Pupusas—masa flour pouches filled with beans, cheese, and/or meat—are a signature dish of El Salvador. While making them can be a touch tricky at first, it’s not hard once you get the hang of it. Former BA senior food editor Rick Martinez breaks down the technique in these helpful step-by-step photos. Once you’re well acquainted with Salvadoran pupusas, you’ll definitely want to experiment with the fillings. Cooked chicken, carnitas, or chorizo all work well—just make sure the meat is chopped or shredded finely enough that it sits neatly in the dough, and drain off any excess liquid before using it. (You can make the filling a day or so in advance if you prefer to break up the work.) No matter the filling, pupusas pair perfectly with Curtido, a Salvadoran fermented cabbage relish, and this Salsa Roja.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on May 5, 2017.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 12
Ingredients
¼
½
1
3
4
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onion, tossing occasionally, until pieces are charred on all sides, 10–12 minutes (oil will smoke and onion will pop, so be careful). Don’t stop cooking at “browned,” they need to go further.
Step 2
Transfer onion to a blender, reserving oil in pan. Add beans and their liquid to blender and purée, gradually adding ¼ cup warm water if mixture is too thick and blender is struggling, until smooth.
Step 3
Heat onion oil over medium. Transfer bean mixture to skillet and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, until mixture is the consistency of thick Greek yogurt, 5–10 minutes; season with salt. Let cool (refried beans will thicken as they sit, and that’s exactly what you want); set aside.
Step 4
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat masa flour, 3 tsp. salt, and 2⅔ cups hot water on medium speed until dough is very thick and sticky (alternatively, mix in a large bowl about 1 minute). Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, mix cheese and bean mixture in a medium bowl.
Step 6
Combine remaining ⅓ cup oil and 1 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Dip both hands in this mixture and rub your hands together to coat. This will prevent dough from sticking to your hands, and will hydrate dough as you assemble.
Step 7
Divide dough into 12 balls (about ¼ cup each), keeping them covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. With 1 ball in the palm of your hand, use your thumb of the opposite hand to create an indentation in the center. Pinch sides to create a well for the filling (it should look like half of a coconut shell). Fill hole with 2 Tbsp. bean mixture. Pinch dough around filling to enclose (it’s okay if some is poking out), then gently flatten to a 4½–5" disk, dipping your hands in oil-water as needed. Repeat with remaining dough and bean mixture (you may have some filling left over).
Step 8
Cook pupusa in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until center slightly puffs up and pupusa is browned in spots, 3–4 minutes per side. If filling leaks out, simply scrape off pan after pupusa has cooked.
Step 9
Serve with cabbage relish and salsa roja alongside.
Leave a Review
Reviews (31)
Back to TopI am delighted with this step by step recipe. I cannot wait to make these. I will be serving them to my Son who is a Head Chef who loves all foods.
Nannie Stearn
Cambridge, United Kingdom
5/19/2022
@JESSSICAGABRIELA if you used 3tsp of regular table salt then you likely added double the intended amount of salt. BA recipes generally assume that Diamond Crystal Kosher will be used.
EoRourke
7/29/2020
Ok so does “ 3 tsp.salt” mean 3 teaspoons? Cause I applied that much and it turned out very salty. I would rather just input 3 punches of salt. Please clarify.
Jesssicagabriela
Alexandria, VA
4/15/2020
These pupusas were amazing!! I've always loved pupusas but assumed they would be too difficult to make. These were so much fun to make and were so delicious. Can't wait to try them again, thanks for the recipe Rick!
Anonymous
San Francisco
4/6/2020
I love this recipe and Rick's step by step on it is so helpful! Keep that Latin American food content coming, Bon Appetit!
Anonymous
Washington, DC
4/2/2020
Great, easy recipe! Will be making again!
Anonymous
Georgia
3/31/2020
I am 12 years old and this was the easiest thing to cook. And it tasted good , no one in my family can cook so for this to taste good it is a miracle.
Nr9181948
North Carolina
3/26/2020