Cody Casey
Empanadas are a fried turnover from Latin America, the European Philippines, or Indonesia. They can be baked or fried, but deep frying is the best way to make them taste amazing. You can use a deep fryer, but you don't need one; a deep pot filled 1/3 of the way with oil and a deep-fry thermometer will work just as well. The oil should be heated to 350°F (177°C) before adding the empanadas. You can make your own dough or use store-bought pastry discs. The filling can be made with meat, cheese, and vegetables. Some popular fillings include ground beef, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs; chicken picatta; and sweet empanaditas with homemade mincemeat, raisins, and piñon.
How to cook empanadas in a deep fryer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dough | Store-bought or homemade |
| Filling | Meat, cheese, vegetables, or a mixture of seasoned beef, sweet raisins, and hard-boiled eggs |
| Oil temperature | 350°F (177°C) |
| Oil type | Peanut or corn oil |
| Oil quantity | Enough to fill 1/3 of the deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot |
| Sealing | Using a fork or empanada mold |
| Chilling | 30 minutes to an hour before frying |
| Cooking | Fry 2-3 empanadas at a time, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown |
| Post-cooking | Drain excess oil on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet |
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What You'll Learn
Making the filling
Empanadas are a fried turnover from Latin America, Europe, the Philippines, or Indonesia. The filling can consist of meat, cheese, and vegetables that are tucked inside the pastry and either baked or fried.
Beef Empanadas
For the filling, cook ground beef in a pan until it is almost, but not quite, done. Remove the beef from the pan and put it to the side. In the same pan, add chopped onion and peppers and saute until translucent. Add the spices and herbs with salt and pepper and cook until fragrant. Put the beef back in the pan and add raisins and chicken stock. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat until almost all of the liquid has cooked out.
Chicken Empanadas
Fill empanadas with chicken picatta or shredded chicken. You can also swap out the ground beef for ground chicken and follow the directions for beef empanadas.
Vegetarian Empanadas
You can make vegetarian empanadas with creamy mushrooms, slow-cooked black beans, potatoes, roasted corn, and Jamaican curry seasonings. You can also fill them with sweet empanaditas (homemade mincemeat with raisins and piñon).
Remember, it is tempting to overstuff the empanadas with filling, but this can cause blow-outs in the oil. Two to three tablespoons of filling will be plenty.
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Rolling and cutting the dough
To begin rolling and cutting the dough, place the empanada dough on a floured surface or countertop. The dough should be rolled out into a layer that is about 1/8-inch thick or 2-3mm thick. Avoid rolling the dough too thin, as this may cause the empanadas to leak when frying.
Once the dough is rolled out, use round cookie cutters or biscuit cutters to cut out circles. For larger empanadas, use 6-inch cutters, and for smaller or mini empanadas, use 3-inch cutters. If you don't have access to these types of cutters, you can use a clean, rinsed-out coffee can or another type of metal can. You can also use a tortilla press lined with plastic cut from a plastic bag to press the dough into a round shape. Continue cutting or pressing until you have used up all the dough, and remove any excess dough from around the cut-out circles. Be careful not to move the circles themselves, as they may lose their shape and be harder to seal. If you accidentally poke a hole in the dough, it is better to re-roll it rather than trying to patch the hole.
Some people also use a pasta machine to get the dough very thin. The empanada discs can be used immediately, or you can store them in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
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Sealing the empanadas
Sealing empanadas is the most difficult part of the cooking process, but it's not too challenging. The first step is to cut the dough into circles with round cookie cutters or biscuit cutters. For large empanadas, use 6-inch cutters, and for mini empanadas, use 3-inch cutters. If you don't have these kinds of dough cutters, you can use a coffee can or another metal can. Make sure not to move the circles, as they may lose their shape and become harder to seal. If you accidentally poke a hole in the dough, it's better to re-roll it than to try to patch it, as patched areas are likely to come loose during frying.
Next, you'll want to fill the dough. To do this, loosely cup the dough disc in one hand and pinch the bottom end to start the seal. Spoon in the filling—about 2-3 tablespoons—making sure to remove as much air from the pocket as possible. Then, complete the seal and roll the edge. You can also add two olive halves at this stage. It may help to moisten the circumference of the dough disc with a little water to ensure a good seal.
Finally, you can crimp the edges of the empanadas with a fork to fully seal them. If you have time, it's recommended to chill the empanadas for 30 minutes to an hour before frying them. This will allow the gluten in the dough to relax, making it easier to work with.
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Frying temperature
Empanadas are best fried at 350°F (177°C). You can use a deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature of the oil.
When frying empanadas, it is important to ensure that the oil is hot enough before adding the empanadas to the pot. If the oil is not hot enough, the empanadas may absorb too much oil and become greasy. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the empanadas may burn or cook unevenly. Therefore, it is important to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the frying process.
To achieve the ideal temperature, fill a deep, heavy-bottomed pot one-third of the way full with oil and heat it until it reaches 350°F. You can use a variety of oils, such as canola oil, peanut oil, or corn oil, which have high smoke points suitable for deep frying. While the oil is heating up, you can start assembling your empanadas.
Once the oil has reached the desired temperature, gently lower two to three empanadas into the pot, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook the empanadas by turning them occasionally with tongs until they are golden brown and cooked evenly on all sides. Remove the cooked empanadas from the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to cool and drain. It is important to allow excess oil to drip off the empanadas before transferring them to the baking sheet.
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Re-crisping
Empanadas are best enjoyed fresh, but you can reheat them if you have leftovers. To re-crisp your empanadas, you can refry them for a few minutes, or pop them in the oven.
If you're using an oven, a temperature of around 350°F (177°C) is recommended. Place your empanadas on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and heat for 15 minutes or so. You can also use a toaster oven for this.
If you're refrying your empanadas, heat your oil to 350°F (177°C) or 360°F. Fry the empanadas in batches, for 1-2 minutes per side, until they are golden brown. Again, it's important not to crowd the fryer, as this will cause the oil temperature to drop.
You can also reheat empanadas in the oven at 400°F for 5-7 minutes, until the crust is re-crisped and the filling is warmed through.
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Frequently asked questions
Deep frying is the best way to cook empanadas, but you can also use an air fryer or bake them.
You should use a high-smoke point oil, such as peanut or corn oil.
Two to three tablespoons of filling is enough. Overstuffing the empanadas can cause filling blow-outs in the oil.
