Bolivian savory salteñas recipe is a delicious type of savory pastry that combines a slightly sweet dough with a juicy, flavorful filling of meat, potatoes, and peas. These baked pockets are known for their rich, savory taste and the unique way their fillings are thickened with broth and gelatin to create a juicy texture. They’re a beloved street food in Bolivia, and every bite gives you a satisfying mix of flavors.
We’ve found that making authentic salteñas takes a bit of care, especially when seasoning the filling and shaping the dough so it actually holds all that juice inside. Usually, you’ll find them filled with ground beef or chicken, and sometimes there’s a surprise—maybe hard-boiled egg, olives, or raisins. Making salteñas at home? It’s a great way to bring a little taste of Bolivia into your kitchen, even if you’re far from the Andes.
The recipe below lays out the steps in a way that’s pretty straightforward, so you can enjoy this unique dish without getting lost. It’s honestly such a fun way to explore Bolivian food culture—salteñas are special, and you’ll see why they’re so popular once you try them.
Key Takeways
- Salteñas have a juicy meat filling sealed in a sweet, tender pastry.
- The recipe combines simple ingredients with a special cooking method for the filling.
- Proper shaping and baking are key to keeping the filling inside and making them tasty.
Bolivian Savory Saltenas Recipe Ingredients
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 Minutes
Cooking Time: 40 Minutes
Additional Time (chilling gelatin, dough rest): 30 Minutes
For the Filling:
1½ lbs ground beef, or diced beef (or chicken thighs, diced)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Aji Amarillo peppers, seeded and diced (or substitute with 1 jalapeño and 1 teaspoon paprika if needed)
1 cup beef broth, or chicken broth
1 large potato, russet peeled and diced small (about 1 cup)
½ cup green peas, frozen
¼ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ cup raisins, (optional)
2 tablespoons gelatin, unflavored powder
3 tablespoons water, (for blooming gelatin)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup lard, chilled and diced, or vegetable shortening
¼ cup sugar, granulated
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups warm water, (plus more if needed)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (for color and flavor; optional: add a pinch of annatto or paprika for color)
1 egg, (for egg wash)
Bolivian Savory Saltenas Recipe Cooking Instructions
First, dice the meat into small pieces. Toss it with salt and pepper and let it marinate for at least half an hour so the flavor can soak in.
In a big skillet or pot, sauté onions, garlic, and Aji Amarillo peppers in oil until they’re soft and fragrant—don’t rush this step, it’s where a lot of flavor builds up. Add the marinated meat and brown it in batches. Crowding the pan? That just steams the meat, so give it some space.
Once the meat’s got a good color, stir in cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Pour in the broth, bring it to a simmer, and let it cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. You want the meat tender and the flavors deep.
Add diced potatoes and cook until they’re just soft enough. Toss in the frozen peas for the last few minutes so they stay bright and sweet.
Bloom the gelatin in cold water, then stir it into the hot stew. This step gives the filling its signature juicy, almost soupy texture once chilled—kind of magical, honestly.
Take the pot off the heat and mix in olives, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and raisins if you’re using them. Let the filling cool down completely—overnight in the fridge is best. It’ll set up and be way easier to work with.
For the dough, combine flour, salt, sugar, and the chilled lard or shortening in a bowl. Rub it together until it’s crumbly. Add the warm water (with melted butter and coloring if you want a golden crust) and knead until the dough is smooth—not too sticky, not too dry.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Then, divide it into 16 pieces, roll each out, and fill with a generous scoop of the chilled filling. Seal the edges tightly—egg white brushed along the seam helps. Cut a little slit on top for steam.
Brush each salteña with egg wash and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool just a bit before digging in.
Bolivian Savory Saltenas Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1½ lbs ground beef or diced beef (or chicken thighs, diced)
- 1 tablespoon cumin ground
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers Aji Amarillo seeded and diced (or substitute with 1 jalapeño and 1 teaspoon paprika if needed)
- 1 cup beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 large potato russet peeled and diced small (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup green peas frozen
- ¼ cup black olives pitted and sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
- 2 tablespoons gelatin unflavored powder
- 3 tablespoons water (for blooming gelatin)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup lard chilled and diced, or vegetable shortening
- ¼ cup sugar granulated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups warm water (plus more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons butter melted (for color and flavor; optional: add a pinch of annatto or paprika for color)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
For the Filling
- Dice the meat into small pieces. Toss it with salt and pepper and let it marinate for at least half an hour so the flavor can soak in.
