How to Make Empanada Dough

Baked empanadas are a quick handheld snack or light dinner, and this flaky empanada dough makes all the difference in taste!

This is the ultimate recipe for flaky empanada dough! It’s easy to make and ready to stuff with any number of fillings.

I stumbled on an empanada dough recipe from Epicurious, which I adapted for my own recipe. The dough is buttery and super flaky—the perfect vehicle for any filling you choose.

Below you’ll find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make this easy recipe for empanada dough. The process is similar to making pie dough, so if you’ve made that before, you can easily make this recipe!

Easy baked empanadas

Empanadas can be baked or fried. For this recipe, we’re going to bake them.

The dough contains butter, which keeps the exterior flaky and crisp without frying.

I love empanadas because they are the perfect one-handed meal or snack. They can be frozen and easily reheated.

And, empanadas can be stuffed with any number of fillings. I filled them with a chicken enchilada filling, and served a sour cream dip on the side. You can see that recipe for chicken enchilada empanadas here!

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Jump to:

• Easy baked empanadas
• Empanada ingredients
• How to make empanada dough in the food processor
• Forming the dough
• Rolling the dough
• How to fold empanadas
• Baking the empanadas
• How to make empanada dough without a food processor
• Flaky Empanada Dough: Frequently Asked Questions
• Freezing and reheating instructions
• Fillings for empanadas
• 📖 Recipe
• Related recipes
• 💬 Reviews

Empanada ingredients

• All-purpose flour is the best flour to use—you’ll need 2½ cups.
• A stick of butter keep the dough extra flaky. Use unsalted butter if you have it.
• You’ll need two eggs: one for the dough and one for brushing on top. Use large eggs here.
• A tablespoon of vinegar keeps the dough from becoming tough.

How to make empanada dough in the food processor

First, pulse 2½ cups of flour with 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor (this is the one I have).

Then add ½ cup (1 stick) of COLD cubed unsalted butter. You want the butter to be fresh out of the refrigerator. Cold butter creates flaky layers!

Pulse 15 times until the butter is approximately pea-sized or a little larger. You want to see chunks of butter here.

It will break down a little further when the liquid is added. The chunks of butter create the delicious flaky layers when the cold butter hits the hot oven.

Whisk together 1 egg, ⅓ cup ice water, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add to the food processor and pulse 6–8 times.

The dough will look a combination of sandy and/or shaggy—this is a good thing!

Forming the dough

Dump the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap.

And then use the plastic wrap to form the mixture into a rectangle (this will make it easy to divide later).

See the white chunks of butter? That is a very good thing for creating the flaky dough!

Wrap up the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Rolling the dough

Divide the dough into 12 pieces using a sharp knife.

And roll each piece into a ball.

Lightly dust a flat surface with flour (I used a large cutting board; a clean countertop works well, too). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 5-inch circle, rotating the dough 45° as you roll it out.

This is a great tutorial on how to roll dough into a uniform circle.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want the edges to meet up when you fold it, so it can’t be super uneven. Use a 4–5 inch cookie cutter if that helps!

How to fold empanadas

Refrigerate the dough circles for 15 minute so they’re easier to work with. Then add your desired filling to the center (I made Chicken Enchilada Empanadas).

Bring the bottom edge of the circle to the top edge, and press lightly with your fingers.

To seal the empanadas, you could either crimp the edges with a fork, or use the technique in this video on how to seal empanadas.

I used the video technique and while they weren’t perfect looking, they stayed together nicely.

Baking the empanadas

Before baking, refrigerate the empanadas for 30 minutes. This ensures a flaky crust!

Then, brush them gently with a beaten egg (which creates a shiny crust).

Next, bake for 25–28 minutes at 400°F.

Let the baked empanadas cool slightly before serving.

And that’s how to make flaky empanada dough for easy baked empanadas!

How to make empanada dough without a food processor

If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this recipe.

To make the dough by hand, place the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Cut the butter into small cubes, and use a fork or pastry blender to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture. You want pea-sized pieces of butter.

You can also use your fingers for this, but the goal is to keep the dough as cold as possible, so I like using a fork so the butter doesn’t warm up from the heat of my hands.

Then, use a spatula to stir in the ice water, vinegar, and beaten egg. From there, you can follow the instructions as written in the recipe below.

Flaky Empanada Dough: Frequently Asked Questions

Freezing and reheating instructions

To freeze empanadas, place them in a single layer on a pan that fits in your freezer.

Freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag and seal tightly. The empanadas will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To reheat baked empanadas, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place empanadas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or 15–17 minutes if frozen.

Fillings for empanadas

The filling options for baked empanadas are endless. Here are a few ideas including a few options for dessert empanadas!

• Cooked ground beef & shredded cheese
• Leftover beef stew
• Leftover chicken curry
• Carnitas
• Diced ham & cheese (this is great for leftover ham from the holidays)
• Scrambled eggs & cheese (add bacon if you’d like!)
• Nutella & banana slices
• Apple pie filling or cherry pie filling

I made my baked empanadas recipe with a mixture of chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce to create Chicken Enchilada Empanadas. Along with a sour cream dipping sauce, they were a delicious dinner with a big green salad on the side.

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

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📖 Recipe

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