FlatbreadsSalvadoranMedium

Rice Flour Pupusas (Pupusas de Arroz)

Name: Rice Flour Pupusas (Pupusas de Arroz)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients: 2 cups (320 g) white rice flour, fine grind, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1¼ cups (300 ml) water, very warm (about 110°F / 43°C), plus 1–3 tbsp extra if needed; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; 1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable); 8 oz (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella (or Salvadoran quesillo), coarsely shredded, about 2 cups, divided into 8 portions of 1 oz (28 g); ½ cup (130 g) refried red beans, thick, at room temperature; 2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), 1 tbsp for the hand-dip water, 1 tbsp for brushing the griddle; ½ cup (120 ml) cool water, for dipping hands

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Naturally gluten-free Salvadoran pupusas made from a simple dough of rice flour, warm water and salt, stuffed with melty cheese and refried beans and browned on a hot griddle until blistered and crisp at the edges.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 16 min
Wait: 17 min
Total: 58 min
Makes: 8 pupusas (about 4½ inches / 11 cm wide)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough
2 cups (320 g) white rice flour, fine grind, spooned into the cup and leveled
1¼ cups (300 ml) water, very warm (about 110°F / 43°C), plus 1–3 tbsp extra if needed
¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt
1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
For the filling
8 oz (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella (or Salvadoran quesillo), coarsely shredded, about 2 cups, divided into 8 portions of 1 oz (28 g)
½ cup (130 g) refried red beans, thick, at room temperature
For shaping and cooking
2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), 1 tbsp for the hand-dip water, 1 tbsp for brushing the griddle
½ cup (120 ml) cool water, for dipping hands

Equipment (6)

Large mixing bowl
12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet, comal or nonstick griddle
Small bowl for oil-water hand dip
Kitchen scale (helpful for even dough balls)
Thin metal spatula
Plate and clean kitchen towel

Steps

Before you start

Use plain white rice flour (finely ground, sold as 'rice flour' or 'harina de arroz'). Do not use glutinous/sweet rice flour or coarse rice meal; they give a gummy or crumbly dough.
Shred the cheese and let the refried beans come to room temperature, or warm them briefly, so they spread and stuff easily. Thick, scoopable beans work best; thin beans will leak.
Set up a small bowl of water mixed with a little oil for your hands before you start shaping. The dough dries and cracks quickly if your hands are dry.
Dough hydration varies by brand of rice flour, so keep a few extra tablespoons of warm water nearby.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the rice flour and salt.
- Add the dough oil and pour in 1¼ cups (300 ml) very warm water.
- Stir with a spatula until it clumps, then knead in the bowl with your hands for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, soft and holds together like play dough, with no dry flour patches. It should not stick to your palms or crack when pressed.
Tip: If the dough cracks, knead in extra warm water 1 tbsp at a time. If it sticks, dust with 1 tbsp rice flour.
2
Rest the dough
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes at room temperature so the flour fully hydrates.
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Ready when: Dough feels softer and smoother than before resting.
Tip: Keep it covered; rice dough forms a dry skin quickly.
3
Set up the station
- Stir 1 tbsp of the cooking oil into the cool water in a small bowl for dipping your hands.
- Divide the shredded cheese into 8 portions of about 1 oz (28 g).
- Place the beans, cheese portions and a plate for finished pupusas within reach.
4
Portion the dough
- Knead the rested dough briefly, then divide into 8 equal pieces of about 80 g each.
- Roll each into a smooth ball and keep them covered with the damp towel.
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Ready when: Balls are about the size of a golf ball plus a little, smooth with no cracks.
Tip: Weighing the pieces gives pupusas that cook evenly.
5
Fill the pupusas
- Dip your hands in the oil-water and pat one ball into a cup shape about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide with thick walls.
- Spoon in 1 tsp refried beans and add 1 oz (28 g) cheese.
- Fold the edges up over the filling and pinch to seal, then roll gently into a ball again.
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Ready when: Filling is fully enclosed with no cheese or beans showing through the seam.
Tip: Don't overfill; filling that touches the dough surface will burst out and burn on the griddle.
6
Flatten into discs
- With oiled, wet hands, pat each filled ball back and forth between your palms, rotating, into a disc about 4½ inches (11 cm) wide and ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick.
- Pinch any cracks closed with a wet fingertip.
- Set on the plate under a damp towel.
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Ready when: Discs are even in thickness, with smooth edges and no visible filling.
Tip: Fix cracks before cooking; steam and cheese will escape through them.
7
Heat the griddle
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or griddle over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Brush lightly with some of the remaining 1 tbsp oil.
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Ready when: A pinch of rice flour dropped on the surface sizzles gently and turns lightly golden within a minute or so.
Tip: If the pan is too hot the outside browns before the cheese melts; lower the heat if it smokes.
8
Cook the first batch
- Place 4 pupusas on the griddle.
- Cook 4 minutes without moving, until the underside has golden-brown spots.
- Flip with a thin spatula and cook another 3–4 minutes.
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Ready when: Both sides are speckled golden brown, the pupusas feel firm and slightly puffed, and a little cheese may bubble at the edges.
Tip: Don't press down with the spatula; it forces filling out.
9
Cook the second batch
- Move the first batch to a plate lined with a towel and loosely cover.
- Brush the griddle with the last bit of oil if dry and cook the remaining 4 pupusas the same way, 4 minutes then 3–4 minutes after flipping.
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Ready when: Golden-brown spots on both sides and a firm, puffed feel.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the pupusas rest on the plate for 2 minutes before serving hot, so the molten cheese settles and doesn't burn mouths.
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Ready when: Pupusas are firm enough to pick up without bending.

Good to know

Tips

Warm water makes rice flour dough more cohesive and easier to shape than cold water.
Keep your hands wet with the oil-water throughout shaping to prevent cracked edges.
Serve with curtido (quick fermented cabbage slaw) and a thin tomato salsa for the classic experience.
Cook on medium heat: high heat browns the outside before the center and cheese are hot.

Make ahead

"Shape the filled, flattened pupusas up to 4 hours ahead; stack them between parchment sheets, cover tightly and refrigerate. Cook straight from the fridge, adding about 1 minute per side. Unfilled dough can be wrapped and refrigerated up to 1 day; knead in a splash of warm water before using."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight up to 3 days. Freezer: cooked pupusas, separated by parchment, up to 2 months. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes per side (5–6 minutes per side from frozen) until hot in the center and crisp outside."

Substitutions

low-moisture mozzarella (or Salvadoran quesillo) → Monterey Jack, or a mix of mozzarella and queso fresco. Mozzarella or quesillo melts best; fresh cheeses alone stay crumbly and less stretchy.
refried red beans → Extra cheese, or finely chopped sautéed loroco or zucchini squeezed dry. Keep fillings dry and thick so they don't leak.
neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable) → Melted lard or other neutral oil. Lard gives a more traditional flavor.
white rice flour → Masa harina (for traditional corn pupusas). Use the same weight but about ¼ cup (60 ml) less water, and adjust until the dough is soft and not sticky; it is no longer rice-based.