I have tried a variety of “empanadas” on my travels. It was delighting to learn that many countries have a different name for them. Asides from being meat filled, they’re also made as a sweet pastry. Some I have personally tried are beef patties (Jamaica), empanadillas (Puerto Rico), pastelitos (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela), Samosas (growing up with my friends from India), Haitian Pate (while living in NY I made many friends from Haiti), pastel de forno (Brasil), and Rissóis de Camarão (last year we tried these in Portugal it is a very popular shrimp empanada). My favorite version is pastelitos de guayaba y queso. I first tried them at the famous Cuban Porto’s Bakery in Burbank California. A few years later, I tried them in Havana, Cuba. Delish!
What I love most about empanadas is that you can fill them with anything you desire. You can make them traditional or untraditional. There are no rules. Just have fun with it and enjoy!
Let’s get into my Crispy Baked Empanadas. These two types were made with a smoky chipotle jackfruit filling and papas con queso filling (potato with cheese).
For full recipe, see below!
Smoky chipotle jackfruit recipe ingredients: I use jackfruit as a pulled pork substitute.
1 cup of jackfruit (buy fresh or canned)
1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (buy a canned one from any store)
1 tablespoon of each seasoning – cayenne powder, cummin, garlic powder, salt
How to prepare:
We are going to marinade first. Wash then drain your jackfruit and pull it apart into shreds as you would pulled pork. Add your chipotle in adobo sauce (if the peppers are large you dice into large/long pieces or shred them apart) add your spices, and mix very well. Cover it and leave in the fridge. Marinate overnight or for 1-2 hours. If you are impatient, you can cook it right away. I suggest practicing patience and allowing the flavors to sit it in the fridge to marinate. It tastes best this way.
Add a light coat of olive or avocado oil to your pan, heat at a medium flame. Once hot, add the marinated jackfruit to the pan. Cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes (stir occasionally). Don’t overcook it because you are going to add them into the empanada pocket to bake. Turn off the flame after 10 minutes, now let’s work on the empanada dough.
Papas con queso (potato & cheese) ingredients:
1-2 large russet potatoes (depending on family size)
1 cup of mozzarella, cheddar, or parmesan (pick your cheese of choice)
1 tablespoon of each seasoning – salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cummin
How to prepare:
Wash and cut your potato into 4 pieces (if they are smaller only cut in half). Boil the potatoes until a slightly soft (about 10 minutes). Don’t boil too long! Drain and set aside in a bowl. You are going to add it to the empanada pockets to bake, you don’t want to overcook them. If you do, it’s ok, don’t worry. You can keep the skin on or off, it’s a matter of preference. Shred your cheese, add it to the bowl with the potatoes, add your seasonings, and mash till desired texture. Then stuff them into the empanada pocket.
Empanada dough ingredients:
1 cup of warm water
4 egg yolks and 1 egg white for the egg wash
2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 cups of cassava flour OR 4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter (I used Miyoko’s vegan butter)
1 tablespoon of each seasoning – paprika, turmeric, salt
How to prepare:
Add the flour and seasonings to a bowl, mix well. Add egg yolks, melted butter, water, and mix with your hands. Add flour to a surface where you will be kneading your dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Then cover it with a cloth, let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the cloth, cut the dough into little pieces (about the size of a golf ball), then roll into ball shape. With a rolling pin OR your hands, flatten them out into circles like a tortilla. Add your filling of choice, fold in half, make sure you press in the edges by pinching it shut along the way. With a fork, press down along the edge of the empanada to close it well.
Baking:
Preheat your oven to 400 Degrees. Add a light coat of oil to a baking pan, place the empanadas on the pan, brush the egg wash on the top of each empanada. Let it bake for 15-25 minutes at 400 degrees or until desired golden top crisp. Allow them sit out for a few minutes and cool or you will burn your tongue… OUCH! Serve with salsa, pique, crema (cream), guacamole, etc.
These empanadas are easy to make, low in calories and bursting with flavor. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Con Amor,
Somaya Reece
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