Pastelitos Con Carne Salvadoreños Tostaditos| Salvadoran Ground Beef Pastelitos So Crunchy

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil reduces saturated fat while adding flavor.

cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Cottage cheese is lower in fat and adds protein.

chicken

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: shredded rotisserie chicken

Tofu is plant-based and lower in calories.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: plain yogurt

Greek yogurt adds creaminess with fewer calories.

Cook ground beef at medium-high heat (level 7.5) without adding oil.

Cut the meat into small pieces to avoid big chunks that could rip the pasteles.

After a few minutes, add 1/2 onion, parsley flakes, oregano, 1 chicken bouillon, paprika, cumin, salt to taste, and black pepper to the meat. Mix well.

Add 3 cups of water to the meat mixture and let it cook.

While the meat is cooking, dice the potatoes into small cubes.

After 10 minutes of cooking the meat, add the diced potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.

Total cooking time for the meat is 20 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the potatoes are very soft.

For the masa, add salt to taste and start with 1/2 tablespoon of paprika for color.

Add 2 cups of water to the masa and mix, adjusting the water until the desired consistency is reached (not runny).

Add 1 chicken bouillon and another 1/2 tablespoon of paprika to the masa for color, totaling 1 tablespoon of paprika.

Work the masa until it can form a ball, similar to tortilla dough.

In a pan at medium heat, add enough cooking oil for frying the pasteles.

Oil your hands before shaping the masa into small tortillas.

Place filling (meat and potato mixture) in the center of the masa and fold to seal, ensuring no meat is sticking out.

Test the oil temperature by adding a small piece of masa; it should bubble when hot enough.

Fry the pasteles, flipping them when golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

Use a strainer to remove excess oil from the cooked pasteles and cover to prevent splattering during frying.

Let the pasteles cool slightly before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens