Bean and Cheese Pupusas
Thick corn cakes with a soft bean-and-cheese center, served straight from the griddle.
El Salvador · Street Food · 70 min
DeSabor Kitchen · Published · Updated · 30 / 40 / 70 min · 4 · El Salvador
Jump to RecipeHydrate the nixtamalized corn flour until the dough feels soft but holds a ball. Keep hands lightly oiled and flatten gently after enclosing the filling; thin patches leak cheese onto the comal.
The Story Behind the Dish
Pupusas are closely associated with El Salvador. Bean-and-cheese fillings are one of many combinations enjoyed at home and at pupuserías.
Ingredients
- 300 g masa harina for tortillas
- 420 ml warm water; 1/2 tsp salt
- 200 g refried beans, cooled
- 200 g grated mozzarella or quesillo
- 1 tbsp oil for hands and griddle
- 200 g cabbage, shredded; 1 carrot, grated
- 60 ml vinegar; 60 ml water; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/4 tsp salt for curtido
Instructions
- For a quick curtido, mix cabbage and carrot with vinegar, water, oregano and the 1/4 teaspoon curtido salt. Refrigerate while making pupusas.
- Mix masa harina, warm water and salt into a soft dough; rest 10 minutes. Mix beans and cheese separately.
- Divide dough and bean-cheese filling into 8 equal portions. With oiled hands, cup each dough ball, enclose its 50 g filling portion, pinch closed and flatten gently to 1 cm thick, keeping the edges sealed.
- Cook on a lightly oiled medium-hot griddle 4–5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Serve with drained curtido.
Cook's Tips
- If the dough cracks, knead in water one teaspoon at a time. The curtido here is quick-pickled, not fermented.
Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.
How to Serve It
Serve two pupusas per person with drained curtido. A separate tomato salsa is optional. The quick curtido included here is ready the same day, not a fermented preserve.
Variations & Substitutions
Cheese-only, bean-only and revueltas are other fillings. Keep the total filling manageable and use cooked, cooled ingredients; raw meat should not be hidden in the dough.
Use masa harina for tortillas, not precooked arepa flour or polenta. Quesillo or a low-moisture mozzarella works; very wet cheese can make sealing difficult.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate pupusas and curtido separately within 2 hours at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Freeze cooked pupusas between parchment sheets for up to 1 month.
Warm over medium-low heat on a covered griddle, turning, until the filling reaches 74°C. Uncover at the end to restore browned patches; add cold curtido only afterward.
The DeSabor Table
- Bean and Cheese Pupusas — Snack