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Home » All » By Theme » Empanadas » Fried cheese empanadas // Ecuadorian empanadas de viento

Fried cheese empanadas // Ecuadorian empanadas de viento

By Layla Pujol 36 Comments

Recipe for empanadas de viento or fried cheese empanadas, these delicious traditional Ecuadorian empanadas are filled with cheese, fried until crispy, and served sprinkled with sugar.

Fried cheese empanadas

En español

Empanadas de viento or fried cheese empanadas are the most delicious traditional Ecuadorian empanadas – they are filled with cheese (and diced onions if you want), fried until crispy, and served sprinkled with sugar. These are truly my favorite empanadas of all time, the combination of the gooey cheese and onions inside a crispy fried empanada and topped with sugar is delicious. I would eat these every day if I could (probably not a healthy idea), these empanadas de viento are the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack with a hot cup of black coffee.

Cheese empanadas

The most important part is making sure the empanadas are sealed well, I seal them four times: first with my fingers, next with a fork, then with my fingers twisting and folding the edges, and finally with the fork again. It also helps if the empanadas rest for about an hour in the fridge before frying them, this might seem over the top just to seal an empanada, but I have experienced them leaking while they are being fried and it is very messy.

Homemade fried cheese empanadas

 These fried empanadas also make a great appetizer, or according to Nicolas a great dessert. We had an argument about that, “they’re NOT a dessert” was my reply, he insisted “but they have sugar on top, so that makes them a dessert”. Anyway I wasn’t very successful, so if you would like to consider these a dessert then go ahead (but they’re not). Either way they are yummy and extremely easy to make, especially if you cheat and use the store bought empanada discs.

Empanadas de viento {Fried cheese empanadas}
Cheese empanadas

Fried cheese empanadas // Empanadas de viento

Recipe for empanadas de viento or fried cheese empanadas, these delicious traditional Ecuadorian empanadas are filled with cheese, fried until crispy, and served sprinkled with sugar.
4.75 from 257 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Starter
Cuisine: Andean, Ecuadorian, Latin American, South American
Keyword: Cheese empanadas, Ecuadorian empanadas, Empanadas, Empanadas de viento, Fried empanadas
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 15 medium size empanadas or up to 25 small empanadas

Ingredients

  • 15 medium size or 25 small empanada discs – can use homemade dough recipe below or store bought empanada discs.

For the homemade empanada dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar – optional if you want a hint of sweetness in the dough
  • 1 stick of butter 4 oz, cut in 8 pieces
  • ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons of orange juice
  • ~2/3 cup sparkling water or still water add more if needed

For the cheese filling and cooking:

  • ~2 ½ cups grated cheese you can use quesillo, mozzarella, monterey jack, Oaxaca or any other cheese that melts well or a combination of your favorites
  • 1 cup finely chopped white onion optional
  • ½ cup sugar for sprinkling
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

To make the empanada dough:

  • Mix the flour, salt, sugar (if using), and baking powder in a food processor.
  • Add the pieces of butter and pulse until mixed.
  • Add the orange juice and sparkling water – start with ½ cup of water and then add more as needed, pulse and mix until clumps of dough start to form.
  • To make the empanada dough by hand, follow the same instruction but use your hands to mix the ingredients together.
  • Form a ball with the dough and knead lightly.
  • Place the dough in bowl, coat with small amount of oil, cover and let rest at room temperature for about an hour.
  • To make the empanada discs or rounds, you can either roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate). Or you can make several small balls of dough, about 1.5 oz to 2 oz in weight, then use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to roll them out – they don’t need to be perfectly round. It’s really important to get the discs very thin since they cook very quickly when you fry them, if after cutting out the round shapes or pressing them with a tortilla press, they are still thick, try rolling each disc a little more until it is very thin. Some people also use a pasta machine to get the dough very thin.
  • The empanada discs can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator or freezer to use later.
  • You can find more details and step by step photos on the process for making empanada dough for frying here.

