Empanadas are Argentina's great street food — half-moon pastries sold from bakery windows and market stalls everywhere from Buenos Aires to Patagonia. And while the classic version takes some work, a home-friendly shortcut using store-bought puff pastry gets dinner on the table in under an hour. This recipe, shared by NZ Herald Travel, is a solid entry point for anyone who's eaten their way through Argentina and wants to recreate the flavours back home.
The filling is where the character lives. Beef mince is browned first, then combined with onion, garlic and red capsicum, and seasoned with cumin, sweet paprika, fresh oregano and a pinch of cayenne. Two additions make it distinctly Argentinian rather than generic mince-pastry: coarsely chopped sultanas for a subtle sweetness, and halved green olives for salt and bite. Chopped hard-boiled egg gets folded through at the end — a signature touch you'll find in traditional versions across the country.
The method is deliberately unfussy. Cut 10cm circles from thawed puff pastry (a saucer works as a guide), spoon in about two tablespoons of cooled filling, wet the edges and fold into a half moon. Crimp with a fork, brush with beaten egg and bake at 220C for roughly 15 minutes until golden. One practical tip worth following: let the filling cool completely before assembling, or the pastry will go soggy and hard to seal.
Food like this is a genuine travel takeaway. Empanadas are the snack you grab at a bus station in Mendoza, order with a Malbec in a Palermo bodega, or eat on the beach at Mar del Plata — and every region argues about the right filling. Making them at home is a cheap way to relive a trip, and the recipe scales easily for a crowd. Serve them warm as finger food, or pair with chimichurri and a glass of red for a proper Argentinian-style evening.
If Argentina isn't on your itinerary yet, this is the kind of dish that puts it there. Recipe credit: NZ Herald Travel.