Why Fried Sopapillas Are a Must-Have Treat

fried sopapillas El Chubby's Fresh Mexican Grill DenverHere at El Chubby’s in Aurora, we start with authentic sopapilla dough, then deep fry it. Next, it’s topped with rich ice cream, fluffy whipped cream, chocolate sauce and of course, the perfect cherry.

If you haven’t had one of these delicious treats, you’re missing out on a true customer favorite.

Of course, what’s great about our sopapilla sundae is that it’s just one of many different ways to enjoy fried sopapillas – all of them delicious. They can be served as an entrée side or dessert, either savory or sweet. The most common way is dessert pastry, the traditional way to complete a great Mexican meal.

A Brief Sopapilla History

Sopapillas are served in many Latin American and South American countries, and in many areas of North America. Their beauty is that they are simple and so delicious.

Sopapillas are just a basic bread made from wheat, leavening, and shortening. Many people use all-purpose flour, baking powder, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, shortening or butter, and a leavening agent. The dough is cut into circles, or squares, or maybe triangles. The cut dough is dropped into frying hot oil until they puff up.

Versions of the deep-fried bread were found in European and Middle Eastern kitchens. The Spanish word for this bread is sopaipa or derived from the word xopaipa which means bread soaked in oil. This is thought to come from the Mozarabic language of medieval Islamic Spain. This was probably where the fried bread was first created.

Enjoying Fried Sopapillas

Many people like sopapillas dripping with honey. Sopapillas usually puff up, creating an air pocket. Many people enjoy tearing off a corner and drizzling a little honey into the pocket to better enjoy every drop.

Some restaurants will also serve them with sweet or savory fillings. But they are equally good when they are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, flavored with anise syrup, or stuffed with refried beans, cheese, scrambled eggs, and spiced up with red or green chilies.

You get the picture. It’s all delicious.

Mexicans restaurants like ours traditionally offer fried sopapillas as a dessert. Get this, in Texas people love sopapillas so much the sopapillas are an official state pastry. How about that for commitment?

Sopapillas are popular in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Chile, when sopapillas are eaten sweet, they are fried and then dipped in chancaca, which is a black beet sugar and cinnamon. If the sopapillas are eaten salty, you should try them with ketchup or mustard.

Dessert at El Chubby’s Fresh Mexican Grill in Aurora makes fried sopapillas the highlight.

Come in for some of our fresh, authentic, made-to-order Mexican food but save room for our special sopapilla sundae. It’s the best. Our restaurant is located at 1191 S. Abilene where we’ve been for more than 26 years now. We’re a family owned business and we’d like to welcome your family. Come in and let us cook for you.