To fill, assemble, and fry the empanadas:

  • Mix the grated cheese and chopped onions together.
  • Spoon the cheese filling on the center of the each empanada disc.
  • Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges, first pressing gently with your fingers, next use a fork to press down and seal, finally twist and fold the edges of the empanadas and then use the fork again for the final sealing.
  • Chill the empanadas for at least an hour, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
  • Fry the empanadas either in a deep fryer or in a frying pan, if using a frying pan add enough oil to cover at least half of the empanada, let the oil get very hot and fry each empanada until they are golden on each side or about a minute per side.
  • Place the empanadas on paper towels to drain any excess oil, sprinkle generously with sugar and serve warm.

How to make dough for fried cheese empanadas:

Making dough for fried cheese empanadas

Assembling and frying the cheese empanadas:

Place the cheese mix on the center of each empanada
Refrigerate the empanadas for an hour before frying
Fry the empanadas in hot oil until golden on each side
Sprinkle the cheese empanadas with sugar
Empanadas de viento
Fried empanadas
Ecuadorian empanadas de viento
Fried cheese empanadas {empanadas de viento}
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Filed Under: All, Andean, Appetizers, Breakfast and brunch, Cheese, Comfort food, Easter, Ecuador, Empanadas, Kid friendly, Latin America, Recipes for Lent, Snacks, South America

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lorena says

    April 25, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    Wow! These came out amazing. I was poking around looking for a dough for fried empanadas and stumbled upon your website. My mom is Guayaquileña and she said these were the best empanadas she’s had … ever.

    Reply
  2. John Pierre Barbe' says

    September 16, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    My wife is from Ecuador and makes Empanadas de viento, she uses green onion. I think it gives the Empanadas bettter flavor. Thank you for the recipe, and the tip about the use of a tortilla press. I have printed out your recipe for my son.

    Reply
  3. Becky P. says

    June 22, 2017 at 11:04 am

    I felt like a culinary genius the way these came out just as pictured – dough was amazing – vale la pena. I’ve been trying to remember what these were called for 15 years! My senior year of college I studied at la Universidad San Francisco de Quito. My host family made these for dessert occasionally (must have been used to host students thinking it was dessert). Fried these up as a Father’s Day treat last weekend. So pleased. I know I’m gushing but it meant a lot to me to find this recipe. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  4. Geri Narvaez says

    January 23, 2017 at 7:49 am

    Hello Layla!! I am not Ecuadorian, but my husband is. He has not been home to Cuenca for about 10 years, so I am very happy to find your website. I want to try some of your recipes to give him a “taste of home” here in the states. I am an intermediate level home cook, and want to surprise him. If you have not been to Ecuador for many years, what is the best 2 or 3 dishes you would try immediately when returning? This will help me decide which of your recipes to make for him. Thank you again for your recipes and pictures. Everything I see here makes my stomach excited haha! God bless.

    Reply
  5. Maria says

    May 1, 2015 at 11:27 am

    Thanks for the recipe. The only change I made is that I cook the onions with achiote and then once cold mix with the cheese and fill the discs. That’s how my family made them and the achiote adds flavor.

    Reply
  6. Amparo says

    December 21, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, Laylita! You are the best!!!

    Today, I finally decided to make empanadas de viento and let me tell you, they were a success!! They tasted and looked exactly like the ones my mom used to make for us in Ecuador! Because I don’t have a food processor, I had to make the dough by hand, but it wasn’t difficult to make or to roll it out because it wasn’t sticky. I cut your recipe in half, and got 8 medium sized empanadas. My husband was feeling a little dubious about the onion-cheese-sugar combination, but ja, ja, ja…. in the end, he looked quite delighted while licking his fingers. Thanks again for helping us bring little pieces of Ecuador to our homes and hearts!!

    Reply
  7. Tanya says

    November 29, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    I made these yesterday for breakfast! Thanks to you! My mom used to make the dough with LARD! Your recipe was pretty close to hers in flavor and texture. She always added raisins and chopped, hard-boiled egg, which made it heaven for me.

