Salvadoran Breakfast Plate
A traditional Salvadoran desayuno featuring crispy pupusas, scrambled eggs, refried beans, and cheese in one vibrant plate. Ready in 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and bold flavors.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 640
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups masa harina (corn flour for pupusas)
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Salvadoran quesillo cheese (or mozzarella), shredded
- ½ pound ground beef
- 4 whole large eggs
- 1 can (15 oz) canned refried black beans
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 whole corn tortillas (optional, for serving)
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (salsa picante)
Instructions
- 1
Place the masa harina and salt in a large bowl, then pour in 1 cup of warm water slowly while mixing with your hands until the dough feels like wet sand — soft and moisturizing but still holding together.
- 2
Let the dough rest in the bowl, covered with a damp towel, for 5 minutes so it absorbs the water and becomes easier to shape.
- 3
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces by pulling off chunks the size of golf balls and rolling each one between your palms into a smooth ball.
- 4
Flatten each ball into a thin disk about 4 inches across by pressing it gently between your palms, working from the center outward, rotating as you go.
- 5
Place 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese in the center of each flattened disk, then fold the edges up and over the filling to seal it in, pinching to close the seam.
- 6
Gently flatten the sealed pupusa back into a disk about 4 inches across using your palms; the cheese will stay inside as you work. Repeat with all 4 pupusas.
- 7
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Carefully place all 4 pupusas into the hot oil in a single layer, then fry without moving them for 3 minutes until the bottom is light golden brown, like toasted bread.
- 9
Flip each pupusa with a wide spatula and fry the other side for another 3 minutes until it is also light golden brown.
- 10
Transfer the cooked pupusas to a clean plate and cover them loosely with foil to keep them warm while you cook the eggs and beans.
- 11
Add the ground beef to the same skillet (still on medium-high heat) and use a wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles, stirring every 30 seconds.
- 12
Cook until the beef is no longer pink and looks uniformly brown throughout, about 4 minutes; this means all the raw meat has been cooked.
- 13
Push the cooked beef to the sides of the skillet, then crack all 4 eggs directly into the center, spacing them apart so each can spread slightly.
- 14
Cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the egg whites turn opaque and firm, then gently scramble the eggs together with the cooked beef using the wooden spoon.
- 15
Continue stirring the eggs and beef together over medium heat for 1 minute until the eggs are fully cooked and slightly creamy, without any visible raw egg white.
- 16
Heat the canned beans in a separate small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are warm throughout and steam rises from the surface, about 4 minutes.
- 17
Divide the warm refried beans between two plates, spreading them to cover about a third of each plate.
- 18
Divide the eggs and beef mixture between the two plates, placing it to the right of the beans in a small mound.
- 19
Place 2 pupusas on each plate next to the eggs, arranging them so all components fit together.
- 20
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of hot sauce over each plate, concentrating it on the beans and pupusas.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- damp kitchen towel
- 12-inch skillet or larger
- wooden spoon
- wide spatula
- small saucepan
- two serving plates
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