A Foodie's Guide to Empanadas in Argentina

For many travellers, when the words Argentina and food are mentioned in the same sentence, it’s obviously about steak! And rightly so, with Argentinians consuming on average just under a 100kg of beef per capita, per year!

A close second though is the famous Empanada and if you’re travelling to Argentina you’ll be sure to eat your fair share of these staple ingredients of Argentine cuisine!

What an empanada is?

Empanar is a verb meaning “to wrap in bread”, so empanada simply means “wrapped in bread". The Argentine Empanada is made with a flower based dough and filled with a variety of ingredients such as ground beef (carne), chicken (pollo), ham and cheese (jamon y queso), and ham and onion (jamon y cebolla). A delicious option if you’re a vegetarian struggling in Argentina are the empanadas de verdura (filled with a mix of vegetables) or with spinach (espinaca) or humita (a delicious sweet corn filling with cream sauce). They’re then either baked (Salta-style) or sometimes fried (Tucuman-style).

Originally brought to Argentina by the Spanish, the empanada has become one of Argentina’s culinary specialties. And whichever province you travel to, the locals will without a doubt claim to have the best empanadas in Argentina. And it’s true every province has their own take on this integral part of Argentine cuisine:

Different types of Empanadas in Argentina

Empanada from Tucumán

[caption id="attachment_662" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Tucuman province hosts the national empanada Festival: The only varieties are beef, tripe and chicken[/caption]

In the north of Argentina is where most Argentinians would eventually agree you can find some of the best empanadas. The northern province of Tucumán even holds a annual National Empanada Festival (in September every year), attracting tens of thousands of food lovers – Argentinians and foreigners alike, consuming an incredible 400’000 empanadas in one weekend! The Tucumán empanada is usually fried. A delicacy you have to try at least once on your vacation in Argentina. Delicious, however not necessarily the healthiest option.

Empanada from Salta (empanadas salteñas)

[caption id="attachment_7560" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Chicken pot pie empanadas: Combination of soul warming dish and Argentina's favorite quick meal / source[/caption]

In the nearby Province of Salta, the famous empanadas salteñas tend to be slightly smaller in size and healthier, as they are baked in the oven and prepared without adding fats or oils. The salteña spicy beef empanada (carne picante) is a favourite with many Argentinians.

Empanada from Jujuy

In Jujuy empanadas are slightly spicier, prepared with sliced beef, chicken, goat and sometimes even llama meat. Jujeños (residents of Jujuy) also put chili, pepper, onion, peas and Quinoa (a typically South American grain) in their empanadas.

Empanada from Cordoba

On the other hand, if you travel to Cordoba the empanadas there are sweet and made with white sugar, beef, raisins, potatoes and olives.

[caption id="attachment_664" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Enjoy one of the favorite Argentinian's empanada: The Cordoba empanada  / Source[/caption]

Empanada from Mendoza

In Mendoza – Argentina’s beautiful wine country – fillings usually include red peppers, carrots, hard-boiled eggs and currants. There’s also a variety of cheese empanadas - a filling made with roquefort, being one of the most popular. It makes for a delicious snack, washed down with a glass of the region’s famous Malbec wine.

Even in the South of Argentina in the beautiful Patagonia you’ll be sure to find empanadas. In this region however they’re most typically filled with lamb.

[caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Discover the most popular empanada filling made with roquefort / Source[/caption]

So, as you can see Argentina has an empanada to suit just about everyone’s taste! Travelling though Argentina, you’ll be sure to come across a variety of flavours and combinations. Of course you don’t need to be in Argentina to enjoy empanadas: for those of you who would like to have a go at making them yourselves, click here and find an easy-to-make empanada recipe.

For more info and travel advice on Argentina, have a look at our online catalogue with a selection of the best tours and activities in Argentina.