    Reply
  8. Ileen Cuccaro says

    November 27, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    I sure would love the recipe you used for the dough it looks amazing flaky and crisp

    Reply
    • Laylita says

      November 27, 2012 at 6:33 pm

      Hi Ileen – The recipe for the dough is here: https://www.laylita.com/recipes/2008/03/18/how-to-make-empanada-dough-for-frying/

      Reply
      • Ileen Cuccaro says

        November 28, 2012 at 3:40 am

        Well thank you so much Laylita, these look yummy, I have printed and am going to try these over the weekend. I assume I can make the dough in advance for a head start. Greta instruction for sealing these as well so they do not open up

        Reply
  9. Frank says

    November 27, 2012 at 11:57 am

    Fantastic receipe..although I don’t know how traditional putting onions inside is?

    Reply
    • Laylita says

      November 27, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      Frank – Onions are a must have, if you haven’t had with onions you should try. I know that some of the street vendors don’t always add onions, but I always remember adding onions when making them with friends/family, and to me it feels like they’re missing something if they don’t have onions.

      Reply
  10. Shonagh @ An Offal Experiment says

    November 20, 2012 at 7:18 am

    I am so excited to find this recipe. I just came back from Quito and I absolutely loved the cheese empanadas with cheese! I can’t wait to make them!

    I was also happy to find the recipe for mote because I brought some dried mote back from Ecuador.

    Reply
  11. Lauren says

    August 13, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    this is my favorite food of all time! My Ecuadorian family makes them at EVERY holiday along with humitas and torta de yuca. (it’s like a potato pancake with cheese in it, not sure if you’ve had it).

    It is my favorite comfort food. That and arroz con huevos y queso.

    Reply
  12. Heather Purri de Youngblood says

    May 26, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Are fried empanadas less likely or more likely to crack?

    The answer is both, on the one hand they cook faster (5-6 minutes) so if they’re sealed well then they are less likely to crack. However, since they are cooked in hot oil, they move around more than the ones sitting on the baking pan, so they are more fragile. Also, if an empanada leaks in the oven it is not as bad as if it leaks the filling into hot oil.

    Reply
  13. Maria Belen says

    January 11, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    It’s my firts time on your website, and I LOVE it. I’m from Guayaquil and can’t wait to try some of my favorite Ecuadorian dishes you have posted. GREAT work

    Reply
  14. alejandra says

    July 16, 2011 at 7:50 am

    Hola Layla,, soy ecuatoriana de Loja, buscaba una receta para empanadas de viento, y encontre la suya, esta pagina es muy buena y la tentacion no mata ahora voy a preparar la carne bisteck en salsa de coco y tomate, … no se como saldra pero le avisare,
    he preparado carne en salsa de pina y en tomate de arbol, (separados) y los dos platos me salieron esquisitos.
    gracias

    Alejandra

    Reply
  15. Nanu says

    October 27, 2010 at 10:33 am

    I grew up in Puerto Rico and these, or a variation of it) were an all time favorite. I never had them with sprinkled sugar nor cheesy onions, but we did have them stuffed with picadillo de carne (seasoned ground beef) or with pizza cheese and sauce.

    My 12 year old LOVES the pizza ones I make.

    I’m gonna try the cheese and onion one of these days :)

    Reply
  16. tasteofbeirut says

    November 5, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    I was thinking about how empanadas remind me of our lebanese (and levantine) “sambusek”. Same idea.

    Reply
  17. Annie says

    August 8, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    Thank you so much for the recipe – while my family is from chile this recipe looks similar to what I’ve had growing up. i can’t wait to try and it and see how it turns out.

    thank you for this!

    Reply
  18. tito says

    June 14, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    these empanadas are so good……
    those are delicious
    if you taste one of these your tongue is going to heaven
    i proved and really those are delicious

    Reply
  19. Liesl says

    March 14, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Looking at all your wonderful recipes almost brought me to tears. I miss Quito so much and have always wanting to try Ecuadorian cooking here in the States. But my fear has been that not having quite the same ingredients would ruin it. Your website has given me hope! Thank you.

    Reply
  20. Ana says

    March 8, 2009 at 2:15 pm

    Hey Laylita,

    Thank you sooo much for this great recipe. I made these wonderful “empanadas” for my husband this past week and he absolutely loved them. I just have a quick question. I would like to make “empanadas” for some guests next week, but because of limited time I was wondering if I could make the dough a day in advance? what is your suggestion?

