Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers Finger Food Recipes Basic Empanadas 4.0 (205) These baked turnovers have a delicious buttery dough and are filled with a spiced ground-meat filling. Prep Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 4 to 8 Yield: 8 empanadas Jump to recipe Our basic empanada recipe will have you making batches of these flaky, meat-filled pastries in no time. Empanadas are sometimes fried, but for this recipe we bake them in the oven since it makes them easier to cook and won’t leave you with a pot of hot frying oil. The filling is a simple mixture of ground meat—you can use pork, beef, or turkey—onions, jalapeño, and diced tomatoes; a touch of chili powder lends some welcomed depth while chopped fresh cilantro contributes a dose of brightness. The quick, tender dough comes together easily, and forming the empanadas is a cinch. Bake them to enjoy right away or freeze for an on-demand snack or meal—your future self will thank you. Credit: Brie Goldman How to Defrost Ground Beef Safely—and Why You Should Never Thaw It on the Counter What Are Empandas? Empanadas are stuffed pastries that have a savory or sweet filling wrapped in pastry dough. They can be baked or fried and filled with meats and vegetables of your choice. Empanadas originated in Spain and Portugal and have become popular all around the world, especially in Latin American countries, including Chile, Puerto Rico, and Argentina. In Spain and Portugal, empanada fillings are often meat (like chorizo) or fish (like tuna or sardines), flavored with tomatoes and fresh spices. Ground beef or lamb are popular fillings in Central and Southern America as are seasonal vegetable fillings. Empanadas can also be sweet, with fillings such as guava and cheese. How Empanada Dough Is Different to Pie Dough While pie dough is designed to be flaky, empanada dough is supposed to be tender yet sturdy. Pastry for empanadas has a higher flour-to-fat ratio, making it perfect for wrapping around meaty fillings. Some recipes use lard or an additional egg as the fat source, but our recipe keeps it simple with butter. The process of mixing the dough is very similar to making pie dough, and you don't need any special tools—just your hands! Tips for Working With Empanada Dough Use cold ingredients: When making your dough, be sure to use cold ingredients like chilled butter and ice water. Doing so will help keep the butter from melting, which is key for a tender pastry. It's also important to let the filling thoroughly cool before forming your empanadas to keep it from warming the dough. Don't overfill: Adding too much filling to your pastry can cause the empanada to burst as it bakes. To make sure you're using just enough, roughly divide the filling into eight portions before you start assembling. Seal well: Sealing the edges of each formed empanada will keep the filling from seeping out as it bakes and make the empanadas easy to eat. You can choose to roll or pleat the edges, or simply seal the dough with the tines of a fork. How to Make Empanadas Ahead Formed empanadas can be frozen and then baked straight from the freezer at a later date. To make them ahead: Freeze empanadas (without egg wash) on a baking sheet until firm, about 2 hoursWrap each individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. When you're ready to bake them, brush with an egg wash and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until browned and hot throughout, 40 to 50 minutes. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Make filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add onion and jalapeños: Add onion and jalapeños; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add chili powder and tomatoes: Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Credit: Brie Goldman Simmer filling: Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Season and cool: Season with salt and pepper and fold in cilantro. Let cool. Credit: Brie Goldman Make dough: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. Credit: Brie Goldman Cut in butter and add water to bring dough together; divide and let rest: Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together (you might not need the whole cup); knead briefly on counter. Pat dough into a rough disc, then divide into eight equal-size pieces. Cover with plastic and let rest at room temperature 30 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Roll dough and add filling: Working with one piece at a time, roll dough into an 8-inch round. Spoon one-eighth of filling over half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border; brush edge of filled side with egg wash. Credit: Brie Goldman Fold dough over filling and seal: Fold dough over filling and press down gently along edge with fingers to seal. Starting at one corner and working your way around empanada, roll or pleat edges of dough toward filling to create a crimped look. Instead of rolling or pleating dough, you can seal the edges of each empanada with a fork. Preheat oven; bake empanadas: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place empanadas on parchment-lined baking sheets. Credit: Brie Goldman Brush with egg wash: Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Credit: Brie Goldman Bake empanadas: Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool briefly before serving. Credit: Brie Goldman How to Store and Reheat Empanadas If you have leftover baked empanadas, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350-degrees Fahrenheit oven until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. You can also microwave individual baked empanadas, but they will lose their crispiness. Frozen unbaked empanadas can be stored for up to 3 months. How to Serve Empanadas Empanadas are best served warm or at room temperature. They can be eaten as an appetizer or snack or be served as an entrée with a side or two. (If serving as the main course, plan on offering two empanadas per person.) If serving empanadas as a full meal, try pairing them with: Cooked white rice and black beans Buttered corn on the cob (try this tangy cilantro-lime version) Fried sweet plantains Creamy cabbage coleslaw If serving empanadas as an appetizer, serve alongside: Tomato salsa, like our salsa fresca, or salsa verde Slices of ripe avocado or guacamole Cooling yogurt with a squeeze of lime juice 5 More Savory Turnovers to Try Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies Savory Chicken Pocket Pies Beef Patties Beef and Potato Hand Pies Scrambled-Egg and Sausage Pocket Pastries Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.