Pantrucas

Name: Pantrucas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb beef shank or short ribs; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 carrots, diced; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 8 cups beef broth; 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt, for the dough; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup warm water, for the dough

Hand-torn flour dumplings in a rich beef broth — the Chilean soup that cures everything.

⏱ 20 minPrep time

🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time

🍽 6Servings

🏷 Chilean KitchenCategory

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Pantrucas is the soup Chilean grandmothers make when someone needs comforting: a rich beef broth filled with hand-torn pieces of simple flour dough. The dough is pulled into rough, irregular strips — the more rustic, the better — and simmered until tender.

Torn dough, tender beef, and golden broth

The broth is deep and beefy with soft carrots and falling-apart beef, while the pantrucas are chewy and satisfying, soaking up all the flavor. It’s plain, honest food that tastes like being taken care of.

Chilean recipes →

Step by stepInstructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides for 8 minutes; add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes until soft.
Add the paprika, broth, and carrots, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 60 to 75 minutes until the beef is very tender.
Meanwhile, make the dough: mix the flour and 1/2 tsp salt, stir in the egg and enough warm water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough; knead 2 minutes and rest 10 minutes.
Pull walnut-sized pieces of dough from the ball and tear them into rough, irregular strips.
Drop the pantrucas into the simmering broth and cook 10 to 12 minutes until they float and are cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and finish with cilantro.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The broth should be simmering gently when you add the dough — boiling can break the pantrucas apart. Don't worry about neat shapes; the more rustic the torn pieces, the more authentic the soup.

Recipe details

Prep20 min

Cook1 hr 30 min

Servings6

CategoryChilean Kitchen

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Pantrucas

Torn dough, tender beef, and golden broth

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Pantrucas

Torn dough, tender beef, and golden broth

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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