Wondering how to make Empanada Dough? Then you’re in the right place! Learn the best way to make flaky, tender empanada dough, and follow an easy tutorial on how to fold it, too.
An Easy Recipe for Flaky Empanada Dough
If you’ve never made your own empanadas, you’re missing out. It’s time to fix that. Making them from scratch might sound intimidating, but it’s really not; they only need 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep work!
This Empanada Dough recipe is so flaky and buttery, and once you pop one of these folded masterpieces into your mouth, you’ll want to make a batch every day of the week. You might not have the time to do that, but you’ll want to. Trust me. Anyway, whether you decide to fill them with beef (like my Cheese Beef Empanadas) or chicken, these golden empanadas are simply a must-try recipe!
What are Empanadas?
The name ’empanada’ comes from the Spanish verb ’empanar,’ which means “embreaded.” Fitting, right? Empanadas are turnovers that consist of baked, or fried, pastry dough, which is then filled with whatever meat or other filling you like.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s go over the 5 ingredients you’ll need to put this dough together. You probably have all of them within your kitchen right now!
- All Purpose Flour: other flours could work too, but I get the best results using all-purpose.
- Unsalted Butter: you’ll need 1 stick + 6 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into cubes.
- Salt: for seasoning. Omit if using salted butter.
- Warm Water: to help the dough stick together.
- Egg: at room temperature and whisked.
How to Make Empanada Dough
Empanada dough is really easy to make – you don’t even need a food processor. You’ll have to put a little time into making sure that the weight of each ball of dough is equal before you roll out the circles, but it’s totally worth it in the end. Empanadas make the BEST filling snack or light dinner.
Slice the Butter: Use a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands to cut the butter into the flour until it forms a crumbly consistency. Sprinkle in the salt and stir.
Mix the Dough Together: Pour in the water and egg and stir together until it forms a clumpy dough.
Knead the Dough: Drop the dough out onto a counter or a smooth surface and press the dough together until it forms a ball. Then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Form the Dough into Circles: Cut the dough into 22 – 25, 1.5-ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then roll them out evenly into 5 to 6-inch circles with a rolling pin.
Tips for the Best Dough
Still have some questions about what makes for the best empanada dough? Here are some tips:
- Use the Dough Immediately: If you let the dough sit out without a towel over the top, it will start to dry out and crack. It’s best to use the dough as soon as you make it.
- Refrigerate the Dough: If you can’t use it immediately, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. You may actually want to do this anyway to achieve even flakier dough.
- For Glossy Empanadas: To get glossy, golden empanadas, brush a bit of egg wash (1 beaten egg with 2 tablespoons of water) on the tops before baking.
- To Prevent Soggy Empanadas: Remove the empanadas from the pan as soon as they are done baking to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy from any filling that may have spilled out during the baking process.
How to Press the Empanada Edges Together
So what’s the best way to fold the dough? There are a couple of options. You an do it by hand, with a fork or even with an empanada press.
I usually go with the fork method because I find it to be the easiest for me. Here’s how the whole process goes:
Preheat the Oven: When you are ready to fill and bake the empanadas, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Press the Edges Together: Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the center of each empanada round and pinch the edges together. Use a fork to press the edges together or to form a classic empanada design with your hands, press and twist the edges of dough together.
Bake the Empanadas: Bake the filled empanadas for 25-27 minutes or until light and golden on top. Let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Filling Ideas
There are so many delicious fillings to use for empanadas. You really can’t go wrong, but here are a couple of suggestions:
- Chicken: Chicken Empanadas are always a hit in our household with the kids.
- Beef: these Cheesy Beef Empanadas are Jorge’s favorite!
- Vegetables: veggies and cheese are delicious empanada filling options.
- Nutella: that’s right! Dessert empanadas are an experience you need to have too!
How to Store Leftover Dough
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using. 20 minutes before filling and baking, remove the dough from the fridge and to let the butter warm up a bit.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
Sure! You can stack the circles between pieces of parchment paper in a freezer bag or an airtight container for 1-2 months if need be.
Empanada Dough
Want to learn how to make flaky Empanada Dough? It's really easy! Fill this homemade turnover with whatever meat (or vegetarian filling) you like, and enjoy a light, buttery dinner!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 stick + 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 egg, at room temperature and whisked
Instructions
1. Use a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands to cut the butter into the flour until it forms a crumbly consistency. Sprinkle in the salt and stir.
2. Pour in the water and egg and stir together until it forms a clumpy dough.
3. Drop the dough out onto a counter or a smooth surface and press the dough together until it forms a ball. Then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into 22 - 25, 1.5-ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then roll them out evenly into 5 to 6-inch circles with a rolling pin.
5. When you are ready to fill and bake the empanadas, preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the center of each empanada round and pinch the edges together. Use a fork to press the edges together or to form a classic empanada design, press and twist the edges of dough together.
7. Bake the filled empanadas for 25-27 minutes or until light and golden on top. Let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you let the dough sit out without a towel over the top, it will start to dry out and crack. It’s best to use the dough as soon as you make it.
To get glossy, golden empanadas, brush a bit of egg wash (1 beaten egg with 2 tablespoons of water) on the tops before baking.
