Gluten-free Bean and Cheese Pupusas

These Bean and Cheese Pupusas are a gluten-free take on an El Salvadoran favorite. Made using gluten-free flatbread dough and filled with a generous portion of black beans and cheese, this is the perfect date night or anytime snack.

Known as the national dish of El Salvador, the pupusa is traditionally made using masa (a corn flour) filled with refried beans and cheese, like Oaxaca. Although the more classic preparation keeps things simple, pupusas can also combine chicken or beef and other vegetables for a heartier version. Pupusas are very similar to arepas and gorditas.

My wife is a fan of pupusas (AKA corn cakes) from the many trips she’s made to New York City over the years. She has shared stories of enjoying this delicacy from neighborhood shops, restaurants, and food trucks. So when it was time to make a quick and easy date night treat for an upcoming stay-at-home movie night, this was the first thing that came to mind.

To create my own variation of their popular dish and make a gluten-free version, I opted for a flatbread dough using a grain-free flatbread mix. It offers a similar texture that you come to expect from pupusas minus the actual grains. With just four ingredients, your dough can be ready to be filled with whatever you like.

Ingredients you’ll need to make pupusas:

• Bob’s Red Mill Gran-Free Flatbread Mix is really simple and takes no time to prepare and cook. A simple combination of the mix, water, butter, and eggs, is halfway to the finish line.
• For the filling, you’ll start with a can of organic black beans, and you’ll smash and blend them with cilantro, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• I opted for a cheddar cheese because of the sharp flavor it provides, but Oaxaca cheese is a perfect alternative if you have it on hand.

A few tips when making pupusas:

How to make bean and cheese pupusas:

For the pupusa:

1. You will begin making the pupusa by adding a package of grain-free flatbread mix to a large bowl. Whisk (paid link) your eggs, water, and melted butter combining it with the flatbread mix. Finish blending the ingredients together using your hands if it becomes too sticky to whisk (paid link). Allow the dough to sit for 5 minutes.
2. While the dough is resting you can add the black beans and the seasonings to a food processor (paid link) and blend until smooth. Add the beans to a bowl and fold in the cheese. You can also add the cheese on top of the beans when forming your pupusas in the next step.
3. Form your dough into a golf ball size then flatten with hands. (You will need to have a separate bowl of water and oil to keep your hands wet so the dough won’t stick.)
4. Add around 2 tablespoons of the bean and cheese mixture to the center of the flattened disc of dough. Bring all edges together and close off the top forming a ball again. Carefully flatten dough for the second time.
5. Heat a non-stick cooking pan to medium heat and cook pupusas for 3 minutes per side. (Before placing the pupusa in the skillet, lightly coat one side with your leftover water and oil mixture.)

For the curtido:

1. You’ll begin the slaw by cutting the red cabbage and red onion into thin slices. Add the sliced red cabbage, sliced red onions, and shredded carrots to a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of boiling water. Allow it to sit in it for 10 minutes then drain.
2. Add the oregano, salt, and red wine vinegar over the cabbage mixture then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. The slaw gets better as it sits so you can make this a day in advance for the best flavor.

What can I serve with pupusas?

Pupusas are typically served with some type of condiment. Homemade curtido, a fermented, crunchy, and tangy cabbage slaw is the most common choice, but you can also serve with simply a side of red salsa. I’ve included a bonus recipe for curtido that I made using red cabbage and red onion, carrots, red wine vinegar, oregano, Himalayan Pink Salt, and water.

This recipe is an awesome option for date night and when you want to sample an international menu at home! Give these gluten-free Bean and Cheese Pupusas a spot on your dinner table — or on a plate in between you and your date while you both enjoy a great meal with a movie. 🙂

Print