Street foods are an important part of Argentinian culture.
If you visit Argentina, you’ll see various vendors ranging from small roadside peddlers to large food truck franchisees.
The only problem is that most tourists aren’t familiar with these street foods, how they taste, or even what their names are.
The best Argentine street food varies from heavy, filling choripan sandwiches to sweet, decadent alfajores biscuits. Argentinians sell these in various roadside food carts, food trucks, food stands, and small canteens or eateries, and are for both tourists and locals to enjoy.
If you’re planning a trip to Argentina soon—or are at least interested in their culture—keep reading.
I’ll explain the most popular Argentine street foods, which options have a safe, mass-appealing flavor, how to properly eat them, and what the history behind these local delicacies are.
1. Choripan
Choripan sandwiches are a staple in Argentina.
You’ll see food carts, peddlers, and food trucks selling choripan during major occasions such as fiestas or futbol games.
Think of them as the Argentinian street dogs.
Another reason why natives love choripan sandwiches is they’re very easy to prepare.
The term choripan is a portmanteau deriving from the Spanish words chorizo (smoked sausages) and pan (bread).
And that’s all the choripan is; chorizo links stuffed in between two slices of a long, crusty bread.
Unfortunately, there are no written records explicitly stating when the Argentine natives first made a choripan sandwich.
However, we can trace the origin of its ingredients.
Chorizos popularized in Argentina during the 16th-century Spanish colonization.
Meanwhile, locals started using bread for their daily meals after the Italians introduced pan to them sometime in the 1800s.
2. Empanadas
You’ll see street vendors selling empanadas all year round since they’re both easy to prepare and easy to eat.
A grown adult can easily scarf down a small serving in under one or two minutes.
The term empanada comes from the Portuguese word empanar, which means to wrap in bread.
And it’s very fitting since that’s what an empanada is: various meat and veggie stuffing loaded inside the thin dough to create a meat pocket.
Think of empanadas as Argentine meat turnovers.
The origin of empanadas dates back to 1500s Spain.
Historians claim that the earliest mention of any recipe similar to the modern-day empanada was in a Spanish cookbook written in 1520—the original recipe called for seafood stuffing.
However, historical records show that medieval Spanish diets primarily consisted of beef and oxen, so it’s not unusual to think that the first empanada recipes also used these types of meat.
3. Fugazzeta
Foreigners and travelers would refer to fugazzeta as the Argentine pizza, but it’s a wonderful delicacy with unique characteristics.
The original fugazzeta is a wonderful blend of Italian and Argentinian cuisine derived from the fugazza, an Argentinian deep-dish pizza inspired by the Italian focaccia.
Like the fugazza, the fugazzeta is a thick-crust pizza de molde loaded with Argentine spices and seasoning.
The only difference between a fugazzeta and fugazza is the former has a thick, rich cheese layer topping.
Fugazzeta popularized in Argentina during the early 1900s.
Italian immigrant Banchero first introduced the original recipe to the locals when he first set up a pizza shop sometime from 1880 to 1920.
4. Bondiola
If you feel that the choripan tastes a bit too sweet and spicy for your liking, try bondiola sandwiches.
Like choripans, they are popular Argentine sandwiches sold by street food vendors, food peddlers, and food trucks.
They consist of roasted pork shoulder meat doused in chimichurri sauce and stuffed between two slices of long, crusty bread or pan.
What sets bondiola sandwiches apart from their famous sandwich counterpart, choripan?
The former relies on chimichurri sauce.
It’s an Argentinian table condiment/cooking sauce made of vinegar, red wine, olive oil, minced garlic, and minced parsley.
They have an earthy, spicy flavor.
5. Yerba Mate
You’ll find yerba mate everywhere, from roadside food carts to upscale dining establishments.
These are popular Argentine hot drinks that resemble tea. The only difference is they consist of exotic leaves called yerba mate.
Natives have traditionally consumed yerba mate tea hot, but you can also try drinking them over ice, commonly known in South America as tereré.
The use of yerba mate dates back to the early 1500s.
Before the Spanish colonization in the 16th century, Guarani natives from Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil used these herbs as an early form of natural medicine.
They believed these herbs had the power to heal various diseases.
The use of yerba mate for medicinal purposes slowly declined as modern medicine advanced.
However, locals kept consuming yerba mate-steeped drinks.
It has a cleaner, earthier flavor than coffee and provides more caffeine-induced energy than tea does.
6. Lomito Sandwich
Most foreigners and travelers would consider a thick, heavy serving of steak sandwich to be more than a filling meal.
For the meat-loving Argentinians, however, this is simply a roadside snack they call the lomito sandwich.
There are many ways to prepare a lomito sandwich.
Still, the basic recipe calls for a long, crusty sliced bread stuffed with beef tenderloin (lomo), ham, fried eggs, chimichurri, onions, and various spices and condiments.
You can throw in some chorizo slices or sausages if you’re looking for something even heavier.
7. Milanesa Sandwich
The milanesa sandwich consists of pan-fried veal stuffed in between two crusty Spanish-style pan or bread slices. Natives often serve them with a side of fries.
What makes the milanesa sandwich unique is its meat filling, the milanesa.
It’s a traditional meat recipe first introduced to Argentina during the Italian colonization in the 1700s.
