Yield: 22 to 25 empanada discs
Empanada Dough
⭐️Test Kitchen Approved!⭐️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. Plus, watch the video below for an easy tutorial on how to fold empanadas!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, or lard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ to ¾ cup warm water, or milk
- 1 egg, at room temperature and whisked
Optional Egg Wash For Baking
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons water
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Instructions
- 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.
- Pour in the 1/2 cup water and egg and stir together until it forms a clumpy dough.
- Transfer the dough out onto a counter dusted with flour. Press the dough together until it forms a ball. If dough feels too dry, add a little extra water (up to 3/4 cup total) to the dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. To save time and effort, you can also use a stand mixer to knead the dough!
- Cut the dough into 22 to 25, 1.5 oz pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball out evenly into 5 to 6-inch circles with a rolling pin on a lightly flat surface dusted with flour or for ease, use a tortilla press! You can also place the dough ball between parchment paper and then roll flat.
Fill, Fold and Cook
- Fill and Fold: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling to the center of each empanada round and pinch the edges together. Use a fork (or empanada press) to press the edges together. To form a classic empanada design, press and twist the edges of dough together with your hands. See the video below for a visual of the folding technique.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk to combine the egg and water for the egg wash. Place filled empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each empanada with egg wash. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until light and golden on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Fry: Add about 1 inch of oil to a deep sided skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 2 to 3 empanadas in the hot oil on each side, until golden brown. Remember the filling is already cooked, you are only cooking the empanada dough.
Video
Notes
Use Immediately: Once they are rolled out, it is best to use the dough right away. If you are preparing the dough for another day, freeze them!
Fridge: Cover the un-rolled dough ball 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.
Freeze: Roll out the dough and stack the empanada discs with pieces of parchment paper or wax paper in between each one to prevent sticking. Wrap the stack with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before using in the fridge overnight.
Chill The Dough: Don’t skip this step! Chilling the dough for a few minutes before rolling it out actually produces a lighter, flakier dough.
Remove Quickly: Use a spatula to remove the empanadas from the pan right after baking and transfer to a wire rack. This helps prevents soggy bottoms from any filling leaks.
Don’t Overfill: While it might seem like a good idea to add extra filling, be careful not to overfill your empanadas. If they are too stuffed to close properly, the filling will leak out and make a big mess.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 empanada disk, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 29mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 234IU, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 1mg