Colombian Empanadas are a popular snack or appetizer in Colombia and are served by most Colombian restaurants in the United States with ají sauce.
Empanadas are popular in Spain and Latin America. Every country has an empanada recipe and even in Colombia we have different versions depending on the region and the cook.
Serving Suggestions
These empanadas are usually serve with Colombian ají sauce and lime wedges on the side. You can serve them as an appetizer, snack or as a meal with a salad on the side.
What are Colombian Empanadas Made of?
Traditionally, these fritters are made with precooked corn flour and filled with meat, potatoes, vegetables and spices. Some people use shredded pork and beef to make their empanadas, but in my family we always make them with ground meat.
Ingredients to Make the Filling
You will find the printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions below.
Vegetables: Potatoes, white onions, scallions, red bell pepper, tomato and garlic.
Spices: Sazón with azafran, chicken or vegetable bouillon, salt and black pepper.
Oil: Olive oil
Herbs: Fresh cilantro or parsley.
Meat: Ground pork and beef.
Ingredients for the Dough
Masarepa: Yellow precooked cornmeal.
Water: Lukewarm
Oil: I recommend using vegetable or canola oil.
Spices: Sazon with azafran and salt.
How Can I Make Meatless Colombian Empanadas?
In Colombia, empanadas are also sold outside of the churches. Those are usually very small and just have a potato filling, a great alternative for vegetarians and absolutely delicious. They are known as "empanaditas de iglesia".
For the vegetarian version of these empanadas, follow all the ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below. Just omitting the beef and pork.
How to Make Colombian Empanadas
To make the dough, place the masarepa in a large bowl. Add the sazón and salt, and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the filling.
To make the filling, place the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tablet for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.
Transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.
To assemble the empanadas, break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.
Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.
Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.
Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360° F.
Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides. Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels.
How to Store
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and spray with cooking oil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until they are warm and crispy. You can reheat them in the microwave, but the dough will be softer.
You can freeze these empanadas before frying. After filling them and pressing the edges together, transfer them to a lined sheet pan and freeze them until solid. Transfer the frozen empanadas to a freezer-safe container or bag and store them for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge before frying them.
Cooking Notes and Tips
*You can make smaller empanadas for a party or make them bigger if you prefer, just double the recipe.
*Yo can make the empanadas filling one day ahead, store in the fridge until ready to use.
*For the vegetarian version of this Colombian Empanadas recipe, follow all the instructions and just omitting the beef and pork.
*Colombian empanadas are traditionally served with aji colombiano.
Depending on how much your vegetables cook down and the size you cut them, you may have a little leftover filling. The leftover filling makes an excellent quesadilla or taco filling.
You can also freeze the filling for up to 3 months when the cravings strike for a quick and easy batch of empanadas.
More Traditional Colombian Recipes to Try:
Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)
Ajiaco Santafereño (Colombian Ajiaco)
Tamales Colombianos (Colombian Tamales)
Bistec a la Criolla (Steak with Creole Sauce)
Colombian Empanadas Recipe
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Lime and ají for serving
Dough
- 1 ½ cups precooked yellow cornmeal masarepa
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon sazon Goya with azafran
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Filling
- 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon tablet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped white onions
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 chopped garlic clove
- 2 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper
- ½ pound ground pork and beef
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sazón with azafran
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Place the masarepa in a large bowl. Add the sazon Goya and salt and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the filling.
Filling
- Cook the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tablet for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.
- Break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.
- Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.
- Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.
- Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360° F.
- Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides.
- Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ají and lime on the side.
zerrin
Fantastic empanadas! I want to squeeze lemon on that halved piece. Erica, I think you'll make me a fan of Colombian dishes. Your recipes are definitely appealing to my appetite!
My Carolina Kitchen
I haven't had Empanatas since we lived in Texas way back when. My favorite was stuffed with beef, English peas and flavored with rosemary. I can still taste it but I've never been able to re-create it. Think I'll have to give your recipe a try. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.
Sam
John
Those look fantastic--so perfectly golden brown!!
Cynthia
I can never get enough of these goodies!
Hélène
How delicious they look. I have never eaten Empanadas before.
