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Mexican

Sopes with Chicken

Thick Mexican masa sopes topped with chicken, beans, fresh salsa, crema, and queso fresco.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Sopes with Chicken

45 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

An hour. Make the salsa while the masa rests, and shape the rims while the sopes are still hot from the pan — they crack once they cool.

Method

  1. Mix the masa harina with the measured salt, then gradually add the measured warm water and knead until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.

  2. Divide the dough into equal balls, flatten each into a thick round, and cook on a hot pan until lightly browned on both sides.

  3. While still warm, pinch the edges of each round upward to form a shallow rim, then brush lightly with the measured oil and cook again until the bases are firm.

  4. Simmer the tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, and garlic until softened, then blend with fresh coriander, lemon juice, and a little cooking liquid until pourable.

  5. Spread the mashed pinto beans on the warm sopes, add shredded chicken, spoon over the salsa, and finish with lettuce, radish, queso fresco, and crema.

How to tell it's done

The base should be firm outside, tender inside, and strong enough to hold the beans and chicken without becoming soggy.

Getting it right

Tip

Pinch the rims while the masa is still warm; once cooled, the edges can crack instead of shaping cleanly.

What to serve it with

Serve immediately while the masa base is warm and the toppings are fresh.

Common mistakes

The masa cracks at the edges.
Add water until the dough feels like soft clay, not stiff, and cover it while you work. Dry masa splits as you flatten it, and pinching a rim into a dry round is impossible.
The sopes go soggy under the toppings.
Fry the bases until firm and assemble at the last minute. A sope is a plate as much as a bread, and it can only do that job crisp.

Substitutions

  • Queso Fresco — Use a mild crumbly fresh cheese only when queso fresco is unavailable.

Storing and reheating

Plain cooked bases keep three days in the fridge and freeze for two months; crisp them in a pan before topping. Salsa keeps four days, beans five. Assembled sopes do not keep at all.