Empanadas: An Argentine Appetizer

Empanadas

Mix and Chill the Empanada Dough

A good empanada dough is a mix between a pastry and a puff pastry dough, where it’s not quite as dense as a pie crust but not as light and flaky as a puff pastry. You’ll use many of the same techniques making empanada dough as you do making pie crust.

To begin, mix the flour and the salt.

Next, you’ll add the fats. I like to cut in 1 cup of cold butter just like I would with pie crust. Some empanada recipes call for you to melt the butter, but I feel I get better results when I cut the butter into the flour. Add the eggs and mix.

Finally, I add cold water, just a little bit at a time, mixing with my hands until a stiff dough ball forms. If your ball gets too wet, then add flour until it doesn’t stick to your hands.

Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of thirty minutes.

When your filling is ready, pull your dough out and cut into fourths, then sixteenths. You can cut each sixteenth portion in half for 32 small empanadas, or divide evenly to get 24 empanadas.

I find the larger empanadas generally hold together better with more filling than the smaller empanadas do, but if I am taking these to a party, I like to make the smaller versions.

On a floured surface, roll into balls.

Place a dough ball between two strips of waxed paper and use a tortilla press to flatten into a circle of dough. If you don’t have a tortilla press, simply roll out using a rolling pin.

Now, you’re ready to stuff your empanadas!

Chop Your Vegetables

Prep your ingredients by dicing the onions and peppers into 1/4″ pieces and mince your garlic.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute your onions and peppers until they’ve softened, then add your garlic.

Mix in your pork or beef and season with the salt, pepper, oregano,  and chili powder.

Once your meat has browned, add the tomato paste until fully heated through.

Fill The Empanadas And Cook

Take a spoonful of filling and place in the center of your pressed dough.

Using a wet brush or finger, dampen the edges of the dough. Fold over and pinch shut. Here, I like to use a fork to make a cute design on the curved edge of the empanada.

Brush the top with your egg wash.

Your empanadas are ready to cook.

To bake your empanadas, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your empanadas on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Empanada Variations

Try making a meat-free empanada using cheese, two shallots, and 8 oz of mushrooms instead of pork or beef. To make the filling, sauté the shallots, mushrooms, and poblano peppers.

We love serving our empanadas with a bright, fresh chimichurri sauce. 

You can make sweet hand pies with the empanada dough and replace the savory filling with pie fillings such as cinnamon apples or cherries. Drizzle a frosting made of powdered sugar, milk, and melted butter over the warm empanadas.

Tools To Make Empanadas

Empanadas can be made using your basic kitchen tools, but here are a few items you may want to use to make the process easier.

Dough Cutter or Bench Scraper:

This bench scraper from Williams and Sonoma makes cutting the empanada dough a breeze.

All-Clad Skillet:

We love our All-Clad pans for the even heating. You don’t have to use as high heat when cooking with these pans.

Tortilla Press:

You can use a rolling pin, but this tortilla press helps you press each empanada to an even uniformity.