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It’s easy to get hooked on sorullos, a thunderously crispy Puerto Rican cornmeal fritter. Also known as sorullitos, the deep-fried bits of dough get their name from their stubby cigar shape. The crispy outer shell quickly gives way to a luscious, velvety interior. It’s this juxtaposition of textures that makes them so irresistible.
Adored on the island, you can find them served on many a Boricua table. My Abuelo would sometimes have sweet sorullos for breakfast with a strong cup of coffee. Savory sorullos are often stacked proudly next to mounds of rice and beans for lunch and dinner. A small bowl of tangy dipping sauce known as mayo-ketchup is never far away.
It’s not a complicated or expensive recipe; maybe that’s why they’re so popular. In its most basic form, sorullo dough is a simple mixture of water, cornmeal, and salt. But, of course, the dough is endlessly adaptable, and you can make it with other ingredients like coconut milk, cheese, butter, corn kernels, sugar, and vanilla.
Sorullos will always hold a special place in my heart, as they were the first recipe my Abuela Dora let me help her with. I was four years old when she taught me how to shape the dough between the palms of my hands. I’ll never forget watching the golden sticks cook in the bubbling caldron of oil that never left our stovetop. The scent of the cornmeal frying was intoxicatingly floral, but was nothing compared to that first bite. The crunch was so loud! I was sure my Abuela would yell at me for making so much noise.
If you have kids, this is an easy recipe that will help create life-long memories with them in the kitchen. If you haven’t multiplied, you should still try it. And if you’re worried about deep frying, brush them with a little melted butter and pop them in your air fryer. As we say on the island, buen provecho. Good luck not devouring them all in one sitting.
