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You are here: Home / Main Dishes / How To Eat Sopes the Mexican Way

How To Eat Sopes the Mexican Way

Last Updated on May 19, 2022 by Guillermina

Figuring out how to eat sopes is a fun experience to undertake for a number of reasons. A good way to think about this oh so delectable food is that it´s eaten like other staple foods from other countries, such as eating a slice of pizza. The wonderful thing about sopes is that they are very versatile and you prepare them in a several unexpected ways.

But, what are sopes anyhow? They’re these small tortillas, but thicker, made to have edges that turn upwards so that they can hold their delicious contents with ease. For this reason, it doesn’t get more Mexican street snacks than this edible plate. As such you can pick one up pretty much in any corner of Mexico!

Mexican sopes are as great an introduction to Mexican food as food can get. They rely on corn dough which is used on countless delicious Mexican delicacies. If you really want to enjoy the best flavor that sopes have to offer, you have to make them at home. It may take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it before you know it.

You can experiment to your heart’s content and see where the different flavors can take your personal palate.

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents

  • How To Make Sopes In A Few Steps
      • Equipment
      • Ingredients
        • For the dough
        • For the standard toppings (These are suggestions, actual amounts are totally up to you!)
        • More optional toppings
    • Step by Step Instructions
        • Step 1: Mix the dough
        • Step 2: Divide the dough
        • Step 3: Heat the pan
        • Step 4: Shape the pieces of dough
        • Step 5: Serve
    • Tips and Tricks for Mexican Sopes
    • Servings and preparation time
  • Conclusion
    • Make Sopes In A Few Steps
      • Equipment
      • Ingredients  
        • For the dough
        • For the standard toppings
        • More optional toppings
      • Instructions 
      • Notes
      • Tips and Tricks for Mexican Sopes

How To Make Sopes In A Few Steps

Equipment

Bowl, to mix the masa and the water.

Pan.

Ingredients

For the dough

A cup & a half of masa rain
A cup & a quarter of warm water

For the standard toppings (These are suggestions, actual amounts are totally up to you!)

A cup of refried beans
2 cups of lettuce
A & a half cup of cooked beef and/or shredded chicken
Half cup of Mexican cream
Half cup of Mexican fresh cheese
Quarter cup of onion (most use white)
Half cup of tomato
Spicy salsa

More optional toppings

An avocado
Third cup of radishes
Pickled jalapeños and carrots (commonly referred to in Mexico as Rajas)

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the dough

Start out by mixing the masa harina and warm water in the mixing bowl and knead it until you achieve an uniform texture that’s manageable in a way that’s similar to kid’s play-dough. Be careful that it doesn’t dry out, which especially happens if you’re in a dry place, by keeping your hands wet and adding more water, little by little with a spoon if you need it. 

Step 2: Divide the dough

Separate the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces, and cover with a moist kitchen towel.

Step 3: Heat the pan

Heat the pan up to a medium-high heat.

Step 4: Shape the pieces of dough

Now comes time to give these beauties their shape. 

Step 5: Serve

The toppings that you add are really up to you. Some people like them just with beans and cheese, but some, kids especially, love to go a bit nuts with their favorite ingredients.

Tips and Tricks for Mexican Sopes

To save time, you may opt for preparing a bunch and, then, frying them, or cooking store-bought sopes. They may not taste as fresh, but there are plenty of quality brands on the market.

You might wonder how to cook store-bought sopes. Just heat up the pan on medium with oil and fry them on both sides until golden brown. Be careful not to allow them to absorb too much oil by pressing them with a paper towel. Then you can add the toppings of your choice.

Cheesiness is often associated with Mexican cuisine. As a result, it is quite common for different people to favor different kinds of cheeses with their sopes. While the most common combination includes broken cheese ¨queso quebrado¨ and cream, there are all kinds of different possibilities. These include queso Oaxaca, Manchego, Ranchero, and countless others. It´s up to your preference regarding the predominance of a hard or soft flavor of the cheese.

The same goes for the salsa. As amateur of fact, it’s quite common for households to prepare different kinds and then combine them at once discretion on top of the sope. The most common kinds are red which relies heavily on tomato, cree, which relies on green tomato, habanero which commonly includes pineapple, and chipotle.

If you’re throwing a party it´s a good idea to make many sopes so that they can try different ones.

