Sopes (Thick Masa Cakes with Beans and Chorizo)
Thick little corn masa cakes with pinched-up edges, crisped on the griddle and loaded with refried beans, chorizo, lettuce, crema, cheese and salsa. A favourite Mexican street snack.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the masa
Mix the and salt into the warm water, then knead for 2 minutes into a soft, smooth dough that does not crack at the edges. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- 300 g
- ½ tsp salt
- 400 ml warm water
✅ Done when: dough is soft and does not crack when pinched
Shape the cakes
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (about 55 g each) and press each one between two sheets of plastic into a disc 8 cm wide and 7 mm thick.
- all the dough (12 balls) dough from step 1
✅ Done when: all discs are even in size and thickness
Cook and pinch
Cook the discs on a hot, dry griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly spotted. While still hot, protect your fingers with a cloth and pinch up a raised rim around the edge of each cake.
- all 12 discs shaped discs from step 2
✅ Done when: lightly browned with spots and the rim holds its shape without cracking
Cook the chorizo and warm the beans
Fry the chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until crisp and no longer pink. At the same time, warm the refried beans in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- 200 g
- 300 g refried beans
✅ Done when: chorizo is crisp, reaches 71 °C/160 °F and is no longer pink; beans are hot
Crisp the sopes
Brush the tops of the sopes with the oil and set them flat side down on the hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the base is golden and crisp.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- all 12 cooked sopes cooked sopes from step 3
✅ Done when: base is golden brown and crisp
Top and serve
Spread a spoonful of warm beans over each sope, then top with chorizo, shredded lettuce, crumbled , a drizzle of and salsa. Serve immediately while hot.
- 300 g warm beans from step 4
- 200 g cooked chorizo from step 4
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 80 g
- 4 tbsp
- 120 ml salsa
- all 12 sopes crisped sopes from step 5
Make the masa
Mix the and salt into the warm water, then knead for 2 minutes into a soft, smooth dough that does not crack at the edges. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- 300 g
- ½ tsp salt
- 400 ml warm water
✅ Done when: dough is soft and does not crack when pinched
Shape the cakes
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (about 55 g each) and press each one between two sheets of plastic into a disc 8 cm wide and 7 mm thick.
- all the dough (12 balls) dough from step 1
✅ Done when: all discs are even in size and thickness
Cook and pinch
Cook the discs on a hot, dry griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly spotted. While still hot, protect your fingers with a cloth and pinch up a raised rim around the edge of each cake.
- all 12 discs shaped discs from step 2
✅ Done when: lightly browned with spots and the rim holds its shape without cracking
Cook the chorizo and warm the beans
Fry the chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until crisp and no longer pink. At the same time, warm the refried beans in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- 200 g
- 300 g refried beans
✅ Done when: chorizo is crisp, reaches 71 °C/160 °F and is no longer pink; beans are hot
Crisp the sopes
Brush the tops of the sopes with the oil and set them flat side down on the hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the base is golden and crisp.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- all 12 cooked sopes cooked sopes from step 3
✅ Done when: base is golden brown and crisp
Top and serve
Spread a spoonful of warm beans over each sope, then top with chorizo, shredded lettuce, crumbled , a drizzle of and salsa. Serve immediately while hot.
- 300 g warm beans from step 4
- 200 g cooked chorizo from step 4
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 80 g
- 4 tbsp
- 120 ml salsa
- all 12 sopes crisped sopes from step 5
The Story Behind the Dish
Sopes are one of Mexico's many antojitos, little 'cravings' made from corn masa and sold at street stands and markets. The raised rim holds the toppings in place.
Every region has its own version: in Veracruz they're called picadas, and in Oaxaca similar thick cakes are called memelas.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Crisp outside, soft inside and piled with toppings, a sope is a whole meal in your hand.
💡 Fun Fact
In Mexico City markets, cooks often fry the sopes in the fat left from cooking chorizo or carnitas, for extra flavour.
Central Mexico
19.43°N, -99.13°W
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