Empanadas

Empanadas are a beloved handheld pastry filled with a savoury or sweet mixture, perfect for a snack, appetizer, or main dish. This recipe features a golden crust that wraps around a rich, flavourful fillings. Whether you're hosting a party or craving comfort food, these empanadas are guaranteed to impress.

Originating in Spain and Portugal, empanadas have become a culinary staple across Latin America, with each region adding its unique twist to the recipe. In Argentina, they're often filled with spiced meats and olives, while in the Philippines, they take on a sweeter, flaky profile. No matter where they’re made, empanadas reflect the heart of comfort cooking and the adaptability of global cuisine.

Empanada (Argentinian) recipe

Note: Recipe proportions are for making either the beef or cheese filling. If you would like to make both, you will need to halve the filling proportions or double the pastry ingredients.

Ingredients

Pastry

Plain flour: 300g
Water: 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Unsalted butter: 30g
Vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
Salt: 3/4 teaspoon (~5g)

Salsa

Tomato: 2 tomatoes
Chilli: 1/2 - 1, finely diced (depending on the size of the tomatoes)
White vinegar: 2 teaspoons (or to taste)
Salt (table); Pinch (or to taste)

Option 1 - Beef filling

Beef mince: 200g
Brown onion: 1, medium, diced
Egg, hard boiled. 1, diced
Spring onion: 2, diced
Paprika, mild: 1 teaspoon
Cumin: 1 teaspoon
Chilli flakes: 1/2 teaspoons
Olives: 8 olives (can be replaced with capers)
Tomatoes: 1 small/medium, de-seeded and diced
Salt: To taste

Option 2 - Cheese filling

Hard mozzarella: 2 cups, grated (~200g)
Roma tomato: 2, diced and de-seeded (you can use the de-seeded tomatoes for the salsa)
Basil leaves: 1 large handful, sliced
Olive oil
Salt (table): 1/8 teaspoon
Pepper: To taste

Method

Pastry

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water, butter and oil. Knead everything for 10 minutes until it's a soft and smoot ball. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling (pastry is enough for 1 of the types of filling)

- Beef filling: Fry the diced onion in butter until translucent. Add the beef and cook through. Add the cumin, chilli and paprika. Take off the heat and mix through the spring onion, olives and diced egg. Season with salt to taste. Allow to cool before filling the empanadas.
- Cheese filling: Remove the insides of the tomato (you can keep this aside for the salsa). Dice the tomatoes and mix in with the other filling ingredients.

Empanada assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 230C
Split the dough into 12 balls and roll out into discs. You may consider using flour to ensure the balls do not stick.
Add ~2 tablespoons of filling into the centre of each empanada disc, wet the edges with water and seal by crimping the edges.
Place empanadas on baking paper and brush with egg wash.
Cook in the oven for 15 - 20 mins or until golden brown.
Salsa: To make the salsa take the tomato pulp and mash it in the blender or with a fork. Cut the tomato flesh into small cubes. Mix the tomato pulp and flesh, chilli, vinegar and salt. Set aside.

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