Have you ever tried making your own sopapillas? Here’s my secret family sopapilla recipe from New Mexico. They are so good and not too difficult to make! You might also like our 3 ingredient nacho cheese dip recipe.
There are many things I miss about living in in New Mexico, but the food is at the very top of that list. Oh the food! The enchiladas and green chile and posole, oh my! Today I’m divulging a secret family recipe, a New Mexican tradition, just for you. My dad is an incredible chef and the last time I was in New Mexico, I pinned him down for his sopapilla recipe. You see, typically he just adds a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Getting him to give me a recipe with cups and teaspoons was nearly impossible. Who needs measurements when you can just eyeball things? But I finally got him to write down an actually recipe for his infamous sopapillas! There’s nothing healthy about this recipe, but it’s oh so worth every single last calorie!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR THIS SOPAPILLA RECIPE?
You’ll need the following ingredients for this New Mexico style sopapilla recipe. This recipe yields about 4 dozen sopapillas. In addition to the ingredients below, you’ll also need oil for frying.
4 cups all purpose flour
4 Tbs shortening
2 Tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups warm water
1 Tsp salt
HOW DO I MAKE NEW MEXICO STYLE SOPAPILLAS?
Combine flour, shortening, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Add water and work into dough. Knead dough, cover, and let rest for 20 min. Heat about 2 ½ inches of frying oil in a heavy pan to high heat. Roll out dough to 1/8 thickness. Use knife to cut into 4 in squares. Drop the dough squares into the hot oil a couple at a time. Spoon oil over the dough square and turn over. Dough will puff if the oil is hot enough and turn golden brown. Remove immediately from oil and place on paper towel to absorb any additional oil. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle powdered sugar or enjoy plain!
OTHER YUMMY APPETIZER RECIPES
You might also enjoy these appetizer recipe ideas: Instant Pot Honey BBQ Meatballs, Easy Lasagna Dip and Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip.
6 Responses
Thanks for sharing your N.M. sopapila recipe. I made them last night with a red enchilada and fresh beans. Soft and perfect. I am from N.M. but as your dad, my grandma made them with a dash her and there. I’ll be keeping this recipe!
You’re so welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and a taste of NM!
Can you refrigerate the dough. If so, how long does it last?
I just spoke with my Dad and he doesn’t recommend refrigerating the dough. He said that fresh is best 🙂
Never made sopapilas before and although they were good, they didnt turn out to be sopapilas… Fry bread maybe. Any whoo, My dough was super sticky with just 1 1/4 cup water. Added more flour to be less sticky. Wasnt sure if it should be sticky? Not sure what I did wrong?
When working with dough in humid environments, it’s essential to monitor moisture levels to prevent stickiness. Gradually adding water while mixing helps maintain a desirable consistency. Moreover, very hot oil is vital for creating puffy sopapillas instead of dense frybread. Achieve the ideal texture by heating the oil thoroughly before frying, which will result in a crispy exterior and a tender interior. Hopefully this helps!