Bolivian Salteñas with Beef and Potato
Beef and Potato Salteñas
Juicy baked Bolivian empanadas filled with spiced beef, potatoes, peas, raisins, olives, and egg in a golden slightly sweet pastry.
Bolivian salteñas are baked empanadas known for their spoonably juicy filling, called jigote, tucked inside a sturdy golden pastry. The filling is cooked ahead with beef, potatoes, peas, warm spices, olives, raisins, and egg, then chilled until it sets enough to wrap without leaking.
The dough is lightly sweet and tinted with achiote or paprika oil, which gives salteñas their familiar amber color. It needs to be rolled a little thicker than a standard empanada wrapper so the pastry can hold the broth-rich filling during baking.
The key is patience: cool the filling completely, crimp the pastry firmly, and bake the salteñas seam-side up until the tops are deeply golden. Serve them hot, held upright, so the first bite catches the broth inside rather than losing it on the plate.
This version keeps the classic beef-and-potato heart of the dish while using grocery-store ingredients and powdered gelatin to recreate the juicy texture that makes salteñas distinct.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup of the cold beef broth and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
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2
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
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3
Add the garlic, ground beef, aji amarillo paste, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 6 minutes, breaking up the meat, until the beef is no longer pink.
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4
Stir in the potato and the remaining 1 cup beef broth. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the potato is tender and the mixture is saucy but not watery.
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5
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the bloomed gelatin, peas, raisins, olives, and chopped eggs, then season well with salt and pepper. Spread the filling in a shallow dish and chill for at least 1 hour, until firmly set.
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6
Whisk the flour, sugar, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Stir the achiote or paprika into the melted butter, then add it with the warm water and knead until a smooth, firm dough forms.
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7
Divide the dough into 10 balls. Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle, keeping the centers slightly thicker than the edges.
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8
Place a mound of chilled filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling, press out trapped air, and pinch the edges tightly into a raised rope crimp so the seam sits on top.
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9
Arrange the salteñas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side up. Brush with beaten egg and chill for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 400 degrees F.
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10
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is glossy and deep golden. Rest for 5 minutes before serving hot and upright.
Ingredients
- unflavored gelatin:1 tbsp
- beef broth, cold:1 1/2 cups
- vegetable oil:4 tbsp
- yellow onion, finely diced:1 large
- garlic cloves, minced:3
- ground beef:1 lb
- aji amarillo paste or mild chile paste:1 tbsp
- ground cumin:1 tsp
- dried oregano:1 tsp
- smoked paprika:1 tsp
- peeled potato, diced small:1 1/2 cups
- frozen peas:3/4 cup
- raisins:1/3 cup
- green olives, pitted and sliced:1/2 cup
- hard-boiled eggs, chopped:2
- all-purpose flour:4 cups
- sugar:2 tbsp
- kosher salt:1 1/2 tsp
- unsalted butter, melted:6 tbsp
- warm water:3/4 cup
- achiote powder or paprika:1 tsp
- egg, beaten for brushing:1
Tips & Notes
- The filling must be fully chilled and gelled before shaping; warm filling will leak through the pastry.
- Keep the crimp on top rather than along the side so the broth-rich filling stays sealed during baking.
- If aji amarillo paste is unavailable, use a mild yellow chile paste or a little extra paprika with a pinch of cayenne.
