El Salvador's beloved stuffed corn cakes — thick masa discs filled with cheese, beans, or chicharrón, griddle-cooked and served with curtido and salsa.
Pupusas are El Salvador's national dish and one of the most ancient foods in the Americas, with evidence of pupusa preparation dating to 2,000 years ago in the region now known as El Salvador. They are thick, handmade corn masa discs stuffed with fillings — the most popular being queso (cheese), frijoles refritos (refried beans), chicharrón (ground pork), or the classic revuelta (all three together). The masa is patted around the filling to encase it completely, then cooked on a comal (griddle) until both sides are golden and slightly charred. Pupusas are always served with curtido (a lightly fermented cabbage and carrot slaw) and a thin tomato salsa. El Salvador dedicated a national holiday to the pupusa — Pupusa Day — celebrated every second Sunday of November.
Serves 4
Toss cabbage, carrot, and onion with vinegar, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and leave to ferment at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (longer is better).
Blend canned tomatoes with garlic and salt. Heat in a small pan for 5 minutes. Season and set aside.
Mix masa harina, salt, and warm water until you have a soft, pliable dough that doesn't crack when pressed. Rest 5 minutes. Adjust water if too dry.
Test the masa by pressing a ball flat — if the edges crack, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
Wet your palms slightly. Take a golf-ball sized piece of dough and flatten to a disc. Place 1–2 tbsp filling in the centre. Fold edges up and over to encase filling completely. Gently pat back into a flat disc about 1 cm thick. Seal any cracks.
Heat a dry griddle or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook pupusas 3–4 minutes per side until golden with dark spots and slightly puffed. The cheese should ooze at the edges.
Serve immediately with curtido piled on top and salsa spooned over.
Wet hands prevent the masa from sticking — keep a bowl of water nearby.
The filling should be completely enclosed — any gaps will cause the cheese to leak out during cooking.
Pupusas are best eaten immediately; they firm up quickly as they cool.
Fill with loroco (a Salvadoran flower bud) and cheese for the most traditional version.
Make sweet pupusas with sweetened black beans and a drizzle of crema.
Use blue masa harina for a dramatic purple-black colour.
Best eaten immediately. Leftover pupusas can be reheated on a dry pan for 2 minutes per side.
Pupusas have been made by the Pipil people of what is now El Salvador for at least 2,000 years, making them one of the oldest documented foods in the Americas. Spanish colonisers documented them in the 1500s. Unlike many indigenous dishes that were marginalised after conquest, pupusas remained central to Salvadoran daily life. In 2005, El Salvador proclaimed the pupusa its national dish and established Pupusa Day.
Masa harina is dried corn dough flour made from nixtamalised (alkali-treated) corn. It is the foundation of tortillas, tamales, and pupusas across Latin America. Maseca is the most widely available brand.
Loroco (Fernaldia pandurata) is an edible flower bud native to Central America with a unique earthy, slightly nutty flavour. It is one of the most traditional pupusa fillings. Available frozen at Salvadoran grocery stores.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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