Trader Joe’s Chicken Pupusas Review
Our taste testers agree – Trader Joe’s Chicken, Cheese, and Green Chile Pupusas are worth a try! Read on for our official ratings and what to pair them with.
Trader Joe’s Chicken, Cheese, & Green Chile Pupusas:
According to the box, Trader Joe’s Pupusas are stuffed corn tortillas filled with chicken, mozzarella, and green chiles.
Okay, so here’s the skinny. The box comes with three frozen pupusas in a plastic bag. Mine were stuck together, so I carefully ran a butter knife between them to pop them apart. It worked well.
They didn’t contain much filling, but I expected that since they were thin and only 220 calories each.
They had a mild taste and creamy center that lacked flavor on their own. So I threw some sour cream, cilantro, and Trader Joe’s cowboy caviar on top and they tasted delicious!
Since the pupusas needed something extra to give them flavor, I gave them a 6 out of 10. None of my three kiddos cared for them, so they only get a 3 on the kid-friendly scale.
- Rating: 6 out of 10
- Kid-friendly rating: 3 out of 10
What are pupusas?
A pupusa is a Latin American corn cake made of a homemade corn dough stuffed with filling like cheese, meat, beans, or squash blossoms. It’s fried on a smooth griddle called a comal, then topped with a spicy, fermented cabbage slaw called curtido.
Pupusas are popular in El Salvador and Honduras, where they originated. In El Salvador, they even have National Pupusa Day in November!
Ingredients:
According to the back of the box, the ingredients are as follows:
- Dough (water, corn masa flour [corn, trace of lime], canola oil, cellulose gum, sea salt)
- Chicken filling (chicken and corn starch product [chicken breast with rib meat, chicken thigh, water, cornstarch, salt], shredded mozzarella cheese [pasteurized part skim milk, cheese culture, salt microbial enzyme, cellulose powder (anti-caking agent)], roasted hatch chile, chicken stock [chicken stock, chicken fat, salt, organic maltodextrin, yeast extract, sugar, chicken meat and natural juices, xanthan gum])
Always check the label if you have food allergies to make sure none of the ingredients have changed. They do contain dairy/milk products.
How to Make Trader Joe’s Pupusas:
On the box, it states you can make the pupusas in a skillet or in your air fryer. I didn’t have good success with the air fryer so I highly recommend cooking them in a large nonstick skillet.
- Do not thaw the pupusas. They are soft and liable to fall apart if thawed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil. Don’t set the heat too high.
- Arrange the three pupusas flat in the skillet. Try not to fiddle with them. Leaving them undisturbed allows them to caramelize and achieve a golden brown exterior.
- Let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then carefully turn them over with a thin-set spatula.
- Let them cook for 5 more minutes. Transfer them to a plate, add toppings, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts:
According to the package, one pupusas equals one serving (113g).
- Calories – 220
- Total fat – 10 grams
- Saturated fat – 3 grams
- Trans fat – 0 grams
- Cholesterol – 25 mg
- Sodium – 230 mg
- Total carb. – 21 grams
- Dietary fiber – 2 grams
- Total sugars – less than 1 gram
- Incl. added sugars – 0 grams
- Protein – 13 grams
Always check the nutrition label to make sure it hasn’t changed.
Where do I find it?
You can find these chicken pupusas in the frozen foods aisle, near the Mexican and Latin American inspired foods.
Are they worth it?
At my local Trader Joe’s, I paid 4.79 plus tax for the 12 ounce box. I would buy them again, but they won’t be a staple for me.
I liked the flavor when I paired them with toppings like salsa, but I prefer more chicken to keep me full. This is entirely a preference though! If you’ve tried Trader Joe’s pupusas, let us know your thoughts in the comments!
What to Pair with Trader Joe’s Pupusas:
Pupusas are delicious with toppings! Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Spicy curtido – A crunchy cabbage slaw with carrots, onion, and oregano!
- Salsa roja – Spicy red salsa
- Salsa verde – A green, tomatillo-based salsa
- Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar – I love this stuff!! It’s a corn and black bean salsa that packs a bit of heat.
- Sour cream or cilantro lime crema
- Green onions
- Trader Joe’s Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
Are they gluten-free?
I did NOT see a gluten-free label on the box. That being said, under allergens it does not list wheat.
The only ingredient that could possibly contain wheat is the yeast extract.
According to Beyond Celiac, “Yeast extract and autolyzed yeast extract may contain gluten from barley. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the source of yeast extract on the ingredients label, so you should only use yeast extract that is labeled gluten-free or confirmed gluten-free by the manufacturer.”
