A True Southwestern Dinner isn’t Complete Unless You Include a basket of Authentic New Mexican Sopapillas
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| Drizzled with Honey, Sopaipillas are a great way to start any fiesta feast! |
Anyone who has ever lived in New Mexico knows what Authentic New Mexican Sopapillas are; a delicious spin on Native American fry bread, Sopapillas are ‘little pillows’ of dough that puff up when fried. And I do mean puff up!
You talk about being full of hot air, the pocket inside is the perfect cavity for filling with all sorts of delicious things like honey, frijoles con carne (refried beans and meat), or even ice cream. They can be eaten as an appetizer, main course, or dessert! Sopapillas are as unique as the area they originate from. (And no, they are not scones!!!)
Next to Hatch Green Chile, the Sopapilla is the iconic symbol of New Mexican food and can be found in just about every regional fare restaurant!
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| This sopaipilla dough is just starting to puff in the hot oil. |
One of the amazing things I love about the Southwest is the rich history and culture of the area. The integration of Hispanic and Native American traditions permeates everything from architecture to food. Take a drive by one of the Pueblos on a summer weekend and you’ll probably be able to buy fresh Indian fry bread roadside. Make sure you stop and try some; I love it! Indian fry bread is the same shape and size as a dinner plate, with lots of ‘bubbles’ formed when the dough is fried. Sopapillas are a bit different in that the dough is rolled thinner and cut into square pieces. It fries up extra puffy and totally hollow inside.
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| This one’s about ready for the bowl. Or my mouth… |
There is no secret ingredient sauce or technique for making sopapillas, they are actually quite simple. The most important thing to remember is to keep the dough moist. If it dries out, it will lose its elasticity and fry up as a really big tortilla chip. If the dough is over-kneaded, too much gluten will form and you won’t be able to roll the dough out to the proper thickness either. If you follow my instructions they should turn out just right every time! And thank you so much to my friend Genevieve who taught me this recipe so long ago. :0)
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What will you stuff in your sopapillas? Subscribe now to receive your free copy of Sopapilla Fiesta! today with six recipe combinations of stuffings and chili sauces. Bonus dessert recipe included!
Authentic New Mexican Sopapillas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 sopapillas 1x
Description
Puffy, golden and hollow, Sopapillas are the hallmark of New Mexican food. Their crispy yet soft texture is delicious and is simply amazing when drizzled with honey, or stuffed with a delicious hearty filling.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 2 2/1 cups for frying (shortening or lard can be used instead of vegetable oil)
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Create a small depression in the center and pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Whisk the oil around in the dry ingredients until little clumps form.
- Gently pour warm water into the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and continue to knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth. Divide the dough in half, and seal each half in a zipper-lock bag while you proceed with step 3.
- Heat frying oil in a stove-top dutch oven or a heavy-duty frying pan to around 350 to 375 degrees. The oil should be at least 2 inches deep. When the oil comes to temperature remove a bag from one portion of dough and roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares approximately 4 X 4 for a nice restaurant look. (You can also fry up the extra triangles that are left if you like.)
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the rolled and cut dough; it’s very important the dough stay moist and not dry out while you fry each piece, or it won’t puff. Gently lift up one square of dough and slide it into the hot oil. It should begin to puff up within about 5-10 seconds. Use a large spoon or tongs to carefully splash oil over the top until the underside is golden brown, about 30 – 60 seconds.
- Flip and fry the other side until both sides are light golden brown. Remove from oil and place in a large bowl lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve immediately with honey or stuffing and chile sauce.
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: New Mexican
Free ebook for all Subscribers!
What will you stuff in your sopapillas? Subscribe now to receive your free copy of Sopapilla Fiesta! today with six recipe combinations of stuffings and chili sauces. Bonus dessert recipe included!
These look like the real deal…thanks for sharing the recipe.
Will these keep well overnight?
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Sopapillas are best served immediately after frying, they get kind of chewy/tough after a while. I've eaten them the next day but I wouldn't serve them to guests if you're planning on entertaining. Hope that helps :0)
stuff them with pinto beans YUM
Can't wait to try these. They look fabulous. Missing New Mexican food so this will be great! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank's for tips. Amazing review of this Sopa-pee-ya. Would love to try this and same time. I'm really impressed to see this nice food. happycookerz
Clear, informative, simple. Love your post!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Angel!
That looks delicious!
I will try your tips the next time. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome Sarah, hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
This look so delicious. Will be making this a recipe for my family.
Thanks Cynthia!
My family is from New Mexico and I have tried and tried to make sopapillas in the past to no avail. These came out puffy and wonderful, I really impressed my family, now they want the all the time!. Thank you so much for this keeper.
Hi Josie, I’m so glad you and your family loved the Sopapillas! Keep an eye out for my new book: “New Mexican Food Made Easy”. There will be even more great sopapilla recipes, tips and hacks to share the foods we love so much with friends and family everywhere! I’m aiming to have it done by the beginning of November and it will be available on amazon.com. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience!
This reminds me of my years of going to school in Santa Fe, and visiting friends at the Pueblos. Also of walking across Cerrillos Road ro the little Mom & Pop restaurant to get coffee and sopapillas.
Isn’t it wonderful how just a simple piece of fried dough can bring back such wonderful nostalgia? Food is so much more than just fulfilling a need, it brings friends and family together and is the medium for creating lasting memories. Thanks for sharing Dolores!
How many does this recipe generally make?
Hi Emily!
This recipe will make somewhere in the range of 10-14. IT largely depends on how large you cut them. Hope that’s helpful:0)
I have a deep fat fryer, would it work to cook these?
Hi Kathy,
Yes definitely! Especially if you can set the fryer to the temp specified in the recipe. Go for it and let me know how they turn out! Thanks for the question :0)