Pupusas Revueltas (Salvadoran Stuffed Masa Cakes)

About This Recipe

Pupusas are the soul of El Salvador — thick, hand-patted corn cakes stuffed with savory fillings, sealed shut, and cooked on a hot comal until they blister and crisp. "Revueltas" means "mixed," referring to the classic filling of slow-cooked pork (chicharrón), refried beans, and quesillo (a stringy Central American melting cheese) — all three together, in one pupusa. They are served with two non-negotiable accompaniments: curtido, a sharp fermented cabbage slaw with carrot and oregano, and salsa roja, a thin, lightly spicy tomato sauce. You eat with your hands, you eat them hot, and you eat at least three. November 13 is officially National Pupusa Day in El Salvador, and the dish was declared the national dish by legislative decree in 2005.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 ginstant masa harina (Maseca or P.A.N. white)
• 500 mlwarm water, plus more as needed
• 1 tspfine salt
• 200 gcooked chicharrón (braised pork belly), finely chopped or pulsed
• 200 grefried beans (preferably black or red)
• 200 gquesillo or low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 2 tbspvegetable oil for the comal
• 300 ggreen cabbage, very thinly shredded (for curtido)
• 1 mediumcarrot, julienned (for curtido)
• 1 smallred onion, thinly sliced (for curtido)
• 120 mlapple cider vinegar (for curtido)
• 120 mlwater (for curtido)
• 1 tspdried oregano (for curtido)
• 1 tspsalt (for curtido)
• 4ripe tomatoes (for salsa roja)
• 1small white onion, quartered (for salsa roja)
• 1 clovegarlic (for salsa roja)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make curtido first

   Combine cabbage, carrot, and red onion in a bowl. Mix vinegar, water, oregano, and salt and pour over. Press down so vegetables submerge. Cover and rest at room temperature 1 hour, then refrigerate. (Best after 24 hours.)

2. 2

   Make salsa roja

   Simmer tomatoes, onion, and garlic in 250 ml water for 8 minutes. Drain (reserve 100 ml liquid), blend smooth with reserved liquid and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

3. 3

   Mix the masa

   In a large bowl whisk masa harina with salt. Add warm water gradually, mixing until you have a smooth, soft dough — should feel like Play-Doh, not stiff and not sticky.

   Salvadoran masa is wetter than tortilla masa. If it cracks when shaped, add a tablespoon more water and knead in.

4. 4

   Combine the filling

   Mix the chopped chicharrón, refried beans, and grated cheese in a bowl. This is the classic revuelta filling.

5. 5

   Shape pupusas

   Lightly wet your hands. Take a ball of masa about the size of a small lime (~60 g). Press a hollow in the center with your thumb, fill with 1 heaped tablespoon of filling, then gather the masa edges up over the filling and pinch closed.

6. 6

   Flatten

   Pat the sealed ball gently between your palms, rotating, until you have a flat disc about 10 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Some filling may peek through small cracks — that's normal.

7. 7

   Cook

   Heat a heavy dry skillet over medium heat. Brush very lightly with oil. Cook each pupusa 3–4 minutes per side, until brown-blistered spots appear and the cheese sizzles audibly through any small openings.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Stack the pupusas on a plate. Serve with the curtido and salsa roja in bowls alongside. Eat with your hands, topping each bite with a forkful of curtido and a spoon of salsa.

Variations

• •

  Pupusas de queso: cheese only — the simplest version.

• •

  Pupusas de loroco: stuffed with loroco (a Salvadoran flowering vine) and cheese; the most distinctive Salvadoran flavor.

• •

  Pupusas de ayote: stuffed with cooked, mashed pumpkin and cheese — a vegetarian option.

Storage

Best fresh off the comal. Refrigerate cooked pupusas up to 3 days; reheat on a dry skillet 90 seconds per side to revive. Freeze raw, shaped pupusas (between parchment) for 1 month and cook from frozen — add 1 minute per side.

Frequently Asked Questions