El Salvador, a small but vibrant country in Central America, boasts a rich culinary heritage that’s as diverse as its landscapes. From hearty street foods to exquisite traditional dishes, Salvadoran cuisine offers something for every palate. Here’s a list of 100 Salvadoran dishes you must try, each offering a unique taste of this beautiful nation.
1. Pupusas
The national dish of El Salvador, these thick corn tortillas are stuffed with cheese, beans, pork, or a combination of ingredients, and served with tangy curtido (pickled cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa.
2. Yuca Frita
Fried cassava root, often served with chicharrón (fried pork) and curtido. A popular street food that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
3. Panes con Pollo
Salvadoran-style sandwiches with marinated chicken, served in a baguette with fresh vegetables and a savory tomato-based sauce.
4. Sopa de Pata
A hearty soup made with cow’s feet, tripe, yuca, corn, and vegetables, seasoned with rich spices and herbs.
5. Empanadas de Leche
Sweet empanadas filled with a creamy milk-based custard, lightly fried, and dusted with sugar.
6. Tamales de Elote
Sweet corn tamales made with fresh corn, sugar, and sometimes cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed.
7. Atol de Elote
A warm, sweet corn drink made from fresh corn, milk, and sugar. It’s a comforting beverage perfect for cool evenings.
8. Riguas
Grilled corn patties made from fresh ground corn, typically served with cheese or sour cream.
9. Sopa de Gallina India
A traditional chicken soup made with free-range chicken, vegetables, and herbs, served with rice and tortillas.
10. Chilate
A traditional drink made from nixtamalized corn, flavored with ginger, allspice, and panela (unrefined cane sugar).
11. Casamiento
A simple yet delicious dish made from black beans and rice, often served as a side or for breakfast.
12. Quesadilla Salvadoreña
A rich, sweet cheese bread made with rice flour and cheese, typically enjoyed with coffee.
13. Chorizo Salvadoreño
Salvadoran sausage seasoned with garlic, vinegar, and spices, often grilled or fried.
14. Curtido
A tangy pickled cabbage slaw with carrots, onions, and oregano, typically served with pupusas.
15. Pan con Chumpe
Turkey sandwiches made with roasted turkey, seasoned with Salvadoran spices, and served in a soft roll with salad.
16. Sopa de Pescado
A flavorful fish soup made with fresh fish, vegetables, and herbs, often served with a side of rice.
17. Nuegados
Sweet, deep-fried yucca or corn dough balls, often coated in sugar or syrup.
18. Arroz con Leche
A creamy rice pudding made with milk, cinnamon, and sugar, sometimes topped with raisins.
19. Leche Poleada
A thick, sweet custard flavored with vanilla and cinnamon, often served as a dessert.
20. Tres Leches Cake
A moist, spongy cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.
21. Marquesote
A traditional Salvadoran sponge cake, light and airy, typically enjoyed with coffee.
22. Torrejas
Salvadoran-style French toast made with thick slices of bread, soaked in a sweet cinnamon syrup.
23. Elote Loco
Grilled corn on the cob, slathered with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and grated cheese.
24. Ceviche
A refreshing seafood dish made with fresh fish or shrimp, marinated in lime juice with onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.
25. Horchata
A sweet, creamy drink made from ground morro seeds, rice, and spices, often enjoyed cold.
26. Pastelitos
Small, fried pastries filled with meat, rice, and vegetables, similar to empanadas.
27. Enchiladas
Salvadoran-style tostadas topped with seasoned ground meat, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and fresh vegetables.
28. Gallo en Chicha
A festive dish of rooster cooked in a sweet and sour sauce made from fermented pineapple, panela, and spices.
29. Camarones a la Plancha
Grilled shrimp seasoned with garlic, lime, and spices, often served with rice and salad.
30. Salpicón
A refreshing salad made with finely chopped beef, radishes, onions, tomatoes, and lime juice.
31. Frijoles Negros
Black beans cooked with garlic, onions, and spices, often served with rice or as a side dish.
32. Platanos Fritos
Fried plantains, often served with refried beans and crema (a type of sour cream).
33. Pavo Salvadoreño
Roast turkey seasoned with Salvadoran spices, often served with a rich sauce and bread.
34. Rellenos de Pacaya
Pacaya flowers stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried, served with a tomato sauce.
35. Tamales Pisques
Savory tamales filled with seasoned black beans, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed.
36. Yuca con Chicharrón
Boiled yucca served with crispy fried pork and curtido.
37. Pescado Frito
Whole fried fish, often tilapia, served with rice, salad, and lime wedges.
38. Chanfaina
A traditional dish made with organ meats, rice, and vegetables, seasoned with herbs and spices.
39. Pupusas de Ayote
Pupusas filled with zucchini, a delicious variation of the classic pupusa.
40. Ensalada de Frutas
A refreshing fruit salad made with a variety of fresh fruits, sometimes served with a sweet syrup.
41. Chilate con Nuegados
A traditional Salvadoran breakfast of chilate (corn drink) served with nuegados (fried dough balls).
42. Empanadas de Frijol
Sweet empanadas filled with refried beans, lightly fried, and dusted with sugar.
43. Pacayas
Pacaya flowers cooked in various ways, including grilled, boiled, or fried.
44. Sopa de Res
A hearty beef soup with vegetables, served with rice and tortillas.
45. Arroz a la Valenciana
A colorful rice dish similar to paella, made with chicken, vegetables, and sometimes seafood.
46. Budín
A traditional bread pudding made with leftover bread, milk, eggs, and spices.
47. Galletas Maria
Simple, sweet biscuits that are often enjoyed with coffee or used in desserts.
48. Coctel de Camarones
A shrimp cocktail served with a tangy tomato-based sauce, onions, and cilantro.
49. Yuca Sancochada
Boiled yucca, often served with a side of chicharrón or as a base for other dishes.
50. Tamales de Pollo
Savory tamales filled with seasoned chicken, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed.
51. Carne Asada
Grilled beef marinated with Salvadoran spices, served with rice, beans, and tortillas.
52. Pavo en Panes
Turkey sandwiches made with roast turkey, seasoned with Salvadoran spices, and served in a soft roll with salad.
53. Curtido Picante
A spicy version of the traditional pickled cabbage slaw, adding a kick to your pupusas.
54. Tortillas de Maíz
Traditional corn tortillas, a staple in Salvadoran cuisine, used as a base for many dishes.
55. Rellenos de Güisquil
Chayote squash stuffed with cheese or meat, battered, and fried.
56. Pastel de Tres Leches
A moist, spongy cake soaked in three types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.
57. Sorbete de Mamey
A refreshing sorbet made from mamey fruit, a tropical delight.
58. Torta de Elote
A sweet corn cake made from fresh corn, milk, and sugar.
59. Tamales de Elote con Queso
Sweet corn tamales with cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed.
60. Dulce de Chilacayote
A traditional sweet made from squash, panela, and spices, slow-cooked until tender.
61. Alfajores
Delicate cookies filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut or powdered sugar.
62. Quesadilla
Salvadoran cheese bread made with rice flour, cheese, and often topped with sesame seeds.
63. Guacamole
A creamy avocado dip mixed with tomatoes, onions, lime juice, and cilantro.
64. Sopa de Mariscos
A rich seafood soup made with a variety of fresh seafood, vegetables, and a savory broth.
65. Torrejas de Elote
Sweet corn fritters, often served with honey or syrup.
66. Pan Relleno
Stuffed bread filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, baked to perfection.
67. Salpicón de Mariscos
A seafood salad
