Crispy on the outside and irresistibly cheesy on the inside, my vegan pupusas are a tasty spin on traditional Salvadoran handmade griddle cakes. Served with homemade curtido, a tangy traditional cabbage slaw, these authentic pupusas are both easy to make and incredibly delicious.
This recipe came to life after the COVID-19 lockdown when I got stuck in South Africa. For the five months I was there, I longed for my favorite foods, especially Mexican and Latin cuisine.
So, when I finally got back to the United States and saw masa harina flour on my first grocery run, I knew I had to create my own vegan pupusas recipe!
I’d eaten them many times when living in Los Angeles at my local Salvadoran restaurant, but never actually tried making them.
What I found was that even if it’s your first time, making homemade pupusas the traditional way is really easy and worth the little bit of extra effort for the delicious reward.
What Are Pupusas?
Often compared to a Mexican gordita or a Colombian arepa, pupusas are stuffed handmade flatbreads from El Salvador, a country in Central America.
Made with a corn dough called masa and typically filled with beans, cheese, and meats, they are shaped like round discs and cooked on a hot griddle.
As the country’s national dish, they are traditionally eaten by hand and almost always served with a tangy slaw called curtido and a spicy tomato sauce called salsa roja.
Jump to:
Why This Is The Best Recipe
- Delicious and Cheesy: Irresistibly cheesy with authentic Latin flavors, these pupusas are vegan and gluten-free.
- Simple and Affordable: Made with just five ingredients sold in almost any grocery stores, these easy vegan pupusas are budget-friendly and fun to make.
- Easy to Customize: Fill with beans, vegan cheese, soyrizo, jackfruit, or any veggies. There are so many different ways to fill vegan pupusas.
- Great for Meal Prep: Perfect for meal prep, they store well in the fridge or freezer and are ideal for parties.
Ingredients Needed
- Masa Harina: Also used to make corn tortillas, this corn-based flour is used to form the pupusa dough. Check out my handy guide to find a substitute for masa harina if needed.
- Soyrizo: I used store-bought soyrizo to add some delicious flavor and texture.
- Refried Beans: I’ve made them with both refried pinto beans and refried black beans, and both are tasty options.
- Vegan Cheese: I used the Trader Joe's brand of vegan mozzarella cheese. I find that it melts well in all my vegan recipes.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt brings all the flavors together.
How to Make Pupusas
- Make The Dough: In a large bowl, I combine the masa harina corn flour with the water and salt. Then I cover the dough with a damp towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Create A Disc: When ready, I take a quarter cup of the prepared masa and form it into a dough ball. Then flatten out the ball with the palm of your hand into a round disc that is 4 inches in diameter.
- Fill A Pupusa: First, I top the center of the dough with refried beans, soyrizo, and vegan cheese. Next, I bring the edges of the masa dough up and around the filling to encase it, and then I seal my vegan pupusa by pinching the ends together. Finally, carefully flatten it out again into a round disc.
- Seal Cracks: If my pupusa has any cracks or holes I patch it up with a bit more dough and water. I add a small piece of the masa, pat it onto the pupusa to patch, and then smooth it out using a wet finger.
- Make The Rest: As I make each pupusa, I set them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cook: After forming all the pupusas, I heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. You can also use a non-stick pan. Then I use a pastry brush to brush the pan with a little bit of oil and add 2 to 3 pupusas. I let them cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until firm and they have a golden brown outer crust.
- Serve: I always serve the cooked pupusas right away with a side of traditional Salvadoran curtido and some homemade red salsa.
Expert Tips
- Rest the Dough: After mixing the masa harina with water and salt, let the dough rest for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the masa to fully hydrate and makes it easier to work with.
- Keep Dough Covered: Always keep the dough covered with a damp cloth while you work to prevent it from drying out. Dry corn masa dough is more likely to crack and crumble when forming the vegan pupusas.
- Avoid Overstuffing: While it’s tempting to add lots of filling, overstuffing can cause the pupusas to break. Use a moderate amount of filling to ensure they stay intact.
- Seal Well: Make sure to pinch the edges of the dough well to seal in the filling. If you see any cracks, patch them up with a bit of dough and water to prevent leaks during cooking.
