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.
Janis
Oh my goodness. So happy to find this recipe! 40 years ago I lived in Baranquilla and this was my favorite food ever. Second place was a coconut tart that I ate there. Both were the best foods I had ever eaten. Let me know if you have a recipe for the coconut tart. Of course getting my hands on the fresh coconut here in the US would be impossible. The coconut and pineapple here in the US tastes nothing like the Columbian version. Thank you!!!
Anonymous
I am making this recipe for my AP Spanish class as part of our food project and I don't want to get anything wrong. Especially since my sister gave me a teaspoon measuring tool put the measurements are weird so if it's not to much to ask, do you happen to know the measurements in ml??
MT
Would love to see the nutritions on your recipes. Great site.
Emm
Hey there! I love Colombian empanada, but I live in Mexico and can't get a hold of yellow cornmeal (actually there's PAN, but its way more expensive). I brought back some polenta from Argentina, can I use that instead (for now)? Someone else asked you the same question, but I didn't see the answer
Kate
Hello, I am so happy to have found your website. I am Colombian and I have always wanted to learn to cook Colombian food. I was wondering what type of beef do you recomend to be used for the empanadas. I have never cooked but I wanted to give it a try.
YVETTE
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE. JUST WONDERING IF I CAN BAKE THIS, WHAT TEMPERATURE AND FOR HOW LONG.
THANKS
Martha H
Erica, thanks for the great recipes ... wondering if you can make these ahead, freeze and then fry just before serving? Thinking they'll be great for my friends on game day!
Isabel
Hi Erica.
I bought a pack of the yellow P.A.N for my dad when I was in Colombia 3 years ago. It has never been opened but he wants to make empanadas this weekend, so I'm wondering if we can still use it or if it's bad/expired? I can't seem to find it anywhere in my country so if I can't use it is there another product I can use instead?
Jennifer
Suggestions for freezing? I'd like to prepare empanadas and freeze them before the frying step. I'd like to thaw and fry day of party. Has anyone done this? How did they turn out? Flavor & Texture? Thank you!
kathy
Excuse me but when doing the dough , you didn't give enough info. to what to do with it when putting it aside because I didn't know to put it in the fridge because you didn't say
Anonymous
Erica, is it possible to bake the empanadas rather then fry them?
martica
Thank you for your recipes as well as the illustrations. My question is for the empanadas made with pre cooked corn meal do you know how many calories per piece? Thank you for your reply.
Bea
Muchas gracias por esta receta tan bien explicada.
Todavia existe el blog?
Erica Dinho
Si, el blog todavía existe.
Chris Hyder
Can you make these ahead and freeze them (uncooked) then fry them?
Erica Dinho
Yes.
Angela M.
Este es el mejor sitio en la web para cocinar comida colombiana! Gracias
No tienes un libro con tus recetas? Te harías famosa.
Erica Dinho
Todavia no!!!Gracias!
Dawn
I am Canadian and my boyfriend is from Columbia (here 14 years) I made these Empanadas today and he was very pleased - his kids loved them too said they tasted like the ones from the Columbian market!! I have also made fish, salad and coconut rice from your recipes (the rice I didn't do so well but will try again) Thanks for the recipes and pictures, it is a challenge for me but I love the opportunity to give him a taste of home!! Thanks!!
Tracey
Soy de Virginia pero hace 20-pico años viví en Manizales por unos 6 meses. La comida paisa todavía me encanta. Especialmente las empanadas y las arepas. Me alegra mucho tener estas recetas a la mano para disfrutar a la comida más deliciosa del mundo aquí en mi cocina norteamericana. Yo ❤️ Colombia!!
diana
I just made this recipe. Took some time but the result was worth it! I could not find masarepa and had to use maseca as it was all I could find at the grocery store. I had to adjust the amount of water but they came out pretty good. I also substituted shredded chicken for the ground meat. Husband and kids all gave these a thumbs up! I will definitely make these again.