Cooking in Costa Rica: Empanadas with Chop It

Juan, Santi and Mery Jo are the owners of Chop It, the most talked about empanada restaurant in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This family-run team work day and night to make the most authentic empanadas in town, filled with fresh and high-quality ingredients. Juan shares the story of Chop It:

How did Chop It start?
Chop It started because of the pandemic—my brother became unemployed and we decided to sell empanadas. He made the dough and I helped out with creating fillings for the empanadas. I was also working at a bakery called Masa Madre, and I was also doing private catering. Francesco, the owner of Masa Madre, allowed us to rent his kitchen during the nights.

Why did you choose to focus on empanadas?
We are originally from Argentina, and empanadas are a very common Argentinian food. I was traveling in Central America, and I saw a lot of people selling empanadas. I didn’t feel like they were authentic, and I knew that I could make them better!

What are some empanada traditions?
Something that you will in the streets of Argentina are old women sitting and making hundreds of empanadas with their own hands…they are incredible!

Styles of empanadas are endless, use your creativity and fill them with what you like. Traditionally, there are also certain folding techniques for each filling. At Chop It, we use a empanada stamps to indicate the filling.

We also consider empanadas as a full meal. Some places have them as a snack. Empanadas also pair well with any drink!

What’s next for Chop It?
We just moved to a new shop, and we just launched our new menu with tapas and salads. We are hoping to create more flavors in the future!

Visit Chop It in Tamarindo, Costa Rica!
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