Sopes de Picadillo (Masa Cups with Spiced Beef and Potato)
Thick fried corn bases with a pinched rim, piled with warm spiced beef and potato, crisp lettuce and cool soured cream.
- Time1 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.86 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and brown the beef for 6 minutes, breaking it up. Add the onion, garlic, potato and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
11 min - 2
Stir in the tomato purée, cumin, cinnamon and bay leaf. Add the water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potato is tender and the sauce is thick. Season well and remove the bay leaf.
20 min - 3
While that cooks, mix the masa harina, salt and warm water into a soft dough. Rest for 10 minutes.
10 min - 4
Make eight balls. Press each into a 8 cm disc about 1 cm thick. Cook in a dry hot frying pan for 1 minute per side.
- 5
While still hot, pinch the edge up all round to make a low wall. Heat the remaining oil and fry the sopes for 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp at the rim.
4 min - 6
Warm the refried beans. Spread a spoonful in each sope, then add the picadillo. Top with lettuce and soured cream and serve at once.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.