The original recipe called for veal or beef slices submerged in breadcrumbs, then fried in a deep pan of olive oil.
It’s very similar to the American breaded pork chop.
The only difference is that milanesa makes use of beef cuts rather than pork.
8. Garrapinada
Sick of eating the same pub peanuts? Try garrapinadas.
These are sweet, syrupy peanuts submerged and fried in caramel, honey, and sugar.
Locals call the ones made with peanuts garrapinada de mani, while the ones made with almonds are garrapinada de almendras.
What makes the garrapinada popular is it’s very easy to eat. Street vendors sell them in small paper pouches, which you can easily carry while walking around town.
Plus, they’re popular all over Latin America.
Apart from Argentina, you’ll also find these in Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, and Ecuador, among others.
9. Sandwich de Miga
Sandwich de miga is a type of Argentine crumb sandwich. They’re very versatile.
You’ll find toasted and untoasted variations of the sandwich de miga everywhere, from kids’ parties to hole-in-the-wall pubs.
The popular latin sandwich consists of multiple layers of sliced ham, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cheese sandwiched between two slices of flattened white bread.
For the condiments, you can use lime juice and mayonnaise.
Unfortunately, there are currently no clear historical records detailing the origin of these finger foods.
Although, an Argentine newspaper called Clarin claims that the sandwich has British-inspired roots.
They say the recipe was first used locally at Confiteria Ideal in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a snack for British guests looking for something to pair with their afternoon tea.
10. Pancho
Panchos argentinos are essentially Argentine hotdog sandwiches.
The base ingredients include a long, crusty bun stuffed with a thick, juicy frankfurter.
What makes the pancho argentino different from its American street dog counterpart is its wide range of toppings.
Argentinians love spices and condiments, so you’ll often find pancho sandwiches loaded with various toppings such as onions, potato slices, and of course, chimichurri.
The chimichurri sauce is responsible for its spicy, earthy flavor depth.
11. Ice Cream (Helado)
Ice cream is a frozen dessert served in almost every country.
What makes Argentine ice cream special? The answer lies in their recipe.
In the early 1900s, the Italians brought multiple gelato recipes into Argentina.
After a few decades of trial and error, the locals were able to transform the Italian gelato recipes into local variations.
The result was a smooth, silky ice cream delicacy. It’s creamier than gelato but smoother than most ice cream recipes.
Also, to say that Argentinians are fond of ice cream is a severe understatement.
Head over to any busy street, and you’ll see at least one heladeria or ice cream stand/peddler selling multiple ice cream flavors.
12. Alfajores
Alfajores is an Argentinian dessert biscuit.
It consists of two thin biscuits coated in chocolate or vanilla sandwiching the famous Argentine decadent filling of dulce de leche.
There are multiple variations of this recipe.
Alfajores first came to Argentina in the 16th century during the Spanish colonization.
These sweet biscuits served as an energizing snack for the Spanish conquistadors or soldiers on the road.
At the same time, the conquistadors would share the recipe with the natives they met.
While a popular Argentine dessert, alfajores can be enjoyed any time of the day.
13. Provoleta
Provoleta is a beloved Argentine street food and appetizer that brings out the best in grilled cheese.
This dish features thick slices of provolone cheese, which are grilled until golden and slightly crispy on the outside, while staying soft and gooey on the inside.
Often seasoned with herbs like oregano or parsley and drizzled with olive oil, provoleta is typically served as a starter at asados (barbecues) or enjoyed on its own as a satisfying street snack.
The smoky flavor from the grill pairs perfectly with the cheese’s rich, savory taste, making it an irresistible choice for cheese lovers.
14. Tarta
Final Thoughts on Argentine Street Foods
Being able to choose from traditional Argentine foods is exciting for avid foodies.
However, the experience can also be overwhelming for someone who doesn’t even speak the local language—much less know what the local foods taste like.
That’s why I made this list. It serves as a guide for those who want to explore Argentine street foods but aren’t sure where to start.
Overall, you need to stop being a food snob to get the most out of the experience.
Don’t be afraid to try street foods.
You’ll be surprised by how amazing that cheap, exotic-looking street fare tastes.
Sources
- Medium: The Short Version of the Long History of Choripan
- Wikipedia: Choripan
- Majuraps: History of Empanadas
- NCBI: Diet, Society, and Economy in Late Medieval Spain: Stable Isotope Evidence From Muslims and Christians From Gandía, Valencia
- Caprinus: Pizza Fugazzeta
- Wikipedia: Fugazza
- Encyclopedia: Bondiola
- Wikipedia: Chimichurri
- Yerba Mate Argentina: History of yerba mate
- Yerba Mate Argentina: Benefits of yerba mate
- Wikipedia: History of yerba mate
- The Real Argentina: THE LOMITO STEAK SANDWICH: A NATIONAL TREASURE
- Amigo Foods: Milanesa, Argentina’s Famous Breaded Steak
- Wikipedia: Milanesa
- 196 Flavors: Garrapinadas
- Clarin: Argentinian Favorites Rich and Unbeatable
- 196 Flavors: Sandwich De Miga
- Amigo Foods: What Is Argentina Ice Cream and Why Is It So Special?
- The Real Argentina: We Love Alfajores
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.