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.
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.
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.
Ingredients
- 15 medium size or 25 small empanada discs - can use homemade dough (recipe below) or store bought empanada discs.
- 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
- ~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
- 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.
- 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.
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.
How to make dough for fried cheese empanadas:
Assembling and frying the cheese empanadas:
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!!!
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.
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.
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!!
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.
I sure would love the recipe you used for the dough it looks amazing flaky and crisp
Hi Ileen – The recipe for the dough is here: https://www.laylita.com/recipes/2008/03/18/how-to-make-empanada-dough-for-frying/
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
Fantastic receipe..although I don’t know how traditional putting onions inside is?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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