Recipe One: Pupusas De FrijolBean Pupusas
Servings: 8–10 pupusas
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the masa (dough):
- 2 cups masa harina (corn flour for tortillas, like Maseca)
- 1 ½ to 2 cups warm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1 cup refried red beans (frijoles rojos refritos, preferably Salvadoran-style)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella or quesillo (optional but delicious)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (if reheating beans)
To cook:
- A few tablespoons of oil or water for greasing your hands and the pan
Instructions
- Prepare the filling
- Warm the refried beans in a small pan with a drizzle of oil.
- If you’re using cheese, mix it into the warm beans to create a thick, spreadable paste.
- Let it cool a bit — it should be easy to handle but not runny.
- Make the masa
- In a large bowl, combine masa harina and salt.
- Slowly add warm water, mixing with your hand until you get a soft, pliable dough that doesn’t crack when pressed.
- Cover the dough with a damp towel to keep it moist.
- Form the pupusas
- Grease your hands lightly with oil or water.
- Take a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball.
- Flatten it slightly, then use your thumb to create a small pocket in the center.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the bean filling.
- Carefully pinch the dough closed, then gently flatten it into a ¼-inch thick disc (around 4–5 inches wide).
- Cook the pupusas
- Heat a non-stick skillet or comal over medium heat.
- Lightly oil the surface.
- Cook each pupusa for about 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown spots form and the surface is slightly crisp.
- Serve
- Serve hot with curtido (fermented cabbage slaw) and salsa roja (tomato sauce) for a full Salvadoran experience.
Final Tips For Cooking
- Keep your hands moist when forming the pupusas so the dough doesn’t stick.
- If the filling leaks out a little while cooking — don’t worry! That’s part of the charm.
- You can freeze uncooked pupusas between parchment layers and cook them straight from frozen later.
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