: Dice some green bell pepper into the cheese mixture for freshness.
- Sour Cream: Drizzle sour cream over the cooked pupusas for creaminess.
- Vegan Cheese: Use vegan cheese for a dairy-free option.
- Hot Sauce: Add a little bit of hot sauce into the filling for heat.
- Serrano Chiles: Chop up serrano chiles for a spicy addition.
- Onions: Mix finely chopped onions into the pupusa fillings.
- Corn Kernels: Add sweet corn kernels to the filling for texture.
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Take your homemade pupusas to the next level. Make them for your daily values in YUM!
- Mozzarella Cheese: Use vegan cheese or Mexican cheese blend instead.
- Queso Fresco: Replace with feta cheese or omit if unavailable.
- Water: Use warm water or hot water to help the masa dough come together better.
- Vegetable Oil: Use a bit of oil like olive oil instead of cooking spray.
- Cooking Spray: Substitute with a light brush of vegetable oil on the griddle.
HOW TO STORE:
This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where they will keep for up to a week.
They can also be frozen, let cool, then place them between wax paper in a freezer container where they will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight. They warm up nicely in the oven on a baking sheet.
I do not recommend microwaving them because they can become soggy, but if that is the only option, it will do.
I would not reheat in the skillet as the outside may get burnt since you are already charing it during the first cooking.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This recipe is super easy to double.
- Serve this as a side dish or appetizer.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Use a cast iron skillet for this recipe.
- Other fillings can be used, see above for ideas.
- We like to dip these in refried beans.
Love a good recipe that is simple, uses minimal ingredients, is different, and tastes AMAZING?
That means you need to make this Pupusas Recipe.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this PUPUSAS RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Homemade Cheese Pupusas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups masa harina corn flour
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup queso fresco crumbled
Instructions
- Combine masa harina, water, and salt to a large bowl. Stir together.3 cups masa harina corn flour, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Start kneading the pupusa dough with your hands until a soft, smooth, moist dough ball forms. You may need to add a little more water, up to ¼ cup. You know it is ready when you can gently pinch some together and it doesn’t crack.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, toss together the mozzarella and queso fresco, set aside.1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup queso fresco
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. I like to weigh them to make sure they are the same size, but you can eyeball it.
- Take one of the dough portions and pat it into a large disc in your hands.
- Add 1/8th of the cheese mixture to the center. Fold and pinch the edges of the dough over the cheese. Roll into a ball.
- Gently pat and press the ball into a round disc about 1/4th inch thick.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Keep any dough you are not working with covered so it doesn’t dry out.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. Once hot, spray with cooking spray.
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly charred.
- Place on a wire rack while you are cooking the remaining pupusas. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is super easy to double.
- Serve this as a side dish or appetizer.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Use a cast iron skillet for this recipe.
- Other fillings can be used, see above for ideas.
- We like to dip these in refried beans.
Nutrition
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In the oven
How do you reheat since you don’t recommend microwave or pan again. Like to a 2 dozen ahead of party