How to Make Pupusas

Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador for a reason: they’re deeply flavorful, comforting, and endlessly customizable. If you’ve ever enjoyed Salvadoran street food, you already know that a warm pupusa—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with something savory—is pure joy. Think of it as a thick corn tortilla or griddled corn cake stuffed with pork, beans, cheese, or vegetables.

This recipe is my easy ground‑pork pupusa filling, perfect for beginners and great for weeknight cooking. The filling is flexible, too. You can swap the pork for refried red or black beans, sautéed vegetables, or a combination of both. If you prefer pork belly, you can use that as well—just cook it until tender and fully done, then chop or shred it before using it the same way you would the ground pork. (In this style of pupusa filling, pork belly won’t be crispy; it becomes soft and rich, which works beautifully.)

Pupusas are delicious on their own, but in El Salvador they’re never served alone. They’re always paired with Salvadoran salsa roja and curtido, the tangy fermented cabbage slaw that balances the richness of the pupusas. These three dishes are meant to be eaten together. My curtido recipe is already available on the blog, and both the curtido and salsa roja recipes appear in my first cookbook (with about 120 other ferment- and pickle-based recipes).

If you’re new to making pupusas, don’t let the steps intimidate you. The process is much easier than it looks. Below you will find many of the steps have a short video demonstration. After making just a few, you’ll get the feel for it. The dough is forgiving, the fillings are flexible, and the results are incredibly satisfying.

So let’s do this!

Yield:

10-14 depending on size

Shelf life:

Best served hot off the griddle but may be sealed/refrigerated for 3-4 days; frozen uncooked pupusas keep well, up to four months, and can be cooked without thawing (it will just take a few more minutes)  

Equipment:

• Knife & cutting board
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Large frying pan or skillet
• Sturdy spatula or large wooden spoon to break up ground meat while cooking
• Blender / processor
• 2 large mixing bowls
• Small saucepan
• Cling wrap
• Bowl

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. ground pork
• 1 large yellow onion (250g before peeled), quartered and separated into layers (“petals”)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Bell or Poblano pepper (any colors), rough chopped
• 1 cup grated Queso Oaxaca or Mozzarella
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• ½ tsp Mexican oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• Optional: 1 green jalapeno or serrano, chopped
• Optional garnish: finely chopped parsley or cilantro

For the cornmeal exterior/dough:

• 3 cups instant corn flour (like Maseca)
• 2 & ¾ cups water
• 1 TBSP salt

For hand wash to prevent dough sticking to hands:

• Bowl of 1 cup very warm water mixed with 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place the frying pan/skillet over high heat, and add the vegetable oil. Once it is very hot, add the onion petals so that they hit the pan sizzling. Slightly lower heat and cook the onions until they are very caramelized, with plenty of charred edges (around 10-12 minutes).

2. Remove from pan and transfer to bowl or cutting board. Keeping the hot oil in the pan, add the whole ground pork (no need to break it up yet).

3. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and Mexican oregano to the top of the pork but allow it to sit for a few minutes as the down facing side sears. Then turn the pork and allow the other side to sear well also. Then begin to break up the pork into crumbles.

4. Add the minced garlic and continue breaking up the pork and stirring it, until it is evenly cooked and browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool with the onion.

5. Meanwhile, chop up the pepper, tomatoes, and (optional) hot pepper. Transfer to the blender. Pulse several times, then add the charred onion and pork, and blend for around 30 seconds until a paste forms (it shouldn’t be completely smooth). Transfer to large mixing bowl and fold in the cheese. Cover and set aside.    

6. Combine the instant corn flour and salt in mixing bowl. Bring the water to a low boil and pour over the corn flour. Using the large wooden spoon, stir the masa until mostly combined. Cover with cling wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Finish mixing the dough by hand; it will be very soft. If it seems dry, add an extra TBSP water and mix in.

7. Combine the oil and warm water in bowl, which will serve as a hand lubricant between stuffing each pupusa. It will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.

8. After using the oil-water hand wash, form about 10-12 balls with the dough (around ¼ cup dough per ball). Place them on non-stick parchment paper as they become ready. To prevent drying, the balls may be covered with a damp towel while individual balls are stuffed with the filling (the next step).

9. For each ball, again rub the hands with the oil-water solution and flatten the balls gently in your palm until they form 1/2” discs, a bit smaller than the size of your hand. With the other hand’s thumb, press an indentation where the filling will go. Then turn up the edges of the disc so that a well is created to place a large spoonful of the filling (around 2 TBSP). Once the filling is placed, continue to work the turned up edges towards each other, forming a semi-circle shape once the top is totally pinched closed.

10. Dipping hands in the oil-water as needed, gently work the closed pupusas back into a disc. (you may wish to gently roll it back into a ball first). Flatten the stuffed dough by moving them back and forth from one hand to the other. Each time it is turned over from one hand to the other, it will continue to flatten without the need to apply much if any pressure. (Applying too much pressure could squeeze some filling out, but if this happens a little bit, it is not a problem.) When a 4.5” – 5” disc is made, place the pupusa back on the parchment paper.

Note: If there is a tear in the dough, it could be too dry. But you can easily repair this by rolling a small amount of dough between your fingers, flattening it, and applying it to the crack.

11. When all the pupusas are ready, cook them in the large cast iron skillet (or electric skillet). Cook them on a dry pan or with just a small amount of oil or butter evenly wiped down on the surface beforehand. Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, until center puffs up a bit and they’re a golden brown. Some smaller char marks are welcome too. Serve with the salsa roja and curtido.