Pupusas de Queso (Cheese Pupusas)

Pupusas de queso (cheese pupusas) may seem difficult to make but they are actually very easy.

Did you know that pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador?

They are basically delicious thick corn tortillas with a delicious filling inside.

The ones we’re making today are filled with cheese.

Once you master these ones you’ll have to give bean and cheese pupusas a try!

Pupusas are very easy to make once you get the hang of it.

In fact they are very similar to gorditas and arepas.

You can read more about the differences between gorditas, arepas and pupusas here.

My very best friend is from El Salvador and so I wanted to surprise her with some pupusas.

I had to make them four times in order to get them just right.

I’m going to share with you all my tips and tricks so you can make the perfect cheese pupusas.

What is a pupusa made of?

A pupusa is made from masa harina just like corn tortillas.

But they are thicker than tortillas and are stuffed with either cheese, pork meat, refried beans or a combination of the three.

pupusas de queso (cheese pupusas) are your most basic pupusas.

It’s a good idea to master them before you move onto stuffing them with pork meat and refried beans.

Cheese pupusa ingredients

• masa harina
• salt
• warm water
• mozzarella cheese
• oil

You should be able to find masa harina in your local grocery store.

I use the Maseca brand.

As for the mozzarella cheese this is hands down my favorite kind. It melts amazingly.

I highly recommend you use this one.

How to make pupusas de queso

Add the masa harina to a mixing bowl and add the salt.

Now slowly add the water while mixing with your hands.

You should have a moist soft dough.

You don’t want your dough to be dry because the pupusa will crack and the cheese will leak out creating a mess.

Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.

For the next part I used a ziploc bag. I cut through the sides of the bag basically making a flap.

This makes it so easy to put the dough balls inside and flatten them.

The plastic prevents the dough from sticking to the pot or your hands.

I used a heavy pot to flatten the ball.

Now put as much cheese as you can on top of the flattened dough.

Now fold it as if you were making an empanada. Use the plastic bag to help you do this.

Now shape it back into a ball. You can use the plastic bag to help you do this.

The ball does not have to be perfect.

What I do is take the two ends and kind of push them in and up in order to make a ball.

See it’s totally not a perfect ball but it works.

Put the flap back over the ball because now we are going to flatten this ball again.

Don’t make the pupusa too flat. It shouldn’t be like a tortilla. They should be thick like the one shown below.

This is what you want your uncooked pupusa to look like.

Notice how there are no cracks. If there are cracks then the cheese will end up leaking out when you cook them therefore creating a mess and possibly burning

If your pupusa does have cracks try wetting your fingers with water and smoothing it out.

Heat up a skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet with some oil. I don’t use a lot of oil just enough to keep the pupusas from sticking.

Once the oil is hot add the pupusa.

Cook the pupusa for about 3- 4 minutes then flip it and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through.

Transfer the cooked pupusa to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the above steps with the remaining five balls.

Add oil as needed to keep the pupusas from sticking.

What do you eat pupusas with?

Pupusas are commonly served with curtido.

Curtido is a delicious slaw that goes perfectly with the pupusas.

And don’t use a fork!

Pupusas are best eaten with your hands

Sure it might be messy but aren’t the best foods usually messy?

Plus it means no silverware to wash!

Pupusas de queso

Pupusas are great anytime of the day!

They’re so good you won’t want to share!

Don’t forget to join the Latin American Foodies Facebook group.

It’s a place where you can share photos and recipes of the delicious food you make at home and get inspiration for your next cooking adventure.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I hope you find it useful.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

If you enjoyed learning how to make pupusas de queso please don’t forget to give it a rating below.

Thank you for visiting, see you soon!

Looking for more delicious recipes? Try these:

• picaditas
• tuna empanadas
• Mexican cornbread
• entomatadas
• enfrijoladas