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How to Make Pupusas

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Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador. They are basically thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, pork meat, refried beans or a combination of the three.

cheese pupusas

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

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.

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

The first time the masa was too dry and was cracking.

The second and third time I had a hard time getting enough cheese in them and closing them.

The fourth however was a success.

Therefore today I’m going to show you exactly how to make pupusas!

Pupusa Ingredients

  • 2 cups Maseca
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup warm water
  • mozzarella cheese
  • oil

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

bag of maseca

As for the mozzarella cheese this is hands down my favorite kind. It melts amazingly. I highly recommend you use this one.

creamy melt mozzarella cheese

How to Make Pupusas Recipe

Add the 2 cups of Maseca to a mixing bowl and add the salt.

maseca in a mixing bowl

Now slowly add the water while mixing with your hands.

You should have a moist soft dough.

maseca dough

Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.

dough balls made from maseca

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.

masa ball

I used a heavy pot to flatten the ball.

flattened pupusa dough

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

mozzarella cheese on top of flattened dough

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

folded uncooked pupusa

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.

pupusa ball filled with cheese

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.

pupusa before cooking

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.

pupusa on a skillet

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.

pupusa on a cast iron skillet.

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.

pupusas on a plate

What to Serve with Pupusas?

Pupusas are commonly served with curtido.

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

Pupusas

Pupusas are great anytime of the day!

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

Once you master these basic cheese pupusas you should definitely give bean and cheese pupusas a try!

Don’t forget to join the Latin American Foodies Facebook group where you can share photos and recipes of the delicious food you make at home!

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

Thank you!!

cheese pupusas
4.22 from 19 votes
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How to Make Pupusas

Pupusas are a delicious dish that comes from El Salvador.

Course Main Course
Cuisine latin american
Keyword cheese pupusas, pupusa recipe, pupusas
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 282 kcal
Author Carissa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Maseca
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water water
  • mozzarella cheese
  • vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Add the Maseca and salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.

  2. Slowly add the warm water to the bowl and mix with your hand until you have a moist and soft dough.

  3. Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.

  4. Cut through the sides of a ziploc bag making a flap. Then put one of the dough balls inside the bag.

  5. Use a heavy pot to flatten the ball.

  6. Put as much cheese that will fit on top of the flattened ball.

  7. Fold the dough as if making an empanada. Use the plastic bag to help you do this.

  8. Shape it back into a ball. Use the bag to help you do this. 

  9. Put the flap back over the ball and flatten again. It shouldn’t be thin like a tortilla. They should be thick.

  10. Heat up a skillet over medium heat.

  11. Coat the pot with enough oil to keep the pupusa from sticking.

  12. Once the oil is hot add the pupusa and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the pupusa is nicely browned and cooked through.

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

  14. Add more oil as needed to keep the pupusas from sticking.

Nutrition Facts
How to Make Pupusas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 282 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Sodium 397mg17%
Potassium 203mg6%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 7g14%
Calcium 109mg11%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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  1. Maria Grimes says

    December 6, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    My soon to be daughter in law is from El Salvador and I would love to make pupusa for her. Can they be made in advance and reheated,? They so much!

    Reply
    • Carissa says

      December 6, 2019 at 3:18 pm

      Hi Maria, while I do think they taste best right after making, I have definitely reheated them plenty of times and they still taste good.

      Reply
  2. Suzanna says

    April 23, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    5 stars
    LOVED THIS RECIPE! The douGH TURNED OUT GREAT! I ADDED CHEESE AND BLACK BEANS IN MINE. THEY WERE DELICIOUS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE EASY STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS. I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER RECIPE AND INSTRUCTION FOR MY FIRST TIME MAKING THESE! SUPER HAPPY!

    Reply
    • Carissa says

      April 27, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them and found the directions easy!

      Reply
  3. Sheree says

    May 11, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    4 stars
    With being on lockdown because of the pandemic, I decided to learn how to make pupusas. I tried another recipe and it didn’t hit the spot – wasn’t quite right. Searched Google again and found your recipe. I cut it in half since the hubster didn’t want any but wish I made a full batch. The changes I made was using a different brand masa, added chicken bouillon to the masa, and added chopped jalapenos in with the cheese. These were so good and can’t wait to make them again. Will have to try your curtido recipe next time.

    Reply
  4. Lynn says

    June 9, 2020 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    Tha you for showing me how easy it looks. I will try making them. I love pupusa and it is hard to find restaurants or tacos trucks to have them. I will try master this. So I can have them when I won’t some.

    Reply
    • Carissa says

      June 11, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  5. carol says

    July 4, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    Can you substitute the maseca for something else. I am unable to buy it here

    Reply
    • Carissa says

      July 4, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      Hi, it doesn’t have to be Maseca. That is just the brand I typically like to use. You can totally buy a different brand.

      Reply
I’m Carissa, Thanks for stopping by! I love helping families save money at home especially by making delicious home cooked meals!

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