Empanadas tucumanas are another great variation from northern Argentina, originally from the province of Tucumán, and are often compared to empanadas salteñas since both come from the country’s northwest.
Unlike the salteña, the tucumana skips potato and peas: its filling relies on knife-cut beef (traditionally flank steak) boiled first, plenty of onion, hard-boiled egg, and scallion.
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Tucumán Style Beef Empanadas
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 empanadas
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
- 500 g of beef flank steak (matambre)
- Water to boil the matambre
- 3 of onions, finely chopped
- 1 of scallion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons of beef fat or oil
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- Sweet paprika, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- Cumin, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- 12 pieces of empanada dough discs
- 1 of beaten egg, for brushing (optional)
Preparation
- Boil the matambre, cover the matambre with water and boil it for 30 minutes. Remove it, reserve the broth, and cut it with a knife into small pieces.
- Cook the onion, in a pot with the fat or oil, cook the chopped onion over medium heat until very soft and translucent.
- Add the beef, stir in the matambre and a little of the reserved broth, season with paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, and salt, and cook for a few minutes until the filling is juicy but not watery.
- Cool the filling, remove from heat and let it cool completely; then stir in the chopped hard-boiled egg and the raw scallion.
- Assemble, spoon a portion of the cold filling into the center of each dough disc, close, and crimp the edges by pressing with your fingers.
- Cook, fry in hot oil until golden, or brush with beaten egg and bake in a hot oven (200°C / 390°F) until the dough is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips for getting them right
- Boiling the matambre first and adding a little of its broth to the filling is key to keeping it tender and juicy.
- Unlike the salteña, this recipe skips potato: the filling holds together with onion, beef, hard-boiled egg, and scallion.
- Letting the filling cool completely before assembling keeps the dough from getting soggy.
- A hot oven helps the dough turn golden and crisp outside without drying out the filling.
Traditional variations
- They’re traditionally cooked in a clay oven, which gives the dough a distinctive flavor and texture.
- Some families use ground beef instead of knife-cut, though the classic version prefers hand-cut meat.
How to serve
Empanadas tucumanas are served hot, freshly baked or fried, as an appetizer or main dish.
They’re traditionally eaten by hand at family gatherings or celebrations.
Recommended sides
- Red wine
- Salsa criolla
- Lemon
Did you know?
There’s a long, friendly rivalry between Tucumán and Salta over which is the true empanada of northern Argentina, even though both share the same regional roots.
The absence of potato in the filling is one of the clearest identifying features of the tucumana compared to the salteña, which includes it for extra yield and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tucumana skips potato and peas: it's made with boiled, knife-cut matambre, plenty of onion, hard-boiled egg, and scallion, while the salteña adds boiled potato and bell pepper.
The matambre is boiled for about 30 minutes to tenderize it, and its broth is then used to keep the filling juicy.
You can, but raw scallion, added once the filling has cooled, is part of the traditional Tucumán recipe and adds freshness.
They're traditionally baked in a clay oven, which gives the dough a distinctive flavor and texture, though they're also commonly fried or baked in a conventional oven.
