Easy Homemade Empanada Recipes

Roll and cut the dough. Place the empanada dough on a floured counter top. Roll the dough out into 1/8 inch thick layer.Cut the dough into circles with round cookie cutters or biscuit cutters.

♥ Make the empanada dough.
♥ Roll out and cut the empanada dough.
♥ Place the filling in the middle.
♥ Crimp the edges.
♥ Cook the empanadas.
♥ More empanada fillings.

Recipe Courtesy of About.com

Tip: For large empanadas use 6 inch cutters for empanaditas use 3 inch cutters. If you don't have these handy, you can cut out the bottom of a coffee can, rinse it out, and use it as a cutter.

Ingredients for Pique Sauce:

* 6 cleaned green onions
* 3 cloves garlic
* 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup of minced cilantro
* 1 tsp of ground comino
* 1/8 cup of sugar
* 1/2 cup of white vinegar
* salt to taste

Directions for making Pique Sauce:

Finely mince the green onions and the garlic. Add the other ingredients and let marinate for at least 2 hours. There should be enough liquid to almost reach the top of the relish. You may have to adjust by adding a little more vinegar.

These preparations are "labor intensive", so you must prepare some of them at least two days or more in advance of your party or freeze them. If you freeze the empanadas, keep them separate while freezing but let them thaw out 1/2 an hour before frying them.

Recipe Courtesy of NIKAS CULINARIA

It's exquisite aroma and taste of this beefy filling find its influence way back from the Classic and South American countries like Peru, Chilean, Argentinian and Puerto Rican. It is traditionally eaten as a streetfood that are ideal for those people who are always on the go.

INGREDIENTS:
♥2 hard-boiled large eggs
♥1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
♥1 tablespoon olive oil
♥1 garlic clove, finely chopped
♥1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
♥3/4 pound ground beef chuck
♥2 tablespoons raisins
♥1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
♥1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving
♥2 tablespoons juice, and chopped
♥1 package frozen empanada pastry disks, thawed
♥About 4 cups vegetable oil

How to Prepare:

♥Cut each egg crosswise into 10 thin slices.

♥Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

♥Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool.

♥Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.

♥Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.

♥Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.

♥Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious for People Who Love To Eat

Tips: Empanadas can be brushed with oil and baked on an oiled baking sheet in a 425°F oven until golden, about 10 minutes. (They will not be as crisp as fried empanadas.)

This Cuban Picadillo Recipe is made with ground beef. You can serve it with rice or use it as a filling in empanadas and papas rellanas.

INGREDIENTS:
♥1 pound ground beef
♥1 teaspoon oregano
♥1 teaspoon cumin
♥4 cloves garlic
♥1 medium white onion (chopped fine)
♥4 cloves garlic
♥1 medium white onion (chopped fine)
♥1 small green pepper (chopped)
♥1/2 cup beef stock
♥3/4 cup tomato sauce
♥2 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
♥8 to 10 green olives (pitted)
♥salt and pepper to taste
♥olive oil for sautéing

PREPARATION:

♥In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

♥In a fruing pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic until soft.

♥Add the ground beef mixture, beef stock, and tomato sauce.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

♥Add the diced potato. Cover and cook another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.

♥Remove the cover. Add the olives and cook uncovered 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully evaporated, but the meat is still moist.

♥Serve the picadillo warm with rice or let cool and use as a filling for empanadas and papas rellenas.

Recipe Courtesy of About.com

Baked Pastry:
♥2 frozen pie shells, thawed
♥3 large egg yolks
♥2 tablespoon coarse (kosher) salt
♥1 tablespoon dark chili powder

Filling:
♥2 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
♥2 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
♥2 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
♥2 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
♥2 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
♥2 1 tablespoon minced red onion
♥2 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
♥2 1 teaspoon salt

How to prepare:
•In a bowl, mix together all ingredients for filling and refrigerate until ready to assemble empanadas.
•On a floured surface, roll out pie shells and cut into 4-inch circles (use all the pie dough by re-rolling scraps).
•Place approximately 2 tablespoons of cheese and chicken mixture in center of dough circles. Fold each circle in half and crimp edges with a fork.
•Place on a baking pan or cooking sheet and brush top of each empanada with egg yolk. Sprinkle top with salt and chili powder.
•Bake 12 to 13 minutes at 400°F. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Courtesy of About.com

One of the distinct quality of Filipino Empanadas is similarly somewhat to the Cuban piccadillo. Some Filipinos are not partial to a more sweeter flavor and much prefer the Hispanic version. Doughy baked and flaky fried version are the most commonly found delicacy.

Flaky Dough
♥ 4 cups flour
♥ 3 egg yolks beaten
♥ 2 tablespoon sugar
♥ 1/4 teaspoon salt
♥ 2/3 cup water

Fillings
1/2 kg ground pork
4 potatoes, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup lard
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon msg
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 cup boiled minced garbanzo beans
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

How to prepare
♥Mix beaten eggs, water, salt and sugar and mix well.
♥Add this to the flour and knead well until very smooth.
♥Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
♥Roll on board slightly dusted with cornstarch until very thin.
♥With pork lard brush surface thoroughly.
♥Start rolling tightly as jelly roll.
♥Cut very fine around 2 mm. Set aside.
♥On the same dough, pinch a portion and make as many as the ojadre (the rolled one) put the ojadre on top of the small ones, brush with melted lard, cover with banan leaf as thin as posible to a round form.
♥Put 1 tbsp filling in the center, put 1 sliced of hard boiled eggs, form the empanada, as turnover, flute the edges and fry in deep hot fat until golden brown.
♥To prepare filling: heat lard, add garlic, onions and ground pork.
♥Cook for a while.
♥Add diced potatoes and all the ingredients, cook until all ingredients are tender. Season to taste.
♥Add 4 tbsp flour, stir very welll until all ingredients have blended. Let cook until ready to use.

Recipe Courtesy of Recipe Zaar

Here's how to prepare:
♥In a large pot, over medium heat, melt the vegetable shortening. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic and cook until they are soft but not browned.

♥Lower the heat and add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chopped mixed green and red peppers, parsley, wine, stock, and mushrooms.

♥Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the carrots, zucchini, squash, and broccoli and cook until the vegetables are al dente. Add the mixed vegetables and spinach and heat through. Drain the vegetables and put them into an ice bath. When cool, drain well.

♥Put the vegetables back into the pot along with the creamed corn. Mix in the red pepper flakes, paprika, oregano, Cajun seasoning, and salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

♥Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

♥Place 1/4 cup vegetable mixture on the middle of each empanada dough disk. Avoid reaching the edges with the filling because oiliness will prevent good sealing. Slightly wet the edges, fold in half, and stick edges together. The shape should resemble a half-moon. Seal by pinching the edge between your thumb and index finger to make a curl about 5 or 6 times. Other sealing procedures like pinching without curling or using a fork to seal will not prevent the juices from leaking.

♥Place the finished empanadas on the cookie sheet and brush them with the egg yolk. Cook until they are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Recipe Courtesy from Food Network