Americas · Traditional

Argentinian cuisine

Argentinian cuisine combines Indigenous Andean and Guaraní traditions with Spanish and Italian migration, pampas cattle culture and the produce of Patagonia and the river regions. Parrilla, empanadas, pasta, pizza, maize dishes and dulce de leche all belong to different parts of that story.

Explore recipes Build a Argentinian menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Argentinian cuisine is worth exploring

Argentinian food reflects Indigenous traditions, Spanish colonisation, vast cattle country and major waves of Italian and other European immigration. That history is visible in a cuisine where asado and empanadas sit comfortably beside pasta, pizza, milanesas and dulce de leche.

Why it is famous

People often come to Argentinian cuisine through asado, empanadas, chimichurri, milanesa, choripán, pizza, pasta, dulce de leche and mate. Stay with it a little longer and a more interesting pattern emerges, where famous dishes sit alongside deeply local cooking and recipes tied to particular landscapes, communities and occasions.

Regional food story

The Pampas are inseparable from cattle and gaucho grilling culture; Patagonia is known for lamb and cold-water fish; the north-west has stronger Andean traditions with maize, potatoes and empanadas; Mendoza connects food closely with wine; Buenos Aires carries a pronounced Italian-Spanish immigrant legacy.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

A Argentinian pantry often starts with beef, wheat flour, potatoes, onions, peppers, oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil, cheese, maize and dulce de leche. Not every region uses them in the same way, and that variation is part of the point: the cuisine changes with climate, agriculture, coastlines and local habits.

Cooking style

Grilling is central but not the whole story. Argentine cooking also embraces baking, breaded cutlets, stuffed pastries and slow family meals, with straightforward seasoning that lets meat, cheese and dough take centre stage.

Build a menu

Make the main event clear: an asado with several cuts, a tray of empanadas, or a Milanese-style supper. Add chimichurri, salads and bread, pour a wine that suits the meat, and finish with flan or something built around dulce de leche.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Argentinian recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Argentinian starters

Provoleta con Chimichurri

A thick round of provolone grilled until blistered outside and molten within, finished with oregano and…

Starter 20 mins

Choripán Argentino

Smoky grilled chorizo in crusty bread with bright chimichurri or salsa criolla.

Starter 30 mins

Berenjenas en Escabeche

Silky aubergine preserved with vinegar, garlic, oregano, chilli and olive oil.

Starter 40 mins

Tortilla de Papas Argentina

A thick potato and onion omelette with a golden surface and softly set centre.

Starter 45 mins

Sopa Paraguaya Argentina-Style

A savoury cornmeal, onion and cheese bake with a tender crumb and deeply browned edges.

Starter 1 hr

Empanadas Salteñas

Juicy baked pastries filled with hand-cut beef, potato, onion, egg, olives, paprika and cumin.

Starter 1 hr 20 mins

Humita en Chala

Creamy fresh corn and squash seasoned with onion and paprika, wrapped in corn husks and steamed.

Starter 1 hr 20 mins

Matambre Arrollado

Rolled flank steak filled with vegetables and egg, gently cooked, chilled and sliced into colourful spir…

Starter 2 hr 5 mins

Main courses

Argentinian main courses

Entraña a la Parrilla

Thin skirt steak grilled quickly until charred outside and deeply beefy within.

Main 22 mins

Trucha Patagónica con Manteca y Limón

Patagonian trout pan-cooked with butter and lemon until the skin is crisp and the flesh just flakes.

Main 22 mins

Bife de Chorizo con Chimichurri

A thick, juicy strip steak grilled hard and served with sharp parsley-and-garlic chimichurri.

Main 25 mins

Rabas a la Argentina

Tender squid rings in a light crisp coating, fried quickly and served with lemon.

Main 30 mins

Revuelto Gramajo

A loose scramble of eggs, shoestring potatoes and ham, cooked just until creamy.

Main 30 mins

Milanesa Napolitana

Breaded beef topped with tomato, ham and melted mozzarella, usually served with chips.

Main 45 mins

Pacú a la Parrilla

Rich river fish grilled over embers with lemon, garlic and herbs.

Main 50 mins

Suprema Maryland

Breaded chicken breast served with banana, sweetcorn, peppers and a rich cream sauce.

Main 50 mins

Ñoquis del 29

Soft potato gnocchi served on the twenty-ninth of the month, traditionally with money placed beneath the…

Main 55 mins

Cazuela de Mariscos Argentina

A warming Atlantic seafood casserole with tomato, wine, shellfish and tender fish.

Main 1 hr

Zapallitos Rellenos

Tender round courgettes filled with seasoned beef, vegetables and cheese, then baked until golden.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Sorrentinos de Jamón y Queso

Large round filled pasta parcels packed with ham and cheese and served with sauce.

