In Argentina, eating has never been just about staying alive. It’s about gathering, laughing, stretching good moments, and yes, sometimes dripping empanada juice down your shirt when you least expect it. Every region swears their version is the best, from the spicy Salteña to the extra-juicy Tucumana, and honestly, they’re all worth trying.
Argentine food is the result of many cultures blending together: Italian pizzas and pastas, Spanish stews and tapas, indigenous ingredients, and so much more. The outcome is a table full of dishes that feel both comforting and unique, flavors that belong to everyday life as much as to celebrations.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the argentine cuisine classics: the smoky asado, the stuffed empanada, the sweet indulgence of dulce de leche. Here you will not only learn what they are, but when and how Argentines enjoy them. And if you don’t feel like running around the city to try each one separately, don’t worry: we’ll also share where you can taste them all in a single night.
What to Eat in Buenos Aires: Iconic Argentine Dishes
Asado: The Heart of Every Gathering
If there’s one answer to what to eat in Buenos Aires, it’s the asado. More than a barbecue, it’s a full-blown ritual. Cuts like tira de asado (short ribs) or vacío (flank steak) are seasoned simply with salt and cooked slowly over wood embers. The result: smoky, tender beef that carries the flavor of tradition.
But the asado isn’t just about meat (though this is the best part), it’s about people. Friends gather, Malbec bottles are opened, and at the end, everyone gives a round of applause to the grill master (“aplauso para el asador”). Try it once and you’ll understand why this is the cornerstone of Argentine food.
Empanadas: A Juicy Debate
Every region has its version, and Argentines will argue endlessly about which one is best. Salteñas often have potatoes and a bit of spice, while Tucumanas are famously juicy (watch your shirt, one careless bite and you’ll wear the filling). In Buenos Aires, most empanadas are baked, filled with seasoned beef, onion, olives, and sometimes egg. They’re handheld, hearty, and the ultimate comfort local food, perfect for sharing or grabbing on the go.
Choripán: Street Food with a Kick
After a soccer match, nothing hits quite like a choripán. A crusty bread roll stuffed with grilled chorizo, finished with a splash of chimichurri or salsa criolla. It’s smoky, messy, and pure folklore. Some say the chant from the stadium isn’t complete without the smoky cloud from the chorizos waiting outside. If you really want to try traditional argentine food, this is it.
Milanesa: The Everyday Favorite
Breaded, fried, and served with fries or mashed potatoes, the milanesa is Argentina’s comfort food at its finest. Think schnitzel with a local twist. Kids grow up eating it at least once a week, and adults never really stop. Add ham, cheese, and tomato sauce on top and it becomes a milanesa napolitana. It may not look fancy, but if you ask me (or any local), it’s the dish we miss the most when abroad.
Provoleta: Cheese on the Grill
Part of the asado ritual, provoleta is provolone cheese grilled until it’s gooey inside with a slightly crisp edge. Often sprinkled with oregano and chili flakes, it’s shared as a starter before the meat arrives. The catch? It’s molten hot, so wait a few seconds or risk burning your tongue in your rush for that first stretchy bite.
Pizza and Fainá: A Buenos Aires Classic
Thanks to Italian immigrants, pizza is everywhere in Buenos Aires, but don’t expect a thin Roman crust. The pizza in this city is thick, fluffy, and loaded with cheese. The classic move is to pair it with fainá, a chickpea pancake served on top of your slice. It’s heavy, filling, and very much a Buenos Aires thing. No one here cares about lightness, it’s all about abundance.
Lomito: Córdoba’s Claim to Fame
Yes, you’ll find lomito sandwiches in Buenos Aires — steak, ham, cheese, egg, mayo, and all the works stuffed into a bun. But truth be told, the best lomitos belong to Córdoba. There, it’s practically an art form and a late-night staple.
The Sweet Side of Argentine Food
Dulce de Leche
No talk about Argentine food is complete without dulce de leche. This caramel-like spread, made from slowly cooked milk and sugar, is the soul of many local desserts. You’ll find it on breakfast toast, in gelato flavors, in birthday cakes, and hidden in almost every sweet treat. Some say it was discovered by accident in the 19th century, but today it’s intentional indulgence and honestly, one of the most beloved flavors in the country.
Alfajores
If you ask locals what snack defines traditional Argentine food, most will say the alfajor. Two soft cookies sandwiching a generous layer of dulce de leche, usually covered in chocolate (eather white or dark) or rolled with coconut. They’re sold everywhere, from kiosks on the corner to artisanal bakeries, and every Argentine has a favorite brand. It’s a simple pleasure, but one that captures the heart of local Argentine cuisine.
Chocotorta
The chocotorta (personally, my favorite) is a no-bake cake layered with chocolate cookies, dulce de leche, and cream cheese. Originally born in home kitchens, it became so popular that it’s now served even in high-end restaurants, though many will tell you nothing beats the homemade version, slightly messy and full of nostalgia. It’s proof that a great Argentine dish doesn’t need fancy techniques, just creativity and the right mix of flavors.
