Skip to Content

Authentic Tortas Fritas Recipe

Authentic Tortas Fritas Recipe

If you’ve ever been to Uruguay or Argentina you will surely have tried the classic tortas fritas sweet treat. For those of you who haven’t tortas fritas are essentially deep-fried dough tossed with sugar, and they are oh-so-delicious!

Tortas fritas translates to ‘fried cakes’ and were allegedly created for the gauchos of Argentina who roamed the land over 100 years ago.

After eating mostly meat on their journeys they would crave sweet snacks and so tortas fritas was created as a quick treat to satisfy those desires without too much effort or ingredients.

The reason it’s so quick, simple and readily available is because tortas fritas consist simply of flour, butter, water and salt. So easy! However, in modern day Uruguay and Argentina you are more likely to find the recipes made with milk and eggs, served with jam or sugar.

Some tortas fritas recipes are even served the delicious dulce de leche. These days, tortas fritas are made on rainy days as a snack to lighten the mood! Served with alongside a maté tea or coffee and you are in South American foodie heaven!

In this recipe we will be showing the classic tortas fritas recipe but you can feel free to make additions such as dulce de leche if you so wish. That’s the beauty of this snack, it can be enjoyed in so many ways!

Tortas Fritas

Tortas Fritas Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Tortas Fritas are a delicious sweet snack found throughout Uruguay and Argentina. They're super simple to cook and are delicious on a rainy day!

Ingredients

  • 250 g Plain flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable shortening
  • 230 ml Milk (1 cup)
  • 200 g Caster sugar For dusting
  • 1 l Vegetable oil For frying

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
  2. In the centre of the bowl make a well and pour in the 2 tbsp of shortening, milk and butter.
  3. Mix together using your fingers until it is well blended and a dough begins to form. Add more flour if the consistency is too wet.
  4. Sprinkle flour on to a clean surface and begin kneading the dough.
  5. Get the dough to about half a centimetre thickness and then use a knife to divide the dough into 8 even squares.
  6. Roll each square into a ball shape then flatten them to create rough circle shapes, poke a hole in the centre with your finger and set aside.
  7. In a large saucepan add the vegetable oil and heat to around 180°C.
  8. In batches, begin placing the dough into the frying pan, turning once until each is golden brown in color. 
  9. When you take each tortas fritas out of the pan, dry them with paper towels before liberally sprinkling with caster sugar.
  10. Serve while still warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1295Total Fat: 122gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 104gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 452mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 4g

Watch: How To Make Tortas Fritas

Of course, there are so many different ways to make Tortas Fritas and this video shows a slightly different method but with the same principles. Feel free to use whatever method and ingredients best suits you and don’t forget to experiment with your toppings if you so wish!

Share on Social:

Skip to Recipe