Pupusas are one of those examples of how every culture everywhere has, at some point, invented a flatbread. This one comes from either El Salvador or Honduras, depending on who you ask. It was actually subject to international negotiations (and El Salvador won), which is pretty fascinating.
Not that you need to know the history to enjoy a good flatbread full of cheese, right?
Pupusas are traditionally made with corn flour and stuffed with a mild white cheese, with a lot of variations with other fillings, including meats, veg, and spices of course. They’re also usually topped with something like a coleslaw, though I used salsa instead.
I have less than zero ancestry in the Central American region, so why did I choose to make these? Well, one I saw a YouTube short where someone made some and they looked delicious. Two, while they’re slowly growing more popular in the United States, they’re still fairly limited to places like L.A. or NYC, and they very much have not filtered their way to the mid-sized towns in the midwest yet.
In fact, I had a heck of a time making these, just because it was near-impossible to even find corn flour for it! For whatever reason, it was sold out at nearly every grocery store I visited. Fortunately, I did eventually find it, and managed to make a batch.
What are they like? If you’ve never had them before, it’s kind of like a mixture of naan and a corn tortilla. You definitely get the corn flavor and texture, but it’s thicker and fluffier than a tortilla, and the fillings make it stand out.
My recipe is here is a very simple cheese-stuffed version, but you can add in whatever else you want. I just wanted to keep it simple when trying them out for the first time.
Cheesy Pupusas
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan Or griddle, or something else flat and hot.
- Mixing Bowl
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Corn Flour Masa Harina
- 2 Cups Warm Water
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
- ½ Cup Queso Fresco
Instructions
- Combine the corn flour, salt, and water in a mixing bowl. Work it together until a dough ball forms. You want it to be soft, smooth, and moist, so add a bit more water if necessary, a tablespoon at a time.3 Cups Corn Flour, 2 Cups Warm Water, 1 Tsp Salt
- Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 15 minutes, to allow the moisture to soften the corn flour.
- In another bowl, mix together the shredded mozz and the crumbled queso. If you want to add other fillings, add it to this mixture. Set this aside.1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella, ½ Cup Queso Fresco
- Divide your dough ball into 8-10 portions.
- Working with one dough portion at time, pat them flat into large discs. Add about 1-2 tbsp of your cheese filling to the center of the disc. Fold in the edges and pinch them together to seal them closed. Use a bit of water to dampen your hands and make the dough sticky enough to seal nicely.
- Roll your sealed pupusa into a ball, then flatten it into a quarter-inch thick disc and set it aside. Repeat until all of your pupusas are prepared.
- Heat your cooking pan over medium heat and lightly grease it with some oil. Cook the pupusas for 5-6 minutes per side, until they're golden and crisp. If you're working in batches, take the completed pupusas and put them on a wire rack in a warm (not hot) oven to keep warm while you cook the whole batch.
- serve with your choice of toppings, like coleslaw, salsa, refried beans, or anything else you like.