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Tira de Asado

Cross-cut beef short ribs grilled slowly so the meat browns around the bone and the fat turns crisp.

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Pastel de Papas Argentino

Seasoned minced beef, onion, egg and olives baked beneath a golden layer of mashed potato.

Main 1 hr 15 mins

Pollo al Disco

Chicken and vegetables simmered outdoors in a broad steel plough-disc pan with wine and stock.

Main 1 hr 30 mins

Guiso de Lentejas Argentino

A hearty lentil stew with vegetables, tomato, chorizo and pieces of beef or pork.

Main 1 hr 35 mins

Vacío a la Parrilla

Slow-grilled flank with a crisp fat cap, juicy centre and long, satisfying beef fibres.

Main 1 hr 40 mins

Tallarines con Tuco

Fresh or dried noodles coated in a long-simmered tomato and meat sauce.

Main 1 hr 50 mins

Carbonada Criolla

A gently sweet beef stew with squash, potato, maize and fruit, sometimes served inside a pumpkin.

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Pizza Fugazzeta

A thick Buenos Aires pizza stuffed with mozzarella and covered with sweet onion and oregano.

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Chivito a la Llama

Young goat slow-cooked beside an open flame until smoky, crisp-edged and tender.

Main 3 hr 25 mins

Asado Argentino

Argentina’s communal mixed grill of beef, sausages and offal cooked slowly over glowing embers.

Main 3 hr 30 mins

Locro Criollo

A thick national stew of hominy, beans, squash, beef, pork and sausage finished with spiced red oil.

Main 3 hr 30 mins

Cordero Patagónico al Asador

Patagonian lamb opened flat on an iron cross and cooked slowly beside a wood fire.

Main 4 hr 25 mins

Desserts

Argentinian desserts

Vigilante Queso y Dulce

A simple pairing of semi-firm cheese with quince or sweet-potato paste.

Dessert 5 mins

Chocotorta

Chocolate biscuits layered with a dulce de leche and cream-cheese filling, then chilled until sliceable.

Dessert 25 mins

Panqueques con Dulce de Leche

Thin warm pancakes rolled around dulce de leche and sometimes caramelised with sugar.

Dessert 40 mins

Alfajores de Maicena

Delicate cornflour biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut.

Dessert 47 mins

Pastelitos Criollos

Flaky fried pastries filled with quince or sweet-potato paste and glazed with syrup.

Dessert 1 hr 5 mins

Budín de Pan con Dulce de Leche

Caramel bread pudding made from stale bread and served with rich dulce de leche.

Dessert 1 hr 20 mins

Flan Mixto

Silky caramel custard served with both dulce de leche and whipped cream.

Dessert 1 hr 20 mins

Rogel Argentino

Many crisp pastry layers stacked with dulce de leche and crowned with glossy Italian meringue.

Dessert 1 hr 25 mins

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Argentinian food

When pairing wine with Argentinian food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Barbera

Bright Italian red with red fruit, low tannin and high acidity. Excellent with tomato, pork, sausages, cheese and heart…

Grape: Barbera Region: Piedmont, Lombardy

Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo

Red

Côtes du Rhône / GSM Blend

Southern Rhône-style blend with dark fruit, herbs, pepper and moderate tannin. Reliable with stews, roast meat, beans a…

Grape: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre Region: Rhône, Languedoc, Australia

Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Sangiovese

Italy’s signature red grape style: bright acidity, red fruit and savoury tannin.

Grape: Sangiovese Region: Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria

Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

Local beers

Argentinian beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers

Quilmes Cristal

Lager 4.9% ABV

Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes / AB InBev

Argentina’s iconic national lager and a natural fit for Argentinian food pages.

Imperial Lager

Lager 5% ABV

CCU Argentina

A popular Argentinian lager from CCU, often seen as a premium mainstream choice.

Schneider

Pale lager 4.7% ABV

CCU Argentina

A Santa Fe-origin lager widely sold in Argentina.

Patagonia 24.7

Session lager 4.7% ABV

Cervecería Patagonia / AB InBev

A widely distributed Argentinian beer brand with a Patagonia-inspired identity.

Andes Origen

Lager 4.7% ABV

Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes / AB InBev

A Mendoza-associated beer brand with broad Argentinian distribution.

Food stories

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Plan the full table

Build a Argentinian menu

For parrilla cooking, buy well-butchered meat and coarse salt rather than masking it with heavy marinades. Keep flour, maize, yerba mate, dulce de leche and suitable pasta ingredients, then source regional items such as ají molido, provoleta cheese or Patagonian lamb for the dish itself.

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