Empanadas Recipe

Name: Empanadas Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 45 Empanadas
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds pork loin roast; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 large onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 bay leaves; water; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1 plum tomato; 1/4 large onion; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt; 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 1/2 cups warm water; 1/2 packet active dry yeast; 6 1/4 - 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt; 1/2 cup canola oil; 4 - 6 cups Vegetable oil; 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

User Reviews

4.8

33 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
1 hr 40 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 40 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
Servings
45 Empanadas
Calories
184 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Empanadas Recipe

Quinnley Mercado

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How to make empanadas from start to finish! This family empanadas recipe features a savory meat filling and a fluffy, irresistible dough.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the meat

2 1/2 pounds pork loin roast, excess fat removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
water

For the filling

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 plum tomato, minced
1/4 large onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the dough

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 packet active dry yeast (about 1 1/8 teaspoons)
6 1/4 - 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil like corn)

For frying

4 - 6 cups Vegetable oil, for frying

For the topping

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Season the meat: Place the cubed pork in a large Dutch oven or pot. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the onion, garlic cloves and bay leaves.
Cook the meat: Fill the pot with water (about 1 inch above the ingredients) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and carefully remove the white foam that has formed at the top with a spoon. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender.
Shred the meat: Remove the pork using a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate. Let it sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Shred with two forks or your hands.
Reserve the broth: Carefully pour the broth through a strainer and into a large measuring cup until you've collected a total of 2 cups.
Mix the meat: In a large blender or food processor, add the shredded meat and 2 cups of broth. Cover and pulse the mixture 5-10 times, until the meat is no longer in shredded chunks and is somewhat pureed, almost like the texture of a tuna salad. See photo in blog post for reference. You may need to do this in 2 batches depending on how big your blender is. (I know this sounds weird and it won't look very pretty, but it's the texture we want for the filling! Trust me.)
Saute the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add minced tomatoes and onions and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions start to caramelize.
Saute the meat: Add the minced/blended meat to the pan and season with cumin, garlic powder, salt, oregano and nutmeg. Mix together with the tomatoes and onions and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare the yeast for the dough: In a medium bowl, mix together the warm water and yeast. Lightly cover with a kitchen towel and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be somewhat bubbly or frothy, which means the yeast is alive. If it's not, throw the mixture out and try again using a different packet of yeast. Meanwhile, grease the inside of a large mixing bowl with oil and set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a fork until combined.
Add the wet ingredients: Add the yeast mixture, oil and mix together with a fork until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky but not too much. If the dough is still too wet, add in a tablespoon of more flour at a time until it fully unsticks from the bowl.
Mix the dough: Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. If the dough becomes too sticky while kneading, sprinkle in a bit more flour. The final dough should be tacky, but not so much that it completely sticks to your fingers and hands.
Rest the dough: Form the dough into a ball and place it in the prepared greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cover two large baking sheets with 2 clean kitchen towels and set aside.
Make into balls: Transfer the rested dough onto a floured working surface and divide the dough into 45 pieces. (I like to divide the dough into thirds so that I know each third should yield about 15 pieces.) Roll each piece into a ball using the palm of your hands and fingers and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Roll out the balls: On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into an small 5 to 6-inch circle using a rolling pin. (While you're rolling out each ball, you can place the rolled dough in a single layer on top of a clean kitchen towel or lightly-floured parchment paper.)
Fill and fold: Continuing to work on a floured surface, place a spoonful of the mix mixture onto each flattened dough circle. Fold one side over and pinch the sides together using your index finger until the empanada is fully sealed (see photos in blog post for example). You can also press the edges together using the tines of a fork instead of your fingers. As long as the empanadas are sealed, you're good to go. Placed the filled and sealed empanadas onto the large baking sheets or a kitchen towel.
Prepare the topping: In a wide bowl or large plate, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Prepare the frying oil: In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil to reach a depth of 1 1/2 inches. (I used about 5 cups of oil.) Heat the oil until a thermometer reaches 350ºF. Meanwhile, line a large plate with paper towels. Set next to the stovetop.
Fry the empanadas: Working in batches, carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the empanadas to the plate covered with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
Cover with cinnamon sugar: Place the empanadas on the plate with the cinnamon sugar mixture and cover them with the mixture on both sides. Transfer the empanadas to a serving platter and enjoy!

Notes

The empanada filling can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1empanada Calories 184kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 21mg (7%) Sodium 126mg (5%) Potassium 114mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 1IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 19mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 45Empanadas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 184 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1empanada
Calories	184kcal	9%
Carbohydrates	17g	6%
Protein	9g	18%
Fat	8g	12%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	4g	20%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Cholesterol	21mg	7%
Sodium	126mg	5%
Potassium	114mg	2%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	4g	8%
Vitamin A	1IU	0%
Vitamin C	1mg	1%
Calcium	19mg	2%
Iron	2mg	11%