Kim
Yum- they looks perfectly crispy and delicious. I wish I could come by and have some : )
Erica
Thank you for visiting!
Anonymous
I love the empanadas they are sooooo good❄️☄️
Jann
Made these today and they are amazing! Had to tweak the dough a bit but everything else was perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
Sophie
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM,...your empanada's look so tasty & colourful!!
I so digg them!
I will try them tomorrow, so Thanks for this yummie recipe, Erica!
Felisha
I have made several empanada recipes. I will def. have to try yours. These look amazing 🙂 Since they are so much work, I usually make a lot, and freeze the others for a quick snack 😛 I love how you have a pic of each dish for the imagination!!
lorena
When you freeze them, do u fry them frozen or do u let them thaw?
JOE
Fry them frozen.
Beth
Tried frying them frozen. The outside was good but the middle was still cold. Maybe could have fried them a little longer, but I'll try thawing them next time.
Pilar-Lechuza
En España les llamamos empanadillas( las empanadas son más grandes) pero se llamen como se llamen nos encantan en casa. Probaré tu receta y ya te contaré el resultado.
un abrazo
Cathy
I love empanadas! Yours look delicious - high time I tried making some.
Gio
I’ve been making this recipe for years, tastes great but I can never get a consistent texture on the dough. They seem to break pretty easy if I follow the recipe. I usually have to add more masarepa. Should I let it sit longer? Is it too much water ?
Monica Wong
Hi Erica,
This is a delicious snack!
Oysterculture
When we were lived in DC, there was a local chain called Julie's Empanadas and I loved going there, I thought they were the perfect snack - nice and contained. Now I can try my own.
momgateway
...been wanting to try out Colombian recipes. Empanadas are my favorite!
Velva
Those empanadas look wonderful!!!
Carolina
Erica,
You are my Hero! Thank you for sharing your recipes. Since I found this blog, I have been making delicius Colombian dishes for my husband and son...We love it. No hay nada como el sabor de COLOMBIA. Sigue compartiendo tus recetas...no sabes cuanto lo apreciamos 🙂
Erica
Hi Carolina,
Thank you so much for the nice comment! I am glad you like the blog.
Anonymous
WOW! I just needed to find the nutrition facts but what i just found was better! Viva Colombia!!
Susie
Thank you so much for the empanadas recipe ! And many other recipes! Love my Colombian food so tasty!!
Francisco
Erica,
Thank you so much for the recipes; I am having a great and delicious time making them with my daughters. Y que viva Colombia!
Dina Abbo
Hi do you add half a pound each of pork and beef? Or total meaning a fourth each?
Jenny
Thats a really great question and I am wondering the answer as well. I thought it meant 1/4 lb each but now I am double thinking.
Erica Dinho
1/4 pound pork and 1/4 pound beef. 1/2 pound total
Mary
Can this recipe be baked in the oven instead of frying?
Maribel G Solis
I did itt at 350 on the air fryer and they turned out great
David Elser
My Colombia friends and wife of 19 years can’t believe this gringo can rock their taste buds with your recipe
Camilla
Whaaaaaaaaaaaattt??
Camilla
Whatcha talking bout...wit ur "Sigue compartiendo tus recetas…"
Thomas
Well - a few years too late haha.. But it means "keep sharing your recipes" 🙂
And these recipes are SUPER!!!!
THANKS Erica 🙂
Meg
How do you make the cilantro sauce?
Michy
Can you substitute the Goya sazon with azafran with Goya Saxon with coriander and acheito ?
Emily
Are these empanadas gluten-free? Empanadas are my favorite but recently I had to give up gluten. The recipe seems like it’s GF.
Marcia Sibely
Yes, they are
Olga Hamon
My love empanadas.. I always wanted to learn to make them. This recipe was easy to follow. From now on I will be making my own empanadas. Thank you!
María Uhlmann
Hi! Thank you so much for the delicious recipes. Could you tell me what is the green sauce to serve the empanadas and could you share the recipe? Thank you so much! .
Vane
It’s a Colombian Ají
Ryan
My wife is from Cali Colombia and has missed the authentic flavors from her country. I surprised her by making this recipe and she was SO impressed! She says they are the BEST empanadas and absolutely loves the recipe!
Thank you!!!