How to make empanada dough for baking
This my easy recipe for making empanada dough for baking, it step-by-step photos and video. You can make the dough by hand or using a food processor (or a stand mixer).
Making homemade empanada dough is not as hard as you might think, especially if you have a food processor. And even if you don’t have one, it is still pretty easy to make by hand because the dough doesn’t need be overworked, and requires minimal kneading.
Empanadas, also known as turnovers or hand pies, are one of my favorite foods. They’re so versatile and can be made with an infinite number of delicious fillings – you can be as creative as you want with empanada fillings. Empanadas are also the perfect way to use leftovers, especially when a) you don’t enough for a full meal of leftovers and b) you want something different.
Video Recipe
Other empanada dough recipes:
How to make empanada dough for frying
Recipe for sweet empanada dough (for dessert empanadas)
If you want more empanada recipes, you can also check out my All about Empanadas: The Empanada 101 Guide
Store bought empanada discs vs homemade empanada dough
These days it is very easy to find the empanada discs already made (frozen) in Latin grocery stores, and even though I was skeptical at first, they are actually quite good. However, homemade always taste better and fresher.
Another benefit of making homemade empanada dough for baking is that you can customize the dough by adding spices or herbs that will add flavor and complement or contrast with the fillings. You can also make a large batch of homemade empanada dough, roll it out and cut it into discs, then freeze the discs (separate with wax paper) for later use.
How to make empanada dough for baking
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 oz unsalted butter (1 stick of butter = 4 oz)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water or milk adjust as needed to obtain a soft and smooth dough
Instructions
Making homemade empanada dough:
- Mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
- Add the butter and pulse
- Add the egg and the water or milk (in small increments) and continue pulsing until a clumpy dough forms.
- To make the empanada dough by hand, follow the same instruction but use your hands to mix the ingredients together.
- Split the dough into 2 large ball, flatten slightly into the shape of disks. The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated until ready to use (1-2 days max).
- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate). You can also make small individual balls with the dough and roll out each individual ball to a round shape (doesn’t need to be perfectly round) – if you have a tortilla press you can use it to flatten the dough balls.
- Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator/freezer to use later.
Assembling and baking the empanadas:
- To assemble the empanadas or turnovers, place a spoonful of the filling on the middle of each empanada disc. The amount of filling will vary based on the size of the empanada, but in general, it’s easier to seal an empanada that isn’t overstuffed. Also, the more you make empanadas, the easier it becomes to stuff them to the max and still seal them properly.
- To seal the empanadas, fold the disc and seal the edges by pressing the dough with your fingers. If you’re having a hard time sealing the edges, you can use brush the inside edges with egg white, it will act as a glue for the empanadas. You can also use a fork to help seal the edges, just press the top of the fork against the edges. To the repulgue or churito, the curl type seal, use your fingers to twist the curl the edges. There are also empanada molds that you can buy and will help seal the empanadas.
- For best results, I recommend refrigerating for at least 30 minutes the empanadas before baking – this also helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out.
- If you want your empanadas to have a nice golden finish, then you can brush them with egg wash (a whole egg whisked or egg yolk plus a few drops of water whisked).
- Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven. I usually bake them at 375F-400F, the temperature will vary based on the oven and the size of the empanadas. I bake the smaller sized empanadas at 375F. The baking time also varies (again based on the oven and size), but it’s in the range of 18-25 minutes – the empanadas will be ready once they are golden.
These look so yummy! I want to pre-make the empanada dough discs for a party. Can they be frozen ahead of time? I plan to put freezer paper between the layers.
Hi Julie – Yes, they can be frozen, just defrost in the fridge before using them.
Awesome recipe! I was searching for a recipe that came close to what my mom quoted me and this is it! The only variation is I added a little (1tsp) baking powder and 1 tsp cinnamon….fantastic! For the filling, since I wanted a dessert, I boiled some sweet potatoes, added some butter, cinnamon, sugar and pureéd it all in my food processor (very little butter or else it will be too runny to be a filling). I wanted to cry when I took the first bite, because I was overflooded with memories of my grandma and my youth. Thank you for sharing!
I’m making two different kinds. One is with caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach and cheese. The others are shredded pork w/ small diced cooked potatoes and a couple of slices of stuffed pimento olives. I can’t wait. The dough was really easy to make and I guesstimated on the water. I love the ease of the dough prep!
My father always says that the secret in empanadas is the dough: “El secreto esta en la masa”. This dough recipe is by far the best I have tried. I do not have a food processor so I hand-worked mine, and it was not too bad. I did end up needing 3 more tablespoons of water. I made them with whole wheat flour and with a simple but tasty tuna filling. For the filling I fried some diced onions and garlic, added diced jalapenos, added 2 cans of white albacore tuna, salt and pepper, and some tomato sauce. They are amazing, I am enjoying them at this moment.
Thank you for this recipe, I will be trying more recipes from your website soon!
I’m making these right now. I whipped up a filling of ground turkey and red, orange, and yellow bell peppers seasoned with taco seasoning. They smell delicious and I’m sure they’ll taste that way too. Thanks so much!!!
Just wondering, can I make up empanadas the night before and put them in the fridge and bake them the next morning?
Yes, I do that all the time
Love this simple recipe! Instead of water I use milk or buttermilk for a little extra richness. I also increased the amount if liquid by a tablespoon or two depending on how the dough comes together. For added ease, I use a tortilla press to make the rounds so I don’t have to roll and cut! Hope this helps.
Hi Laylita!
This blog is fabulous. I am also a fellow Seattleite currently living in Santiago Chile , writing food blog about my experiences. To help me get started I did some research and your blog is my absolute favorite for South American cuisine. I just used this empanada dough recipe and it turned out awesome. I made pino empanadas and cheese, tomato and spinach. Thanks so much!!!!
this is great!
my mom always brought the masa whenever she went to Argentina, but after a while it got tiring.
do you have to use a food processor or can you use a mixer (ie: Kitchen aid)?
I use a food processor.
A stand mixer would work with dough attachment. If this is a dough I cant see how dough hook wouldnt work. Just my thought. I have a kitchen aid and food processor, but if i make this I would use stand mixer.
Delicious! Haven’t had empanadas in 11 years and this completely hit the spot today when I made them from scratch! My husband loved the crust as well! Thanks!