- Cook on Medium Heat: Cook on medium heat to ensure they cook through without burning. High heat can cause them to brown too quickly on the outside while remaining uncooked inside.
- Use Minimal Oil: Just add a light brush of oil on the pan. Too much oil can cause Salvadoran pupusas to become greasy.
Variations
- Jackfruit Carnitas: Swap out the soyrizo for my vegan pulled pork jackfruit carnitas to add a unique, meaty texture and flavor.
- Veggie-Packed: Fill your vegan pupusas with a mix of sautéed vegetables like red pepper, red onion, mushrooms, and spinach for a colorful and delicious filling.
- Bean and Vegan Cheese: Omit the soyrizo and turn this into a bean and cheese pupusa recipe.
- Spicy Sweet Potato and Black Bean: Combine mashed sweet potatoes with black beans, serrano chiles, and a sprinkle of cumin for a flavorful pupusas filling.
- Mushroom and Onion: Sauté mushrooms and onions until they’re caramelized and use this mixture as a savory filling.
- Sweet Corn and Vegan Cheese: Mix sweet corn kernels with vegan cheese for a slightly sweet and cheesy pupusa.
- Chipotle: Add a spoonful of my chipotle puree to your filling for a smoky and spicy flavor boost.
Storage & Reheating
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 6 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, I place the pupusas between sheets of wax or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Then, put them in a sealed freezer bag.
Reheating: To reheat, just place your vegan pupusas on a sheet pan in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes. Frozen pupusas will take about 20 to 25 minutes to reheat at the same temperature. You can also use a microwave at medium heat.
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Vegan Pupusas with Curtido
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 cups masa harina
- 3 ½ to 4 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoon of sea salt
Filling:
- 1 15oz can refried pinto or black beans (1 cup needed)
- 6oz soyrizo (1 cup needed)
- 1 package vegan cheese, that melts
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or olive oil
To serve:
Instructions
- Prepare the dough by mixing the masa harina and salt together in a large bowl. Then slowly add the warm water in a little at a time. You may not need all of the water. You want the dough to be the consistency of clay.
- Cover the prepared dough with a damp towel to keep it from drying out and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the dough does dry out just add more water.
- To make the pupusas, start by forming a ¼ cup size portion of the masa dough into a ball. Then flatten the ball out into a disc that is about 4” in diameter. You may want to wet your fingers to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Top the center of the disc with about 1 teaspoon of refried beans, 1 teaspoon of vegan cheese, and ½ tablespoon of soyrizo. You can vary the amounts if you like, but don’t use more than a little over a tablespoon of filling in total.
- Next, bring the edges of the dough up and over to encase the filling. Pinch the edges together to form a seal. Now, pat the sealed dough ball out until it forms a flat disc again. The disc should be about ⅓ inch thick.
- If a hole or crack forms in the pupusa just use a little bit of the dough to patch it. With the clay like texture of the dough it is easy to add more and then smooth it out with a bit of water.
- Lay the pupusa on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then repeat the process until you've used all the dough.
- To cook, heat a cast iron or non-stick pan to medium heat. Brush the pan with a little bit of oil using a pastry brush. Place 2-3 pupusas in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and warmed through.
Notes
- If you don't want to make your own dough, you can easily find pre-made masa in most Hispanic grocery stores.
- Once you’ve made the dough let it to sit for 10-15 minutes. This gives the masa time to fully absorb the water, making it easier to handle.
- Always keep the dough covered with a damp cloth while you work to prevent it from drying out.
- Resist the urge to overfill your pupusas. Too much filling can cause them to fall apart.
- Ensure you seal the edges of the dough well to contain the filling. If any cracks appear, patch them with a little dough and water.
- Use a minimal amount of oil, just a light brush on the pan. Too much oil can make the pupusas greasy.
Linda says
Do you need to cook the soyrizo first before stuffing the pupusa?
Kim Grimmett says
Hi Linda,
No you don't have to cook the soryrizo. It's already been cooked when you buy it. Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Jenny says
This recipe was so easy! I made it with my kids and surprisingly it was much easier than I expected. The only thing I changed was I used black beans.
Mark says
Much easier to make than I originally expected. I used beans and corn instead of soyrizo. Came out great.