Remove the empanadas from the pan as soon as they are done baking to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy from any filling that may have spilled out during the baking process.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using. 20 minutes before filling and baking, remove the dough from the fridge and to let the butter warm up a bit.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
22Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
Categories
More Latin AMerican REcipes To Try
Looking for more Latin American dinners to try? I’ve got you covered:
- Cheesy Beef Empanadas
- Pernil
- Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas)
- Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
- Vegetable Enchiladas
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
I have not tried baking empanadas so I wasn’t sure what to expect, and with the high star rating on this recipe I decided to give it a try. The dough needed a little bit more water and was easy to roll out. Very pliable and easy to form the empanada. Didn’t need anything to keep them closed. After baking the dough did not brown even with the egg wash, just glossy. It was hard and dry. I wish I had a few left over to try frying instead.
I found the dough too dry and had to add another 2 Tablespoons of water. I used a large egg, did you use an extra large egg,?
Hi Julia! No, I used a large egg. Depending on how your scooped your flour, you might need a little extra moisture. Flour should be fluffed and then spooned into a cup and leveled, not scooped directly from a bag. If flour is scooped from a bag, it can be more tightly packed, so you get more flour than you meant to. Hope this helps!
I like your recipe.
One thing that I find odd, is that you are using warm water.
A German chef taught years ago, that you ALWAYS use cold ice cold water.
I worked as a prep cook at Annie’s Santa Fe, A G/R restaurant. We rolled the flour/sugar/Half-n-Half dough out in one piece on a large floured table. THEN cut out the empanadas with a 6″ ring dough cutter. The filling was a Tex-Mex beef mixture or shredded Tex-Mex chicken or strawberry pie filling. Finger crimped & refrigerated & deep fried to order. The shapes were consistent crescents. All three were a real popular items
Do you have recipe for the sweet potato or pumpkin filling
I don’t, but I will work on one! However, you could use any pumpkin pie filling (homemade or from a can) inside of empanadas!
I made this today with a ground beef filling and had rave reviews! Definitely going to make again…
How much flour do I use
4 cups, the full printable recipe is at the bottom of the post!
These turned out really well. made chicken and taco empanadas. So easy. kids love them
Can you freeze the dough for a few days before rolling it out to stuff the empanadas?
Yes! I stack them on top of one another with a piece of wax or parchment paper between each piece of empanada dough, then place them in a freezer bag. Then you can easily pull out however many empanada discs you need and they won’t stick together. :-)
This dough looks delicious , wanted to ask can the empanada be deep fried as well with this dough recipe ?
Yes you can if you would prefer to fry them. :-)
If I want to make sweet empanadas would I add sugar to the dough?
Hi Laura! No, empanada dough always stays the same, even with sweet empanadas!
Hi! Just verifying how many empanadas will I be able to make with this receipt following everything specifically?
This recipe will make approximately 22-25 empanada disks!
Hi, thanks for the reciepe, can you write the amount of butter in grams l want to try it today
Hi Lanja! It’s 14 tablespoons of butter, which google says is 198.5 grams!
Have you tried this with gluten free flour. Unfortunately I’m celiac but really love empanadas when my Puerto Rican friend made them. I am going to try tomorrow, wish me luck.
I haven’t tried it, but would love to hear your results Kimberly!
bake 350 degrees , ungreased baking sheet, on parchment for 20 minutes, brushed with eggwash
or fry at 370 degrees til golden flip and repeat
Dear Jessia I’m Puerto Rican,
I make this in special occasions, al the time you can freeze them just make sure you put wax paper under the them and make sure you sprinkle flour on the wax paper,also make sure they are not touching,do the same to next layer,but before you do the next layer sprinkle more flour on the empanda before you start on the next layer so they don’t stick and continue the same .My mother showed me to do this when I use to helped her
Thank you Mildred for sharing your tips!!
I made this but to me it wasn’t flavorful. I must have done something wrong because it came out too wet….i sifted the flour..was no instructions as to how to measure flour. Or how big to roll the balls of dough. I might try again.
I tried this recipe too and I hated it. I used my flaky pie dough recipe insteadIf you are making savory ones, add salt, if you are making sweet ones, add sugar to the dough.
Hi, Do you think that the cooked and cooled empanadas can be frozen and then eaten at room temp, as in, taken on a hike and eaten when thawed? Do you think they would hold up well in the thawing process?
Hi Thelma! Hmmm, maybe? I honestly have never tried something like this. I do freeze the uncooked (but stuffed!) empanadas and then cook them while frozen. But I have not tried cooking, freezing and letting thaw and eat without reheating. I feel they may not be great at room temperature? Wish I had a definitive answer for you! Good luck and enjoy your hike!!
My husband makes ones to specifically take hunting or hiking! We’re doing a batch of venison ones this afternoon. He finds if he bakes or fries just before going out and wraps them well, they are even still a bit warm when he enjoys!
Yes, you can freeze them after being cooked. Just thaw, and then reheat in a microwave oven for a few seconds.
Hi, this recipe looks great! Will this dough hold up being pan fried instead of baked?
Yes it should if you are gentle!