- In a big skillet or pot, sauté onions, garlic, and Aji Amarillo peppers in oil until they’re soft and fragrant—don’t rush this step, it’s where a lot of flavor builds up. Add the marinated meat and brown it in batches. Crowding the pan? That just steams the meat, so give it some space.
- Once the meat’s got a good color, stir in cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Pour in the broth, bring it to a simmer, and let it cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. You want the meat tender and the flavors deep.
- Add diced potatoes and cook until they’re just soft enough. Toss in the frozen peas for the last few minutes so they stay bright and sweet.
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water, then stir it into the hot stew. This step gives the filling its signature juicy, almost soupy texture once chilled—kind of magical, honestly.
- Take the pot off the heat and mix in olives, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and raisins if you’re using them. Let the filling cool down completely—overnight in the fridge is best. It’ll set up and be way easier to work with.
For the Dough
- Combine flour, salt, sugar, and the chilled lard or shortening in a bowl. Rub it together until it’s crumbly. Add the warm water (with melted butter and coloring if you want a golden crust) and knead until the dough is smooth—not too sticky, not too dry.
- Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Then, divide it into 16 pieces, roll each out, and fill with a generous scoop of the chilled filling. Seal the edges tightly—egg white brushed along the seam helps. Cut a little slit on top for steam.
- Brush each salteña with egg wash and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool just a bit before digging in.
Notes
Nutrition
Cooking Tips
Chill the filling until it’s firm before you try to assemble the salteñas. Warm filling will just melt the dough and make a mess. Seriously, patience pays off here—refrigerate the stew overnight if you can.
Use a hot water dough for the pastry, not a cold one. It’s way stronger and holds the juicy filling without falling apart. Melted butter with a touch of annatto or paprika adds that classic golden color to the crust.
Brush the edges of the dough with egg white before sealing. It helps the dough stick and keeps all that delicious juice inside. Crimp the edges well—nobody wants a leaky salteña.
Bake them straight from the freezer on a cold baking sheet at a high temperature. The crust gets crisp and golden, and the filling stays piping hot.
When you eat one, hold it upright and nibble a little hole from the top to let the steam out. Trust me, you don’t want to burn your mouth on the hot broth inside.
Honestly, make a big batch and freeze the extras—they reheat beautifully and the flavor holds up.
Bolivian Savory Saltenas Recipe FAQs
Making the Bolivian savory salteñas recipe takes some careful prep, especially with the dough and filling. The fillings usually mix meat, veggies, and a good hit of spice, all wrapped in that slightly sweet crust. Here are some questions we get a lot about the recipe and where to find these little pockets of joy.
How do I make authentic Bolivian savory salteñas recipe from scratch?
To make the Bolivian savory salteñas recipe from scratch, start by making a hearty filling—diced beef or chicken, potatoes, peas, olives, hard-boiled eggs, and a sweet-spicy sauce. Gelatin sets the filling into a juicy stew. The dough’s slightly sweet and uses lard or shortening for that flaky bite.
Once the filling is cooked and cooled, roll out the dough, fill each round, and seal carefully to keep the stew inside. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until golden brown.
What are the traditional fillings for the Bolivian savory salteñas recipe?
Traditionally, it’s beef or chicken mixed with potatoes, green peas, olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Everything cooks down in a broth with onions, garlic, Aji Amarillo peppers, and spices like cumin, paprika, and oregano. The result? A bittersweet, spicy stew that’s the heart of every Bolivian savory salteñas recipe.
Can you provide a step-by-step Bolivian savory salteñas recipe made with chicken?
Sure thing. To create the Bolivian savory salteñas recipe made with chicken: Dice chicken thighs, marinate with salt and pepper. Sauté onions, garlic, and Aji Amarillo peppers, then brown the chicken. Add spices and chicken broth, simmer until tender. Add potatoes and peas, cook until soft. Bloom gelatin and stir into the filling with olives and chopped eggs. Cool before assembling.
For the dough, mix flour, lard or shortening, sugar, salt, and warm water. Roll it out, fill with cooled filling, seal well, make a little vent, brush with egg wash, and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes.
Is there a vegetarian version of the Bolivian savory salteñas recipe?
Absolutely! Swap the meat for a mix of mushrooms, potatoes, peas, olives, and hard-boiled eggs if you want. The filling still gets plenty of flavor from the same spices and Aji Amarillo. Gelatin? Use agar-agar or another veggie thickener instead.