How to Make Homemade Empanadas: Easy Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 4, 2024 • 3 min read
From the Spanish verb empanar, “to be wrapped in bread,” comes the empanada: A beloved savory turnover found all over the world.
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What Are Empanadas?
Empanadas (also sometimes known as empanadillas) are handheld vegetable or meat pies, consisting of pie crust or pastry dough folded over a filling into a half-moon shape, then baked or fried. Similar to the samosa or pedakiya in India, the British pasty, or the Russian pirozhki, empanadas are typically enjoyed as appetizers, a quick lunch, or a street-food snack.
The History of Empanadas
Though there’s some evidence that the history of the empanada can be traced back to Galicia, Spain—there’s mention of a similar technique in a 1520 cookbook on Catalan food—the credit for the modern empanada typically goes to Argentina, which uses ground beef in a glossy, baked dough.
4 Types of Empanadas
Empanada fillings can be meat-based, featuring ingredients like chicken, beef, fish, and chorizo; or vegetarian, with sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cheese, and even guava. Depending on the region, empanada dough recipes can call for all-purpose flour, wheat flour, corn flour, or, as seen in some recipes, cassava, potato, or plantain flour.
- 1. Latin American-style beef empanadas. Beef figures heavily in the pastries found across South American, Mexican, Argentinian and Portuguese culture, with either a finer blend of ground beef with spices and vegetables, or more stew-like preparations paired with potatoes and cheese.
- 2. Masa empanadas. In Belize, empanadas are made with masa, a dough made from fresh-ground cornmeal. They’re sold as panades, and usually feature a filling of fish, chicken, or beans. In Colombia, they’re made from masarepa, a similar dough that’s also used to make arepas.
- 3. Filipino empanadas. In the Philippines, empanadas often feature a sweeter ingredient mixed in with meat, like raisins, or vegetarian fillings like green papaya and mung beans.
- 4. Italian empanadas. In Sicily, 'mpanatigghi features beef with a sweeter mixture of chocolate, nuts, and spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Easy Homemade Empanada Recipe
makes
10prep time
1 hr 30 mintotal time
2 hr 15 mincook time
45 minIngredients
For the empanada dough:
For the empanada filling:
- 1
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- 2
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse once or twice to blend, then add the chilled butter, 2 eggs, and ice water. Pulse again until dough begins to come together and resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and knead one or two times, just enough to form a neat ball (it won’t be smooth). Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- 3
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, and break up with a wooden spoon, browning evenly for 3–5 minutes.
- 4
Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, cumin, paprika, oregano. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the tomato paste has turned a deep red and the onions have softened, 5–10 minutes more.
- 5
Remove from heat and set the filling aside.
- 6
Remove dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out to an even, thin rectangle. Using a 5–7 inch round pastry tin or cookie cutter, press out 10 circles of dough.
- 7
Working quickly so the dough doesn’t warm too much in your hands, portion a heaping spoon of the meat mixture into the center of each circle of dough, and gently fold over until the edges meet. Crimp with a fork, or fold small pleats to seal.
- 8
Space evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the empanadas lying flat on their sides, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining egg until well combined.
- 9
Remove empanadas from the refrigerator, and brush each with egg wash.
- 10
Bake until golden brown all over, about 30–35 minutes.
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