Best Empanadillas Recipes

SHRIMP EMPANADAS (EMPANADILLAS DE CAMARON)

Steps:

• To prepare the dough:
• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix on medium speed to combine the ingredients, then add the beer.
• 2. Continue mixing to form a smooth, elastic dough, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the dough out into a mixing bowl, and rest covered in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before using.
• To prepare the filling:
• 1. In a medium skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.
• 2. Add the tomato, paprika, pinch of cloves, cumin, parsley, and shrimp, and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cool.
• To form the empanadas:
• 1. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out into 4-inch rounds. Brush the rounds with egg wash and fill each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of shrimp filling. Fold over into a half moon and press the edges to seal (for a decorative touch, crimp the sealed edges with a fork). Repeat as needed to use up all of the dough and filling.
• 2. In a medium pot over medium-heat heat, add enough oil to come about 2 inches up the side of the pot. Heat the oil to 350°F. Set a cooling rack over a sheet pan and reserve nearby.
• 3. Working in batches, gently fry the empanadas until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve cooked empanadas on the cooling screen while the remaining finish frying. Serve warm.

LITTLE MEAT EMPANADAS: EMPANADILLAS DE CARNE

Steps:

• The beef should be thawed, if frozen, set aside. In a large saute pan, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute. When they're soft, add the oregano, tomato sauce, raisins, and chopped olives. This should be at medium heat from now on. Add the ground beef.
• Pour the wine over the beef mixture and cover to cook through. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Once its almost cooked, uncover, and let dry up to a juicy but dry look to it.
• Never use if it is runny. That's the trick.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder and the salt. Pour this into a large bowl. Pour in the rest of the ingredients. Work this with a fork, trying to bring together all the ingredients but never beating or mixing. Once it?s all "together" and not sticky...you're ready to make Empanadillas.
• ASSEMBLING THE EMPANADILLAS: Prepare your table by spreading some flour to keep the mixture from sticking. You will need a roller, a knife and a fork. Your filling should be at hand. Take a small amount of the flour mixture (a ball that can fit in your hand) and you roll it out in the shape of a plate to a thickness of about 1/8-inch.
• Take a spoonful of the filling and place it in the middle half of the pastry and fold the top over the filling to look like a half moon. Seal the inside of the pastry by wetting your fingers with water and rubbing the border of the half moon. Take a knife and cut a perfect pastry half-moon. Now take the fork and press down the borders of the circular shape to seal. Fry the half moon in hot oil.

EMPANADILLAS DE CARNE

Steps:

• In a skillet heat the oils and brown the meats. Add the seasonings, onion, garlic and jalapeno. Saute until tender. Drain any excess fat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until very thick. Cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll the pastry dough out on a floured surface. Cut into 2" rounds. Place 1 tbsp of meat mixture on each round. Fold the round in half and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the pastry with egg whites. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

ABUELITA'S EMPANADILLAS

Steps:

• Brown meat well; drain fat. Add capers, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and vinegar; stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. If making hand made dough, see step 6 below. If using wonton wrappers, go to step 2.
• For each empanadilla, place 1 teaspoon meat mixture in the center of one wonton wrapper. Fold in half to form a triangle, sealing edges with the flour paste. You may also crimp the edges with a fork for an authentic Caribbean appearance.
• Make all the empanadillas before starting to fry them, as they cook very quickly.
• Heat oil at least 1 inch deep in heavy skillet, to deep-fry temperature, about 365-370°F. Keep oil hot. Fry a few at a time in the hot oil, turning once, until golden on both sides. It takes about 1-2 minutes on each side; the wonton wrappers take even less time. They will puff up. Drain on paper towels.
• If meat filling runs out before the wonton wrappers, place a small cube of cheese (about 3/4-inch size) in the wrapper in place of the meat. Cook as directed above.
• TO MAKE HAND MADE DOUGH: Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water, and stir quickly with a fork until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead just a few times on a well-floured surface. To make empanadillas, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a large marble, and roll into a very thin circle about 3-4 inches in diameter. Then proceed with filling as in step 2.
• Makes about 60 appetizers, or serves 6-8 people as a main dish.

EMPANADILLAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper; lightly spray with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in raisins, olives and cumin; remove from heat.
• On lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of pastry into 12x9-inch rectangle, trimming edges if necessary. Cut into twelve 3-inch squares.
• Place 1 tablespoon sausage mixture on each pastry square. In small bowl, beat egg and water with fork until well blended. Brush egg mixture on edges of pastry squares. Fold pastry over filling to make triangles; press edges with fork to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and sausage mixture. Brush tops of triangles with egg mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Garnish with cilantro.

EMPANADILLAS

Steps:

• Brown beef in oil, remove & cool. Mix with next 6 ingredients. Roll pie crust dough to 1/8" thickness & cut into eight 6" circles.
• Place beef mix on center of four, brush edges lightly with water & fold into crescents & seal tightly.
• For cheese filling, mix mozzarella, Parmesan & onion & place on 4 circles. Fold & crimp tightly.
• Fry in deep fryer at 365 deg, until golden.