Provoleta

Name: Provoleta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients: 300 g Provolone, provoleta or firm aged provolone, one disc 1.5 to 2 cm thick, well chilled; 1 tsp Oregano, dried; 0.5 tsp Chilli flakes, ají molido if you can get it; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 0.5 piece Baguette, or other crusty bread, sliced, to serve; 3 tbsp Chimichurri sauce, to serve

A thick disc of Argentine provolone grilled until crusted and bubbling, seasoned with oregano and chilli and eaten from the pan with bread.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 7 min
Rest: 20 min
Total: 32 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

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About

Provoleta is a thick round of firm provolone-style cheese cooked on a hot grill or in a small iron pan until the outside forms a browned crust and the inside goes soft and stretchy without running away. It is seasoned simply with dried oregano and ají molido, Argentine crushed red chilli, and finished with olive oil. At home a cast-iron frying pan works well: sear the cheese hard on the stove, then put the pan under a hot oven grill to melt the top. The cheese needs to be cold and at least 1.5 cm thick, or it collapses before it browns.

What you'll need

6 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 6 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Provolone, provoleta or firm aged provolone, one disc 1.5 to 2 cm thick, well chilled300 g
Oregano, dried4.9 ml
Chilli flakes, ají molido if you can get it2½ ml
Olive oil30 ml
Baguette, or other crusty bread, sliced, to serve (optional)½
Chimichurri sauce, to serve (optional)44 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Put the cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes so it holds its shape in the heat. Scatter half the oregano and chilli over the top and press them on lightly.
20 min
Step 2
Heat the oven grill to high. Heat a small cast-iron frying pan over high heat until very hot and brush it with a little of the oil. Lay the cheese in, seasoned side up, and leave it alone for three to four minutes, until a dark crust has formed underneath and the edges bubble.
4 min
Watch: Do not move it early. A crust that has not formed yet tears and the cheese leaks out.
Step 3
Scatter over the rest of the oregano and chilli and slide the pan under the grill for two to three minutes, until the top is bubbling and freckled brown and the centre feels soft when pressed.
3 min
Step 4
Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, spoon over chimichurri if using, and take the pan straight to the table. Scoop it onto bread with a knife while it is still hot.
1 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 358 kcal
Protein: 20.5 g
Carbs: 6 g
Fat: 28 g
Saturated fat: 14.1 g
Fibre: 0.8 g
Sugar: 1.3 g
Sodium: 674 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Provolone → Halloumi or Greek kefalotyri
Both hold their shape on the grill and brown well. They are saltier and do not stretch the same way.

Tips

On a charcoal grill, oil the cheese and the clean grate, cook over hot coals for three minutes, flip once with a wide spatula when the crust lets go, and cook two minutes more.
Eat it at once. As it cools it turns rubbery.
Pre-sliced deli provolone is too soft and too thin. Ask for a thick slice cut from a whole provolone, or buy Argentine provoleta discs.

History & culture

Provoleta is the first thing off the parrilla at an Argentine asado, eaten with chorizo, morcilla and bread while the beef is still cooking. In restaurants it arrives sizzling in its own small iron dish. A spoon of chimichurri on top is common, and some cooks add tomato slices or a few olives.

Provolone came to Argentina with the southern Italian immigrants who arrived in huge numbers from the 1880s on. Argentine dairy histories credit Natalio Alba, an Italian immigrant cheesemaker, with developing a firmer, drier provolone in the 1940s that could go straight onto the grill without melting through it. The name, the story goes, began as his brand and became the name of the dish.

Traditional — At an asado it goes straight onto the grill or into a provoletera, a small iron dish set over the coals. The stove-and-oven-grill method is the home equivalent and gives the same crust. The bread is optional; without it the dish is gluten-free.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Provoleta take?

32 min all in — 5 min prep, 7 min cook, 20 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Oven.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.

What can I use instead?

Provolone → Halloumi or Greek kefalotyri. Both hold their shape on the grill and brown well. They are saltier and do not stretch the same way.

What should I watch for?

Do not move it early. A crust that has not formed yet tears and the cheese leaks out.

Any tips from this recipe?

On a charcoal grill, oil the cheese and the clean grate, cook over hot coals for three minutes, flip once with a wide spatula when the crust lets go, and cook two minutes more. Eat it at once. As it cools it turns rubbery. Pre-sliced deli provolone is too soft and too thin. Ask for a thick slice cut from a whole provolone, or buy Argentine provoleta discs.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.