Crispy Sopes

Name: Crispy Sopes
Yield: Makes 8 sopes
Ingredients: 8 ounces (1 ¾ cups) Masienda masa harina; 1 ¾ cups warm water; Olive oil for frying (we like Graza Sizzle); Suggested toppings: crumbled queso fresco and salsa

A plate of sopes being topped with salsa

April 1, 2024

Sopes are one of our favorite, party-perfect masa shapes. These antojitos (aka "little whims" or appetizers) are ideal vessels for any number of toppings. Keep it simple with salsa and queso fresco, or add refried beans, shredded lettuce, and more.

We've always either dry-toasted our sopes on a comal or enjoyed them deep-fried, but our friend Rick Bayless introduced us to this pan-fry method, and we are hooked. It yields a deliciously crispy base and molten center without the mess of deep-frying.

Crispy Sopes

Servings

Makes 8 sopes

Ingredients

8 ounces (1 ¾ cups) Masienda masa harina
1 ¾ cups warm water
Olive oil for frying (we like Graza Sizzle)
Suggested toppings: crumbled queso fresco and salsa

Directions

Mix the masa: Slowly add the warm water to the dry masa flour in your bowl, stirring to incorporate evenly by hand. Knead until the water is evenly incorporated and no dry, powdery spots remain. It should be moist to the touch, but not tacky. If it’s too wet, add a bit more masa; if too dry, add a bit more water.
Shape the sopes: Roll masa into a ping pong sized ball, and then flatten into a disc, ¼”-½” thick. You can flatten with a tortilla press or by pressing a masa ball onto a hard surface like your kitchen counter with your palm or the bottom of a glass. We recommend using a sheet of plastic or parchment between the bottom surface and the masa to prevent sticking.
Parcook the sopes: Preheat a nonstick pan or well-seasoned Made In Carbon Steel Comal to medium-high. Lower the pan to medium heat. Cook one side of the sope for 1-2 minutes. Flip over and cook the second side for another 1-2 minutes. While hot, carefully remove the sopes and pinch the edges to create a short ridge around the circumference to retain toppings.
Crisp the Sopes: with the heat on medium-high, coat the pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the bottom of each sope, a few at a time, topping the ridged side with an additional drizzle of oil in the center, until the oil on top begins to bubble.
Fill the sopes: While it’s still cooking, top each sope with salsa and crumbled queso fresco. ¡Provecho!

2 comments

CARLOS PENILLA | September 3, 2025

I made the crispy sopes using the red corn masa harina, and filled them with fresh corn, salsa and queso fresco. The recipe was easy to follow and the sopes came our delicious!

AMBER | August 13, 2025

Just made this with the blue corn masa and it was a hit! But for us it made 12 sopes about the size of my palm.