What to Serve with Argentinian Empanadas: 5 Sides That Round Out the Meal

A platter of golden, flaky empanadas rarely needs much help, but the right sides turn a snack into a full dinner spread. If you are wondering what to serve with Argentinian empanadas, the answer usually comes down to balancing that rich, savory pastry with something bright, something cool, and something a little heartier on the side.

Argentinian empanadas are savory hand pies packed with beef, chicken, or cheese, so the best companions either cut through the richness or add substance without competing for attention. Below are five tried-and-true sides that Argentine home cooks and empanada shops lean on again and again, plus notes on how each one doubles as an arepa side dish if you are mixing and matching Latin American plates for a party.

1. Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is the one sauce almost every Argentine empanada recipe mentions by name. It is a bright, herby blend built from parsley (Petroselinum crispum), garlic, olive oil, and vinegar, and it works as both a dip and a drizzle. Chimichurri sauce is typically served as a condiment, either on the side or brushed onto the meat as it grills, and it has a bold, herby flavor that adds a flavorful tinge to many dishes.

Recipes for the sauce vary from cook to cook, but the core formula stays consistent: fresh herbs, oil, acid, and a little heat. This Argentinian chimichurri, made with parsley, olive oil, garlic, and red chili peppers, is flavored for pouring over a churrasco steak or vegetables with a taste of Argentina. Pour it into a small ramekin so guests can dip each empanada as they go, rather than pouring it over the whole batch and losing that crisp crust.

Pro Tip: Make chimichurri at least an hour before serving so the garlic and vinegar have time to mellow. It keeps well in the fridge for about a week, which makes it easy to prep ahead of a gathering.

If beef empanadas are on your menu, chimichurri is close to mandatory. For more filling-specific pairing ideas, check out this guide on what to serve with meat empanadas. And if you are building an Argentine spread with more than one green sauce, it is worth learning the traditional chimichurri recipe so you have a reliable version on hand.

Chimichurri is not exclusive to empanadas, either. Spoon it over arepas for one of the best arepa toppings you can make with pantry staples, or pair it with a side of Argentine eggplant escabeche if you want to round out a full Argentine spread with more E-named staples like eggplant, egg, or endive on the table.

2. Green Salad

A simple green salad is the easiest way to lighten up an empanada dinner without much extra cooking. Empanadas are basically a meal in one, but you could serve them with a green salad and fresh fruit, or a side of rice and beans, for a heartier meal. That combination shows up on nearly every empanada blog for good reason: it works.

Keep the dressing simple. A basic vinaigrette of good olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, salt, and a little Dijon mustard lets the empanada filling stay the star of the plate. If you want to round out your pantry knowledge for other olive-oil-based dressings, this rundown of foods that start with O covers a few useful ingredients worth keeping on hand.

• Mixed greens or romaine, torn into bite-size pieces
• Thinly sliced red onion for a little bite
• Shaved Parmesan or crumbled queso fresco
• A light vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing

For a broader look at how Argentine cooks build a full plate around empanadas, this overview of Argentine side dishes is a solid reference point, especially if you want to rotate in something beyond salad every so often. The same light, crisp approach also works as an arepa side dish when you want something that will not compete with a rich cheese or meat filling.

3. Rice and Beans

When empanadas are the main event but you need to feed a hungry table, rice and beans add the bulk that a plate of hand pies alone does not provide. It is not a strictly Argentine pairing, but it has become common at Latin-inspired dinners across the United States because it stretches the meal without much extra effort.

White rice and black beans, simmered separately and served side by side, is the classic version. If you want a slightly different texture, swap in a scoop of seasoned quinoa instead of rice for a plate with a bit more protein. Either way, keep the beans lightly seasoned with cumin and garlic so they do not overpower the empanada filling.

Key Insight: Rice and beans is one of the few sides that works equally well next to beef, chicken, or vegetarian empanadas, which makes it a safe default when you are cooking for a mixed group.

