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Argentine

Locro

Non-vegetarian

A thick, warming stew of white corn, beans and squash slowly cooked with beef, pork and chorizo, topped with a red paprika-spiked oil. Argentina's patriotic dish for national holidays.

Locro is an Argentine stew from Argentina, ready in about 2 hours 55 minutes and made with hominy and pumpkin. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
2 h 30 min
Total
2 h 55 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
466

Ingredients

8 servings

For the quiquirimichi (red oil)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the pork belly (opens in a new tab) in a large heavy pot until the fat runs, then the beef and chorizo (opens in a new tab). Add the onion (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab) and cumin (opens in a new tab) and cook 5 minutes.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the water and half the pumpkin (opens in a new tab), bring to the boil and simmer gently, partly covered, for 1 hour.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the hominy (opens in a new tab), beans, remaining pumpkin (opens in a new tab) and salt. Simmer for another 60–75 minutes, stirring often from the bottom, until the first pumpkin has dissolved into a thick, creamy stew and the meat is very tender.

    • 70 min
    • low heat

    Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick to stir.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    For the quiquirimichi, warm the oil gently with the spring onion (opens in a new tab) for 2 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the paprika (opens in a new tab) and chilli.

    Paprika burns easily — add it off the heat.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the locro in deep bowls with a spoonful of the red oil on top.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Argentina · Commonly attributedLocro has pre-Hispanic Andean roots and versions exist in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador; this is the Argentine criollo style eaten on 25 May and 9 July.Also popular in Bolivia, ParaguayMore food from Argentina
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Stewed
Taste
savoury, rich, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Batch cooking · Freezer-friendly · Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Hominy · Pumpkin · White beans (canned) · Beef chuck · Pork belly · Chorizo
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom chorizo

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

466 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 574 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 60%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy466 kcal81 kcal
Protein21.9 g3.8 g
Carbohydrate26 g4.5 g
Net carbohydrate21.4 g3.7 g
Sugars4.5 g0.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.6 g0.8 g
Fat31.3 g5.4 g
Saturated fat9.7 g1.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol70 mg12 mg
Sodium985 mg172 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
839 mg
Calcium
100 mg
Iron
4.2 mg
Magnesium
66 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
416 µg
Vitamin C
11 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
44 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.
  • 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

  • Locro is better the next day, when the flavours have settled.

Common mistakes

  • Not stirring from the base — the thick stew catches and burns easily.

Serve with

  • Serve with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

Food safety

  • Cool the stew in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; thick stews cool slowly.
  • Reheat to a full simmer.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat slowly with a little water, stirring.

Variations

  • Locro de zapallo (Bolivia): A meat-free Andean version built mostly on squash, potato and cheese.

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 steps 1, 2, 3

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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