Empanadas are a traditional dish that is popular in many nations worldwide. They are made of pastry dough filled with various items like meat, veggies, and spices. The filling can be savory or sweet, and the bread can be fried or baked. Empanadas are versatile dishes serving as a main course, appetizer, or dessert.
This article will show you to cook empanadas step by step, including recommendations on how to keep them crispy, how to serve them, and how to store leftovers.
How to Fry Empanadas – Filling and Baking Method?
If you want to learn how to fry empanadas, you must follow a few basic steps. Method, Filling, Baking Method, and Time comprise these steps. You can start producing tasty empanadas after you have the fundamentals down. Online resources also have empanada recipes. We will discuss the filling and the baking process in this article.
To fry empanadas, you must first make the filling. Meat, veggies, and spices are examples of such ingredients. After you’ve made the filling, you may make the empanada dough. This is produced with flour, water, and optional additives like butter or lard.
To create the empanadas, roll out the dough and cut it into rounds. One tablespoon of filling should be placed in the center of each dough circle. In order to create a half-moon shape and seal the edges, fold the dough over the filling.
Next, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Put the empanadas in the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove the empanadas from the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and lay them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Finally, serve them warm with your preferred dipping sauce.
How to Add Fillings?
The dough for empanadas is straightforward and needs to be flattened out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. The shape can then be cut out using a circular cookie cutter, cup, or bowl. Once all of the empanadas have been cut out, you may fill them with your filling. The filling should be kept to two tablespoons or less so as not to overfill them.
Add a teaspoon of sugar and two teaspoons of butter to the dough if you want a sweet filling. Similarly, you can stuff your empanadas with a combination of sweet and savory foods.
What is the best Baking Technique?
The first step in making empanadas is rolling out the dough to an eighth-inch thickness. You can cut out as many circles as you’d like once the dough has been flattened out to this thickness.
Ideally, it would be best if you used a six-inch cutter for large empanadas and a three-inch cutter for mini empanadas. A coffee can or other metal container can also be used as a dough cutter. Once you’ve cut out enough dough, use a fork to glue the pieces together.
The empanada dough needs to be tightly sealed before frying. This will stop the filling from oozing out while it is being fried. If you want to make sure that your empanadas are correctly sealed, fold the dough into a semicircle and use a fork to crimp the edges. Water can be used to help seal the empanadas before cooking them if you don’t have a fork.
How to Make it Perfect?
Making empanadas is not particularly difficult, and they make excellent finger snacks. Empanadas can be made either sweet or savory. You can begin frying them in a deep pot after preparing the dough and forming them into balls. Use a Thermapen ONE to measure the temperature and set your pot to 350 degrees F. Serve the finished empanadas with salsa or guacamole.
Two cups of oil should be heated until aromatic in a large skillet to make the greatest deep-fried empanadas. Put 2-4 empanadas in the pan and cook them until one side is brown.
Each empanada can be filled with taco meat or cheese, or you can serve them with both. Empanadas can be stored for up to 3 days after being fried if they are stored in an airtight container.
How Long Should Empanadas be Fried?
The recommended cooking time for empanadas is 3-5 minutes per side. Your empanadas’ size, thickness, and oil temperature will all affect how long they take to cook.
Keep an eye on the empanadas while they fry because they can rapidly move from golden brown to burned. To ensure that the empanadas are fully cooked, and the filling is hot, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the empanadas.
It is also advisable to use a thermometer to verify the temperature of the oil; for best results, aim for an oil temperature of around 180C (350F).
How Much Oil does it Take to Fry Empanadas?
The amount of oil required to fry empanadas will vary depending on the size and shape of your pan, as well as the number of empanadas you intend to fry at the same time.
Use enough oil to submerge the empanadas completely. This ensures that they cook evenly and have a crispy crust.
