Pupusas are Salvadoran corn cakes that come from the freezer already filled; you just pan-fry them until crisp, then serve with sauce. They are weeknight gold when time is short and hunger is high.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 340 calories a serving, 11 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, lay each pupusa into the pan without crowding, working in batches if needed. Pan-fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
2. While the pupusas cook, dice half a small onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Heat these in a small pot or saucepan with a splash of oil over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour one 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes into the onion and garlic. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes while the first batch of pupusas finishes cooking.5 min
4. Transfer the cooked pupusas to serving plates. Spoon the warm tomato sauce over them and serve right away.

Note Swap the tomato sauce for a simple salsa if you have cilantro and lime. Leftover pupusas reheat well in a skillet for a few minutes; sauce keeps three days refrigerated. Serve with a simple green salad or pickled vegetables on the side.