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7 recipes · El Salvador

Salvadoran kitchen

7 Salvadoran recipes you can cook at home, from Carne Guisada Salvadorena and Sopa de Res Salvadorena to Empanadas de Platano y Leche.

7 recipes

About Salvadoran food

The Salvadoran kitchen

Corn, beans, fresh cheese, and vegetables are central to many Salvadoran meals. Masa becomes griddled pupusas with a sealed filling, while fresh corn cooks into soft riguas inside folded husks. Rice and cooked beans come together as casamiento, and soups use beef or chicken with generous pieces of roots and vegetables.

Rich food often meets a sharp companion: oregano-scented curtido and tomato salsa sit beside hot pupusas, while crisp vegetables fill saucy chicken sandwiches. The everyday table need not be fiery; chiles can add heat separately. For something sweet, look to rice-flour cheese cake with sesame or ripe plantains wrapped around a firm milk filling.

Questions, answered

What are pupusas made from?

Most are made with a masa harina dough enclosing fillings such as cheese, beans, or pork. They cook on a griddle; rice-flour pupusas are another established variety.

Is Salvadoran quesadilla a cheese tortilla?

The Salvadoran bakery sweet called quesadilla is a cheese-enriched cake, often made with rice flour and topped with sesame. It is served in slices or squares, commonly with coffee.

Is Salvadoran food spicy?

Many staples are mild and rely on corn, beans, cheese, herbs, and tomato for flavor. Heat varies with the salsa or pickled accompaniment, so it can often be added at the table.

What Salvadoran dishes can I make at home?

Start with Carne Guisada Salvadorena, Casamiento con Huevos (Salvadoran Rice and Beans), Curtido (Salvadoran Cabbage Slaw), Empanadas de Platano y Leche and Quesadilla Salvadorena (Sweet Cheese Cake). Every recipe here is written for a home kitchen, with substitutes for anything hard to find.

What's the quickest Salvadoran recipe?

Casamiento con Huevos (Salvadoran Rice and Beans), ready in 30 min.