How to make empanada dough for frying
This is my easy recipe for homemade empanada dough for frying. The process to make this empanada dough for frying is very similar to the empanada dough for baking. A few differences are that this dough doesn’t include egg, has a little bit less butter, but adds baking powder and little bit of orange juice. The orange juice gives the dough a nice flavor, while the baking powder give the empanadas that light fluffy texture when you fry them.
You can use the regular baking empanada dough and fry it, however I prefer the texture that you get from this variation when making fried empanadas. I mainly make this dough to prepare empanadas de viento or fried cheese empanadas, but it can also be used to make any type of fried empanada with the filling of your choice. This is mainly a savory fried empanada dough, though if you want you can add a small amount (~1 tablespoon) of sugar to give the dough a slightly sweeter taste. This will work well with fillings like cheese or cheese and jam/fruit preserves.
How to make empanada dough for frying
Ingredients
- 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 1 stick = 4 oz
- ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons of orange juice
- ~2/3 cup sparkling water or still water add more if needed
- Your choice of fillings
- 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.
- 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.
To fill, assemble, and fry the empanadas:
- Use a spoon to place your choice of filling on to the center of each empanada disc.
- Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges, first pressing gently with your fingers, then use your fingers to gently twist the edges of the empanada. You can also use a fork to press down and seal, or one of those empanada molds if you have one.
- If you have time, I recommend chilling the empanadas for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer if you are making them ahead of time), before frying them.
- The empanadas can be fried either a deep fryer or a simple frying pan, just make sure to have enough oil to cover at least half the empanada if using a pan. Heat the oil, it should bubble when you add the empanadas to the oil, and fry each empanada until they are golden on each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan and if any of them break/leak remove it immediately from the oil.
- Place the fried empanadas on paper towels to drain any extra oil.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Step by step photos for the preparation of the empanada dough for frying:
Hi: It’s been awhile since I’ve had empanadas and I have just rendered some nice lard so I’m surfing the web and I’ve read some of your material. It is very interesting and helpful. But I’m curious. How come you don’t use lard for the empanadas and why don’t you fry them in lard when frying.
Hi Dave – One of the reasons is that it’s hard to find good quality lard in the US, and yes, I really should make my own, but just don’t enough time these days.
Also, I like to make a large batch of dough and usually make at least some the empanadas meatless for friends that don’t eat meat. Most of the time I use the dough for frying to make Ecuadorian empanadas de viento (filled with cheese), and those don’t have lard in the dough (it changes the flavor) and are fried in oil.
Hi,
We make empanadillas a lot (my husband is from Puerto Rico), and we normally use the prepackaged variety of discos you find in the grocery stores (Goya and others made in Miami, FL). However, my daughter was diagnosed with an egg and soy allergy so I went on the hunt for a dough I could make myself. When my husband bit into this empanadilla, he said this is what it taste like in Puerto Rico. He was quite pleased. Just in case this might help anyone else, I used regular water (cold) and I added a bit of sazon (Badia brand which has no MSG). I pulled off 1.3 oz pieces of dough (slightly smaller than a golf ball) and first made it into a ball. I then placed it on parchment paper. I put another piece of parchment paper over the top and then pressed down with a plate. I then used my rolling pin to roll these out to about 6 inches (my first were smaller and they were too thick). I got 18 discos. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
I don’t have sparkling water so is there anything I can use to substitute?
You can also use plain still water.
I am argentine but never try to make empanadas for two reasons, I don’t know how to bake anything and when I go to Argentina there topo many places that make an even deliver them to your place warm. No one makes empanadas at home anymore.
But I am in the USA and I miss them terribly.
I am encourage by your recipe and direction to try to make them by hand since I don ‘t have a processor or mixer or anything. I like them fried -they taste so much better- should I paint with egg yolk before I fry them? Which oil is best?
If you could help me I’d appreciate it very much… Can’t wait to try…
Hi Nel – You don’t need to paint them with egg yolk if you are frying them (that’s just for baking them). I usually fry them in canola, peanut or sunflower oil.
I dont have a food processor is there an alternative?
Hi Marie – You can make the dough by hand also, just add the ingredients in the same order as you would for the food processor method. You might need a few additional tablespoons of sparkling water.
I just tried the recipe , and i filled the dought with some filling i made , and it turned out great!! Everyone loved it. Thnk you for this successfull recipe :)
Laylita you are the best!!
I’m from Guayaquil and live in California. You make such a good ecuadorian food and for me it’s awesome to have found your website! Keep it up! I always look forward your next recipes!
I’m just curious. If I don’t have OJ. Is there something I can substitue for this? I don’t want to have to make a run to the store at last minute…
Hi Jacque – You can use (more) water if you don’t have OJ – the OJ gives the dough a subtle citrus taste but the dough will still be good without it .
Hi Layla,
I have made empanada’s countless times (my mother is Puerto Rican) but would always just take the easy way out and buy the discs already made. I thought it would be too involved to make them myself. Until last night when I went to the store and they didn’t have them. So I searched the internet for a doable recipe without lard or shortening. I came upon your blog and made them. I wasn’t sure how they would come out. Oh my goodness am I so glad I took a chance! They were delicious and sooooooo easy!!!! I will be making these from scratch from now on! Thank you for your site.
Puerto Rican cuisine doesn’t have empanadas. What you’re used to is pastelillos, which taste completely different in my opinion.
I am half Puerto Rican and yes we do have empanadas. My grandma was born and grew up there and makes empanadas and calls them empanadas. She learned from her grandmother who also calls them empanadas. They can be made in many different ways. Some countries make them to be desserts and Puerto Ricans tend to make them with meat inside. Check your facts hun.
Also, Laylita,
Thank you for this recipe! It’s fantastic! :)
Did you mean Pastellitos??? Scrumptious, popular in Argentina, but totally different.
I love this recipe