Cooked rice also reheats better than most sides, so it is a practical choice if you are making empanadas ahead for a party. This pairing shows up in home-cook recipes too, since a side of rice and beans is one of the standard suggestions for turning empanadas into a heartier dinner. It is also a common base for arepa meal combinations, since arepas and rice and beans are often served together at Colombian and Venezuelan tables.

4. Pico de Gallo Salsa

Pico de gallo is not originally Argentine, but it has become a go-to dip for empanadas across the United States because it is fast to make and adds acidity that cuts through fried or baked dough. Diced tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice is really all it takes.

Several Argentine-inspired recipe writers now list it right alongside chimichurri as a standard empanada dip. Pico de gallo salsa shows up on most lists of what to dip empanadas in, next to queso, tomato sauce, and salsa verde. It is worth keeping a small bowl of each on the table so guests can compare.

Common Mistake: Dicing the tomatoes too far ahead of time. Pico de gallo gets watery fast once salt hits the tomatoes, so mix it no more than an hour before serving and drain any excess liquid before setting it out.

Pico de gallo is also one of the most common answers to what goes with arepas, since its bright acidity balances the mild, slightly sweet corn cake. This easy pico de gallo recipe is light, refreshing, and adds a bright, acidic contrast to the savory arepas, made with chunky roma tomatoes, zesty red onion, fragrant cilantro, spicy jalapeño, a punch of lime juice, and aromatic garlic. That same batch works for both dishes if you are serving an empanada and arepa spread side by side, which is common at arepa-focused meals in Colombian and Venezuelan households.

5. Avocado-Tomato Salad

An avocado-tomato salad is the coolest, creamiest option on this list, and it pairs especially well with fried empanadas that need something to offset the richness. Avocado (Persea americana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are a classic combination in Latin American cooking, and the pairing shows up constantly in empanada side dish roundups.

Light green salads or avocado-tomato salads provide balance when paired with heavier or fried empanadas, which makes this one of the most recommended sides for empanada dinners overall. A squeeze of lime, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil is usually all the dressing it needs.

Side Dish	Best Paired With	Prep Time
Chimichurri Sauce	Beef or chicken empanadas	10 minutes plus resting
Green Salad	Fried or cheese-filled empanadas	10 minutes
Rice and Beans	Any filling, for a heartier meal	30-40 minutes
Pico de Gallo Salsa	Beef, chicken, or corn empanadas	15 minutes
Avocado-Tomato Salad	Fried empanadas	10 minutes

If you want to add a little crunch, toss in cubed jicama alongside the avocado and tomato. This crisp root vegetable is a common addition in Latin American salads, and you can find it profiled along with other useful pantry staples in this list of foods that start with J.

Avocado also brings heart-healthy monounsaturated fat to the plate, which is worth noting if you are cooking for anyone paying attention to their diet. This general information is not a substitute for medical advice, so anyone managing a heart condition should check with a doctor or dietitian; this overview of foods to eat and avoid with coronary heart disease is a useful starting point for that conversation.

This salad is also one of the most popular arepa filling ideas in Venezuelan cooking, where mashed or diced avocado gets stuffed right inside a split arepa along with shredded cheese or chicken. If you are already making a batch for your empanada spread, set some aside before dressing it and you have an instant arepa filling ready to go.

Important Note: Recipes for chimichurri, pico de gallo, and salad dressings vary widely between Argentine, Venezuelan, and Colombian kitchens. The versions above reflect common home-cook approaches rather than one single official recipe, so feel free to adjust seasoning to taste.

Any one of these five sides turns a plate of empanadas into a complete meal, and mixing two or three gives guests options without much extra kitchen time. Chimichurri and pico de gallo cover the dipping-sauce role, while rice and beans or a salad rounds out the plate with something more substantial.

If you are planning a broader Latin American spread, these same sides slot into arepa meal combinations just as easily, since Argentine, Colombian, and Venezuelan tables share a lot of the same building blocks: fresh herbs, citrus, tomatoes, and a starchy side. For more pairing ideas beyond empanadas, this guide on what to serve with a shrimp boil offers a similar approach to building a balanced plate around one main dish.