How to Make Salteñas: Bolivia’s Iconic Empanadas

Salteñas are not just ordinary pastries you’ll find in a bakery. They’re savory delicacies filled with chicken shreds or ground beef or mixed with a tasty and spicy gelatin-based sauce containing cubed potatoes, raisins, and boiled eggs.

Background and Origin

Salteñas are savory pastries from Bolivia. They are popular in the country, with various variations in Sucre, Cochabamba, and Potosí. The record shows that in the 19th century, the first lady of Bolivia (1848-1855), Juana Manuela Gorriti, an Argentine native exiled to Potosi, came up with the recipe to feed her family. 

She would later marry the president of the time and become the first lady. Her recipe spread and became a Bolivian tradition to this day.

It’s a tradition to enjoy salteñas as a mid-morning snack, especially on Sundays, although vendors often start selling salteñas very early in the morning. You’ll find the pastries anywhere from 7 am to noon, with most vendors selling out by mid-morning.

Read More: Kuli Kuli: A Taste of Benin’s Culinary Heritage  

How to Make Bolivian Salteñas 

Key Ingredients

For the dough

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup of Butter
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 Spoon of Annatto
• 1 Cup of Warm Water
• 1 egg yolk 

For the filling

• 1/2 boiled and shredded chicken breast
• 1 Medium Onion, minced
• 4 spoons of Fresh Ground Chili Colorado
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 cup of water or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon of cumin 
• 1/2 pound of potato
• 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup Sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 Spoon Oregano 
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 boiled eggs, chopped
• Olives
• 1 fresh egg
• Oil as necessary

Instructions for Making Bolivia Salteñas

To prepare the filling

1. Pour the three tablespoons of oil into a saucepan on medium heat. Sauté the onion and add salt to taste. Add the shredded chicken and stir gently. Add the cumin, oregano, and pepper.
2. Add in the garlic and chicken broth. Let it cook for 5 minutes, then add the potatoes. Afterwards, add the sugar. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the chopped fresh parsley and stir. Add the unflavored gelatin at this point. 
4. Allow the filling to simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave it to cool, then refrigerate so that it curdles.

Instructions for the dough

5. Melt the butter with annatto on medium heat. Once it melts, set it aside.
6. Mix the flour, sugar, and one spoon of annatto in a big bowl. Add the egg and mix. Add salt to taste and mix evenly. Sieve the butter and annatto mixture into the flour and discard the annatto seeds. If you’re using turmeric, there’s no need to sieve the butter.
7. At this point, use your clean hands to mix and even the small lumps. Add water little by little to form a solid dough.
8. Transfer the dough to a clean, flat surface and knead evenly for 15 minutes. Place a clean plastic rubber on the dough and tap on both sides using a kneading paddle. This process will help the dough to be compact, smooth, and manageable.
9. Weigh small portions of the dough on a weighing scale for even distribution. Mold the little dough, put them in a transparent flat bowl, and cover them. You can also wrap them in a plastic wrapper. Keep the portions of dough in the fridge for 6 hours or more. Ideally, refrigerate overnight.

How to Bake the Salteñas 

10. Rub the refrigerated dough in your palm for a few minutes and flatten the dough using a rolling pin. Don’t flatten the portions too thin so they don’t crack or burst in the oven.
11. Scoop a tablespoon or two into the flattened dough, and add a slice of boiled egg and one olive. Press both edges together with your fingers to seal. Ensure to seal every hole so there’s no air in the Salteñas. This process ensures it doesn’t burst.
12. Repeat the filing process and seal all the portion dough. Tighten the edges by pressing them onto one another to make a twist-like thread at the bottom.
13. Place the Salteñas in the freezer on a baking sheet and leave them for 2 hours. Then, leave them for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, beat the fresh egg and paint it on the Salteñas to give it a shiny feel after baking.
14. Place the Salteñas in the oven and bake at 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
15. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Making Bolivia Salteñas

• You can add green peas and raisins to the filling recipe.
• Use  ground beef if you don’t prefer chicken
• You can use turmeric for coloring if you don’t have annatto.

Read Also: Mastering Draniki: A Guide to Belarus’ Beloved Potato Pancakes

Conclusion

Salteñas are tasty pastries you can bake at home, provided you have the ingredients. You can buy them at your local store or order them from Amazon. Remember to add the boiled eggs and olives while filling. 

Happy cooking!