    Hi Ana – I’m glad you like these empanadas, you can make the dough a day in advance, you can even assemble the empanadas, keep them refrigerated and just fry them the next day.

    Reply
  21. ALEjANDRA says

    January 20, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Hola,

    Everythink looks delicious, especially the empanadas is there other ingredients you can stuff it with instead of cheese?

    Thank you so much

    Hi Alejandra – Yes, you can also stuff them with ground beef or chicken or vegetables or fruit. A reader on my Spanish blog reminded me that in Ecuador they are also sometimes stuffed with sweet plantains (previously cooked & mashed).

    Reply
  22. aleprusita says

    January 1, 2009 at 10:51 am

    Hi Laylita.
    Happy New year!!!…your site is the best gift i found this season. I’m ecuadorian (de Ibarra) and i love and miss ecuadorian food. I tried couple of your recipes, arroz con chorizo y camaron, come y bebe and the empanadas de viento…what can i say…it is glory!!!! thank you sooooo much…mil gracias.

    AJ

    Reply
  23. Valentina says

    December 8, 2008 at 7:44 pm

    Hi Laylita,

    Thank you so much for this wonderful site! My boyfriend is Ecuadorian…and I can’t wait to surprise him with some of his favorite home-town dishes!!! Thank you so much!

    Valentina

    Reply
  24. Georgina says

    October 4, 2008 at 8:58 am

    Laylita,

    Thank you so much for the wonderful pictures, my boyfriend is Ecuadorian I am Mexican and it is really tough to cook his favorite receipes with out pictures I can never tell if I did it right if I don’t know how they look like, love your website.

    Reply
  25. Celia says

    October 1, 2008 at 11:00 am

    Dear Lalita,
    All your recipes are amazing!!! and the pictures, I can describe it!!!
    Thanks from the bottom of my heart

    Reply
  26. Laylita says

    July 25, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Hi Y, I have a recipe for baked cheese empanadas right here: https://www.laylita.com/recipes/2008/02/06/cheese-empanadas/

    Reply
  27. Y says

    July 22, 2008 at 9:11 pm

    I love that last photo of the empanada with the cheese spilling out. Is it possible to bake your empanada dough recipe instead of frying?

    Reply
  28. David says

    May 4, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Thank u for the blog! I love it!

    Reply
  29. Laylita says

    April 18, 2008 at 11:12 am

    Hi Farida, Thank you for your comments. I love Pirojki and the ones you made you look very cook, I’ll have to try making some one of these days.

    Reply
  30. farida says

    April 18, 2008 at 9:47 am

    Hi Layla, I just discovered your site through Gretchen’s Canela & Camino. What a beautiful blog you have! I love your recipes and your pictures are gorgeous! I am going to subscribe to your blog now.

    By the way, these empanadas look so delicious! I recently made stuffed pies Pirojki and posted them on my blog and some of my viewers likened them to empanadas.

    Keep up the good work. It’s a beautiful site. I am thinking about trying some recipes from here. Cheers!

    Reply
  31. Beth says

    March 27, 2008 at 5:59 pm

    Hi,
    I just found your site and I’m so excited to go over all the recipes. I just moved to Quito with my family at year ago and I am still completely lost when it comes to a lot of the food. I love to cook, though, so I know that your site will be a great help. Plus I like the kid-friendly section, since I have some picky eaters.
    Looking forward to more happy reading and cooking!

    Reply
  32. MrsDocChuck says

    March 24, 2008 at 9:54 am

    My husband has gained a lot of weight since being confined, but I will allow him a terat or two each week. He adores anything wrapped up in dough and deep fried, so these will be at the ready, should his behavior warrent pampering.

    Reply
  33. Frantic Foodie says

    March 20, 2008 at 11:08 pm

    Those look so professional. I want them..

    Reply

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 Layla Pujol is an Ecuadorian modern-day nomad who loves to cook and travel. She lives in Seattle and is currently working on her first cookbook, which will focus on delicious Ecuadorian and Latin recipes (adapted to her style). More

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