Flan
Every Sunday lunch in Argentina seems to end the same way: with flan. Smooth caramel custard, often topped with both whipped cream and dulce de leche (flan mixto), is a dessert that crosses generations. It may not be flashy, but it’s part of the rhythm of everyday local food culture, showing that simplicity can be just as satisfying as any elaborate cake.
Drinks and Rituals
When people think about what to eat in Buenos Aires, they usually picture smoky asados, cheesy pizzas, or empanadas. But what you drink matters just as much as what’s on your plate. Argentina’s food culture is tied to its drinks, from the gourd of mate passed around to the glass of Malbec that feels made for your dish. And trust me, if you ever try those classic alfajores de maicena — tasty as they are — you’ll need a drink right next to you, because getting them down without one is a whole mission.
Mate
Technically a drink, but really a ritual. Mate is made from the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant, brewed in a hollow gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla. The flavor is earthy and slightly bitter, but the point isn’t just the taste; it’s the act of sharing. Passing the mate around is part of the rhythm of daily life: friends, families, even coworkers take turns. We even realized how much we missed it during the pandemic, when sharing wasn’t possible.
Just remember the golden rules: don’t stir the straw, and don’t keep it forever, otherwise someone will jokingly ask if you’re giving a speech into a microphone. And one more tip: when you say “gracias” to the person serving, it doesn’t mean “thanks for this one,” it means you’re done drinking.
Argentine Wine
If there’s a perfect partner for Argentine cuisine, it’s wine, and especially Malbec. Originally from France, Malbec found its best version in Mendoza’s sunny vineyards, becoming bold, fruity, and smooth enough to stand up to a steak. But Argentina also shines with Cabernet, Torrontés, and even exciting natural wines. For many locals, a glass of Malbec with an asado isn’t just a pairing, it’s the definition of what dinner should feel like.
Fernet and Coca
Love it or hate it, this combo is part of the DNA of local Argentine food culture. Fernet, a bitter Italian herbal liqueur, took deep root in Argentina, and when mixed with Coca-Cola it became the go-to drink in Córdoba and beyond. It’s strong, a little strange at first sip, but unmistakably Argentine. And if you’re out at night and see a group of friends sharing a giant plastic bottle of Fernet and Coke, don’t be surprised, that’s as classic here as ordering another round of beers elsewhere.
The Sidekicks
Chimichurri
If asado is the star of Argentine food, chimichurri is the sidekick that often gets just as much love. It’s a simple mix: parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Still, every family has its own version and, of course, everyone swears theirs is the best. A spoonful over steak or a choripán is enough to make you forget you ever planned to eat “just a little.”
Salsa Criolla
Right next to chimichurri, you’ll always find salsa criolla. Tomatoes, onions, and peppers marinated until they’re tangy and bright. It’s the fresher, crunchier cousin, the one you pile on top of everything without thinking twice. Together, these two sauces prove that traditional Argentine food isn’t just about meat but about the little extras that make the whole table come alive.
Where Can You Taste It All in One Night?
After reading about smoky asados, juicy empanadas, and sweet desserts filled with dulce de leche, you might be wondering how to try all this traditional Argentine food without running from one corner of the city to another. The truth is, you’d probably need weeks, and maybe a couple of extra stomachs, to cover it all.
That’s where The Argentine Experience comes in. Their multi-course dinner takes you through Argentina’s essential flavors in one evening: rolling your own empanadas, learning the secrets of chimichurri, enjoying perfectly cooked steak with Malbec, sipping mate, and finishing with something sweet. It’s food, culture, and storytelling woven together, all in one place.
And if you’re more of a hands-on traveler, you can also join their cooking classes. From kneading dough for chipá to mastering flan with dulce de leche, the classes are designed to be fun, interactive, and approachable, the kind of experience you’ll take home and share around your own table.
The atmosphere at The argentine experience feels more like a dinner party than a restaurant: laughter, stories, and flavors flowing course by course. If you want to understand both local food traditions and the best of Argentine cuisine, this is the most complete and fun way to do it all at once.
Wrapping It All Up
At the end of the day, Argentine food is more than a list of recipes: it’s a way of sharing life. An asado that brings everyone to the table, empanadas that spark friendly debates over which province makes them best, a choripán devoured after the stadium, a spoonful of dulce de leche that reminds you of childhood…
If you’re planning your trip and still wondering what to eat in Buenos Aires, we’ve put together a full guide to Argentine food in Buenos Aires to help you dive even deeper into the city’s flavors.
And if you’d rather taste it all, there’s no better way than booking an evening at The Argentine Experience. It’s not just dinner, it’s a celebration of everything Argentina loves about food.