The two most common pupusas are the pupusa de quesillo (cheese) and more popular pupusa revuelta with mixed ingredients of cheese, beans, and chicharrón. Pupusas are typically served with curtido (lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar).

Pupusas are similar to the South American arepa, the main differences being that pupusas are filled prior to cooking and pupusas are made fromnixtamalized maize whereas arepas are made from untreated corn flour.