Use at least 2-3 inches of oil in a deep pan—this is a common guideline. The empanadas will cook evenly because they will float freely in the oil. You can use a deep fryer or a pot, but don’t overfill the oil; otherwise, the empanadas will be difficult to handle.
Furthermore, be cautious while adding the empanadas to the oil, as the temperature of the oil might suddenly drop, causing the empanadas to absorb too much oil.
How do you Keep Fried Empanadas Crispy?
There are several methods for keeping fried empanadas crispy:
- After frying, set the empanadas on a paper towel-lined tray or rack to allow the excess oil to drain. This will keep them from becoming soggy.
- Keep them warm: If you aren’t serving the empanadas right away, keep them warm in a low-temperature oven (about 150-160F) or in a warming tray. This will keep the crust from turning mushy.
- Don’t overfill: If you use a lot of filling, the empanadas can become mushy, so be careful not to overfill them.
- If you’re creating a large quantity and won’t be serving them all at once, fry them once, let them cool, and then cook them again right before serving. This will restore their crunchy crust.
- To maintain the crispness of the empanadas, use a balanced oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
- Keep the empanadas away from humid areas since moisture might cause them to become soggy.
You can enjoy crispy empanadas even after they’ve been fried if you follow these recommendations.
How do you Make Empanadas Seem Gleaming?
Before baking or frying empanadas, brush them with a beaten egg or milk to make them shine. This will give the crust a glossy sheen while also acting as a sealant to maintain the moisture in the dough.
Here are the steps for making gleaming empanadas:
- Make the dough and filling for the empanadas according to the recipe.
- Cut the dough into rounds after rolling it out.
- Fill the middle of each dough circle with a tablespoon of filling.
- In order to create a half-moon shape and seal the edges, fold the dough over the filling.
- Whisk milk and an egg together in a small bowl.
- Brush the beaten egg or milk on the empanadas using a pastry brush.
- Cook the empanadas according to the recipe.
- The empanadas will be glossy and golden brown when done.
For a sweeter and more lustrous crust, add a teaspoon of sugar to the egg or milk. Take care not to overdo it since too much sugar can cause the empanadas to burn.
How to Serve the Fried Empanadas?
Empanadas can be served in numerous ways. Among the most popular serving options are:
- Empanadas are traditionally served hot, right from the frying pan or oven. They can be served alone or with a dipping sauce such as chimichurri, aj, or salsa.
- Cold: Empanadas can be served cold, making them ideal for picnics, gatherings, or as a quick snack. They can be refrigerated and served cold with salsa or sour cream on the side.
- With a side dish: Empanadas can be served as a main meal with rice, beans, or a green salad as a side dish.
- They can be served as an appetizer, chopped into smaller pieces, and accompanied by a dipping sauce.
- As a dessert: Sweet empanadas with sweet fillings such as fruit, chocolate, or dulce de leche can be served as a dessert, generally with a scoop of ice cream or a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
Lastly, the way you serve empanadas will depend on what you like and the occasion. Experiment with several serving options to determine which one works best for you.
How to Store the Leftovers?
In an airtight container, frozen leftovers of fried empanadas can be stored for up to 3–4 days. On a baking sheet, the empanadas should be baked in an oven that has been set to 350°F (175°C). Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
You can freeze them if you want to keep them for a longer amount of time. After they have cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 degrees Celsius) and bake the frozen empanadas for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
It’s worth noting that freezing and reheating can make the crust less crispy, so if you want to keep the original texture, eat them within a couple of days.
Conclusion
Fried empanadas are an easy and tasty way to enjoy this traditional dish. To fry empanadas, you need to get the filling and dough ready, put the empanadas together, and fry them for 3–5 minutes on each side in hot oil. To preserve empanadas crispy, drain extra oil, keep them warm, use the proper oil, avoid humidity, and don’t overfill them.
Empanadas are available warm or cold, as a main meal or as an appetizer, and with a choice of sides and dipping sauces. Leftover empanadas can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.