Chicken Sopes with Green or Red Salsa
If you’re looking for an easy, traditional Mexican dish, look no further than our authentic Mexican sopes, or chicken sopes. Mexican sopes are corn cakes made with the same masa (dough) as corn tortillas or tamales but are slightly smaller and thicker to hold all of your delightful toppings.
Also called pellizcadas (pinched) because the edges are pinched to create a lip, sopes are just as delicious served as an antojito (appetizer) as they are a main dish. Sopes are a popular street food in Mexico, and now you can make them in your own kitchen! And because they’re made with corn, they’re gluten-free.
What to Expect from This Recipe
Our Mexican sopes recipe uses pre-made sopes for the ultimate in easy Mexican food cooking. Sopes are made by mixing maize soaked in lime, or masa harina (corn flour), with warm water. They’re then flattened with a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap, fried in hot oil or lard, sides pinched, and kept fresh covered with a kitchen towel.
But with this recipe, that work is done for you. Just reheat the sopes, top with refried beans, salsa, shredded chicken, lettuce, onions and cream, and you’re ready to eat! Authentic sopes are versatile, too, so you can top them with carnitas (pulled pork), carne asada (grilled steak), chorizo (pork sausage), guacamole or veggies.
How to Make Sopes
Ingredients
- 6 pre-made sopes, room temperature
- 2 cups refried beans
- 1 ½ cup shredded chicken
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 cup Mexican crema (cream) or sour cream
- 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 4-6 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salsa verde or salsa roja
Heat the Sopes
Preheat your cast iron griddle, or comal, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Then pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on the hot griddle.
Using a paper towel, carefully spread the oil to cover the surface of the griddle.
Place your sopes on the hot oil, top side up.
Spread ½ tablespoon of oil on the top of each sope. When you flip them over, the oil will make the surface nice and crispy. Cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
After 3 minutes, flip over the sopes using a spatula.
Heat for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, flip them back over, top side up. Now we’re ready to add our toppings!
Add Toppings to Your Sopes
Spread about a tablespoon of refried beans on each sope.
Mmmm! Ready for more toppings!
Next, spoon on some salsa verde.
Once you’ve added your salsa verde, sprinkle on some shredded chicken.
Shake on some diced onions.
Then the shredded lettuce.
And the queso fresco.
Finally drizzle cream all over the top.
Can’t you just taste that mountain of flavor? Mexican sopes are a heartier version of yummy tostadas!
Make Sopes with Salsa Roja
If you use salsa roja instead of verde, the steps are identical. The only change is to add the salsa last, over the cream, instead of over the beans.
This is one of the easiest—and tastiest—Mexican recipes you’ll ever make. Enjoy!
Mexican Sopes
Equipment
- Griddle or comal
- Spatula
- Paper Towels
- Spoons
- Prep Bowls
- Serving Dishes
Ingredients
- 6 Sopes pre-made, room temperature
- 2 cups Refried beans
- 1 ½ cups Shredded chicken
- 1 cup Shredded lettuce
- 1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1 cup Queso fresco crumbled
- 1 cup White onion finely chopped
- 4-6 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- Salsa verde or salsa roja
Instructions
Heat the Sopes
- Preheat your cast iron griddle, or comal, over medium-hight heat for about 10 minutes. Then pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on the hot griddle.
- Using a paper towel, carefully spread the oil to cover the surface of the griddle.
- Place your sopes on the hot oil, top side up.
- Spread ½ tablespoon of oil on the top of each sope. When you flip them over, the oil will make the surface nice and crispy. Cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- After 3 minutes, flip over the sopes using a spatula.
- Heat for 3 minutes, then flip them back over, top side up. Now we’re ready to add our toppings!
Add Toppings
- Spread about a tablespoon of refried beans on each sope.
- Next, spoon on some salsa verde. Tip: If you’re using salsa roja, or red salsa, you should add it last, after all the other toppings. But if you use salsa verde, it tastes best directly on the beans. There’s something about the flavor mixture of refried beans and salsa verde that gives this dish that little something extra.
- Once you’ve added your salsa verde, sprinkle on some shredded chicken.
- Add the diced onions, shredded lettuce and queso fresco.
- Finally drizzle cream all over the top.
Make Sopes with Salsa Roja
- If you use salsa roja instead of verde, the steps are identical. The only change is to add the salsa last, over the cream, instead of over the beans.
Notes
- For a spicy twist, top your sopes with our roasted jalapeño salsa.
- Sprinkle on a little cilantro for a refreshing citrusy kick.
Cathy García says
Where can I buy pre made sopes? I’ve never seen them in our Mexican grocery.