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 this easy pupusa recipe you’ll have to give these pork pupusas a try!

Are arepas and pupusas the same thing?
While arepas and pupusas are similar they are actually different.
You can read more about the differences between pupusas, arepas and gorditas here.
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.
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.

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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.

Looking for more delicious recipes? Try these:
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!
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Pupusa recipe
Pupusas are great anytime of the day!
They’re so good you won’t want to share!
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!


How to Make Pupusas
Pupusas are a delicious dish that comes from El Salvador.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Maseca
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups water water
- mozzarella cheese
- vegetable oil
Instructions
-
Add the Maseca and salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.
-
Slowly add the warm water to the bowl and mix with your hand until you have a moist and soft dough.
-
Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.
-
Cut through the sides of a ziploc bag making a flap. Then put one of the dough balls inside the bag.
-
Use a heavy pot to flatten the ball.
-
Put as much cheese that will fit on top of the flattened ball.
-
Fold the dough as if making an empanada. Use the plastic bag to help you do this.
-
Shape it back into a ball. Use the bag to help you do this.
-
Put the flap back over the ball and flatten again. It shouldn’t be thin like a tortilla. They should be thick.
-
Heat up a skillet over medium heat.
-
Coat the pot with enough oil to keep the pupusa from sticking.
-
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.
-
Transfer the pupusa to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the above steps with the remaining five balls.
-
Add more oil as needed to keep the pupusas from sticking.
Louie
Monday 20th of June 2022
Can another type of flour be used for those of us who are allergic to corn (and gluten)?
Carissa
Sunday 26th of June 2022
I've never tried using any other type of flour. Let me know if you find a good alternative.
Ana Hunt
Tuesday 22nd of February 2022
Hi ! I’m curious how big in circumference these pupusas should be ?? 3”? 4”? 5”? Thank you!! Willing to try these ! Ana
Margo
Wednesday 12th of January 2022
Have you tried cooking them in an air-fryer?
Carissa
Wednesday 5th of January 2022
Made these for the first time with cheese, and mashed pinto beans with chorizo and it was so good!
Carissa
Saturday 8th of January 2022
That sounds delicious, I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Elisia
Tuesday 28th of December 2021
Watched Encanto with my granddaughter and was curious about the “little” cake. Found this recipe and not only east to follow, but yummy! Was a hit with fam!
Carissa
Tuesday 28th of December 2021
We loved that movie! The little cake in the movie was an arepa. While they're similar to pupusas they're a little bit different. I do have recipes for arepas if you're interested. Just use the search bar on my site and type in arepas.