How long to cook sopes in an air fryer

At-a-glance cooking parameters

Temperature

375 °F

191 °C

Total time

12 min

per single layer

Flip at

6 min

flip once

Internal temp

—

use visual cue

Sopes air-fry in about 12 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until both faces are golden-spotted and the thick masa disc is cooked through with no raw centre. Sopes are a Mexican antojito: a thick round of masa-harina dough, par-cooked until set, then pinched up around the edge to form a raised rim that cradles the toppings — refried beans, meat, lettuce, crema, salsa, and crumbled cheese. The air fryer toasts the masa to golden spots with just a light spray, far less oil than the traditional griddle-and-fry. Form, cook, pinch the rim while warm, then load them up. Unlike Pupusas (a thinner Salvadoran cake stuffed and sealed before cooking) a sope is cooked plain and topped open-faced, and unlike Arepas (a Venezuelan and Colombian cake made from precooked masarepa and split open like a pocket) a sope uses masa harina and stays whole with a pinched rim. It's close kin to the gordita, which is split and filled rather than topped — same masa, different build. 4 ways to top them: classic beans-and-meat, vegetarian, chorizo-and-pickled-onion, or simply salsa and queso fresco.

Per serving

Approximate values for a single portion of sopes (USDA baseline, cooked, includes light air-fryer oil spray).

Calories

210 kcal

Protein

7 g

Fat

9 g

Carbs

27 g

Sopes in popular air fryer brands

Adjusted for how each brand actually heats. Tap a brand name to see every food we calibrate for it.

How to tell it’s done

Done when both faces of the masa cake are golden-spotted and dry to the touch and the disc is firm and cooked through with no raw, pasty centre — about 12 minutes, flipped once. Sopes are thicker than a tortilla, so they need long enough for the middle to set; go by a firm cake and toasted surface, not an internal temperature. After cooking, pinch the rim up while still warm to make the signature raised wall that holds the toppings. Flip at the halfway mark so both sides toast evenly.

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Prep

   Bring ingredients close to room temperature. Spray both sides lightly — a little oil helps the masa toast to golden spots and keeps the surface from drying chalky. Traditionally sopes are griddled and lightly fried; the air fryer toasts them with far less oil.

2. 2

   Season

   Season with Classic: refried beans, shredded chicken or carne, lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and salsa built into the pinched rim., Vegetarian: beans, nopales or sautéed mushrooms, avocado, and crumbled cheese., Topped with chorizo, pickled onion, and a squeeze of lime., Season the masa itself with a little salt before forming the cakes..

3. 3

   Load

   Arrange four to six sopes fit a basket in a single layer; they're a few bites each once topped, so plan 2–3 per person for best convection airflow.

4. 4

   Cook

   Set the air fryer to 375 °F (191 °C) and cook for 12 minutes total, flipping once at 6 minutes.

5. 5

   Check & rest

   Check the visual doneness cue and serve immediately for best texture.

6. 6

   Store

   Plain cooked sopes (before topping) keep refrigerated airtight up to 3 days and re-crisp at 375 °F (191 °C) for 3–4 minutes; top them fresh. Don't store them topped — the masa goes soggy under the wet toppings.

Watch out for

• !Sopes are thick — give them long enough that the centre cooks through, or you'll get a toasted surface over a raw, pasty middle.
• !Pinch the raised rim while the cakes are still warm and pliable, right after the par-cook, so they hold the toppings without cracking.
• !Use masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour like Maseca), not the precooked masarepa used for arepas — they're different doughs.
• !Top them only after cooking; baking them under wet toppings just steams the masa soggy.
• !Keep the dough moist when forming — dry masa cracks at the edges as it cooks.

FAQ about sopes in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook sopes at in an air fryer?

Cook sopes at 375 °F (191 °C). The convection air at this temperature cooks the food gently — higher temperatures dry it out or scorch the surface.

How long do sopes take in an air fryer?

Sopes take 12 minutes total at 375 °F (191 °C). Flip the food once at 6 minutes so both sides cook evenly.

Do you need to flip sopes in an air fryer?

Yes — flip sopes once at 6 minutes. The side touching the basket grate develops a darker, more crusted surface; flipping evens out the cook so both sides match.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for sopes?

Preheating is optional for sopes — most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the food's total cook time already accounts for the ramp-up. If you do preheat, reduce the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.