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Argentine

Empanadas salteñas

Non-vegetarian

Small, juicy empanadas from Salta in north-west Argentina, filled with hand-cut beef, potato, spring onion, cumin and paprika, closed with a braided repulgue and baked hot.

Empanadas salteñas is an Argentine main course from Argentina, ready in about 2 hours 25 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak and spring onion. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
50 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
1 h
Total
2 h 25 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
505

Ingredients

8 servings (16 empanadas)

For the dough

For the filling

For glazing

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour and 1 tsp salt, pour in the warm lard (opens in a new tab) and water and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Rest covered 30 minutes, then roll thin and cut 16 rounds of 12 cm.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the lard (opens in a new tab), then add the diced beef and stir just until it loses its raw colour. Season with paprika (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), chilli and the remaining salt, take off the heat and stir in the spring onion (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Fold in the potato (opens in a new tab) and cool the filling completely (ideally chilled 30 minutes so the fat sets — this keeps the empanadas juicy).

    • 2 min
    Dumplings being folded by hand
    How it looks · Photo: tom L on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Fill each round with a spoonful of filling, a little chopped egg (opens in a new tab) and olive. Wet the edge, fold and seal with a twisted repulgue. Brush with beaten egg.

    • 25 min

  5. Step 5

    Bake at 230 °C on a hot tray for 12–15 minutes until golden. Rest a few minutes — the juices are very hot.

    Food safety: The beef finishes cooking in the oven; bake until the pastry is fully golden.

About this dish

Origin
Salta, Argentina · Well documentedMore food from Argentina
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Main courses · Finger food · Pastries
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Sautéed
Taste
savoury, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead · Portable / lunchbox · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Beef sirloin steak · Spring onion · All-purpose flour · Lard · Onion · Potato
Techniques
Baking · Sautéing · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

505 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 243 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 37%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy505 kcal208 kcal
Protein23 g9.4 g
Carbohydrate55.9 g23 g
Net carbohydrate52.7 g21.7 g
Sugars1.9 g0.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.2 g1.3 g
Fat20.3 g8.4 g
Saturated fat7.6 g3.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol99 mg41 mg
Sodium496 mg204 mg
Salt equivalent1.2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
496 mg
Calcium
54 mg
Iron
4.9 mg
Magnesium
43 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
47 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
0.7 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
210 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green olives, egg.
  • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • In Salta they are eaten leaning forward, as a good salteña should drip.

Common mistakes

  • Over-cooking the beef in the pan makes it dry; it only needs to change colour.

Serve with

  • Serve with a glass of Torrontés or a simple tomato and onion salad.

Storage

  • Freeze unbaked empanadas on a tray, then bag; bake from frozen with 5 extra minutes.

Reheating

  • Reheat at 200 °C for 8–10 minutes.

Variations

  • Empanadas tucumanas (Argentina): From neighbouring Tucumán, usually with knife-cut beef but no potato.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 50 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Rest · about 30 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 15 min at 230 °C

    Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 35 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour500 g100%
WaterWater220 g44%
LardFat100 g20%
Total flour
500 g
Hydration
44%
With milk, eggs…
44%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Stiff dough (under 55% hydration) — firm, easy to roll; typical of bagels, pretzels and many flatbreads.
  • Fat 20% — a rich, tender dough.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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