Servings and preparation time

Cooking Time: 30 minutes.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 guests.

 how to eat sopes

Conclusion

What makes a sope such a great food is its potential for variability. You can add to it any number of wonderful toppings,  and experiment until you find something that you truly love! The most popular toppings include chicken, pork, beef, cream, avocado, radish slices, pickled carrots, salsa, and all manner of vegetables.

Sopes are part of an extended family of antojitos that include chalupas, picadas, gorditas, tlacuyos, huaraches among man others. It’s fascinating traveling Mexico through the many different variations of these pizza-like creations. Sometimes the differences may appear to be minimal at first glance. However, there is a careful dance between the different ingredients, methods of cooking, and shapes that shouldn´t be overlooked. For example, picadas are slightly thinner and more sauce heavy (and it’s even cooked with the sauce) than sopes. Tlacoyos have the shape of a nopal (cactus) and are thicker than regular sopes.

All in all, in Mexico, sopes are considered to be a truly heart-warming street-style food. It is eaten in a way that’s very similar to a hot dog. If you’re on the go, you can’t do much better than this. Sopes invite you to get creative and to enjoy your food your way and with your preferred topping choices.

Sopes raise people’s spirits and invite strangers to come together and share a moment, or several. While it is very much a finger food, it can be surprisingly filling. So, be sure to take your time as you eat them!

Learn more about Amazing Things To Make With Masa

How to Eat Sopes

Make Sopes In A Few Steps

Just Mexican Food
Mexican sopes are as great an introduction to Mexican food as food can get. They rely on corn dough which is used on countless delicious Mexican delicacies. If you really want to enjoy the best flavor that sopes have to offer, you have to make them at home. It may take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it before you know it. You can experiment to your heart's content and see where the different flavors can take your personal palate.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 guest

Equipment

  • Bowl, to mix the masa and the water.
  • Pan

Ingredients
  

For the dough

  • 1½ cup masa rain
  • 1¼ cup warm water

For the standard toppings

  • 1 cup refried beans
  • 2 cups lettuce
  • 1½ cup cooked beef and/or shredded chicken
  • ½ cup Mexican cream
  • ½ cup Mexican fresh cheese
  • ¼ cup onion, most use white
  • ½ cup tomato
  • Spicy salsa

More optional toppings

  • 1 avocado
  • ⅓ cup radishes
  • Pickled jalapeños and carrots commonly referred to in Mexico as Rajas
  • These are suggestions, actual amounts are totally up to you!

Instructions
 

  • Mix the dough. Start out by mixing the masa harina and warm water in the mixing bowl and knead it until you achieve an uniform texture that’s manageable in a way that’s similar to kid’s play-dough. Be careful that it doesn’t dry out, which especially happens if you’re in a dry place, by keeping your hands wet and adding more water, little by little with a spoon if you need it.
    1½ cup masa rain, 1¼ cup warm water
  • Divide the dough. Separate the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces, and cover with a moist kitchen towel.
  • Heat the pan. Heat the pan up to a medium-high heat.
  • Shape the pieces of dough. Now comes time to give these beauties their shape.
  • Serve. The toppings that you add are really up to you. Some people like them just with beans and cheese, but some, kids especially, love to go a bit nuts with their favorite ingredients.
    1 cup refried beans, 2 cups lettuce, 1½ cup cooked beef and/or shredded chicken, ½ cup Mexican cream, ½ cup Mexican fresh cheese, ¼ cup onion, most use white, ½ cup tomato, Spicy salsa, 1 avocado, ⅓ cup radishes, Pickled jalapeños and carrots

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Mexican Sopes

To save time, you may opt for preparing a bunch and, then, frying them, or cooking store-bought sopes. They may not taste as fresh, but there are plenty of quality brands on the market.
You might wonder how to cook store-bought sopes. Just heat up the pan on medium with oil and fry them on both sides until golden brown. Be careful not to allow them to absorb too much oil by pressing them with a paper towel. Then you can add the toppings of your choice.
Keyword how to cook store bought sopes, how to eat sopes, how to make sopes, mexican sopes
Maria

Maria is a passionate Mexican–American cook who loves to create delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine. She has been cooking since she was a young girl, learning traditional recipes from her grandmother. She loves to experiment with new flavors and to use local, seasonal ingredients whenever possible. She enjoys introducing her guests to the flavors of her culture and sharing stories of the history of Mexican cuisine. Maria takes great pride in her cooking and loves to see how her food brings people together. She is always looking for ways to make her dishes even more delicious and inviting.

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Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: how to cook store bought sopes, how to eat sopes, how to make sopes, mexican sopes

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