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.
Lynn
Just made these but it took 3 hours quite a long time with 2-3 ppl. Can I freeze this before or after it’s made? And how long do you think this lasts in the freezer?
Erica Dinho
I always cook them the same day.
Anonymous
They freeze well. You will hardly notice the difference. just be sure to protect them from freezer burn;
Karina
This recipe is delicious, if you can figure out the dough. There are no pictures of the dough so it’s difficult to gauge if you have the correct consistency. After making this many times, I always need to add more PAN precooked cornmeal to the dough. Otherwise it pulls apart and I need to patch it to cover the filling. Once I add more dry PAN, it works. Also, making sure you don’t make the dough too thin. Definitely make the aji sauce. It really adds a great dimension to these. I always double or triple the recipe since they are a bit of work, I might as well make a lot of them. Good luck!
Jane
I had issues with the dough as well! It was sloppy wet and I had to add nearly an additional cup of PAN. After adding a little of this and a little of that, it worked!
Tutii R
Can you freeze these also ? Or is it something that needs to be cooked right away ?
Ana
Erika
Thank you for the recepies.
Question!!! I would like to cook the empanadas in the airfryer. Can I?
Erica Dinho
I did not cook them in the air fryer. I don't know if this recipe will work.
Astrid
Yes you can! It’s easy and they are way better!
Dayana
Can someone let me know the adjustments if I want to make 30 empanadas, please and thank you!
Anonymous
Reduce the water in the recipe to 1 1/2 cups then multiply the entire recipe
by 4.
Johnny
Reduce the water to 1 1/2 cups then multiply ecipe by 4
sean hayes
Thanks for the recipe. Are you sure you have the correct amounts? The dough mixture seems to be extremely liquidy and not able to make the dough with it. I think there needs to be more dry ingredients, or less wet ingredients. Can you please advise?
Thank you!
Johnny
Great recipe but I feel I feel the water should be cut back to 1 1/2 cups.
Is 2 cups the correct amount?
Love your site Thank you
Lex
I tried this recipe today. The masarepa mixture was all way to soupy - originally it was a pile of slop - completely unable to roll out into dough. I had to add a bunch more masarepa afterwards which was weird and didn't mix in completely. As I tried to roll it out inside the plastic - it kept breaking apart and just mixing in with the filling. I have yet to try and fry them but I have a feeling it will fall apart in the oil and become a big mess. Sigh.
arno y claudia
we love the site as well and use it a lot
Anonymous
Just a tad confused on the meat portion. Is it a 1/4 pound of ground beef and a 1/4 pound of pork to use 1/2 in total or is it 1/2 of pork and a 1/2 pound of ground beef which will make a total of one pound?
bill
Good question.
Malia Diehl
I took this as a 1/2 pound meat total. So 1/4 lb pork and 1/4 lb beef and my mixture seemed right. A whole pound of meat would be too much for the amount of dough you are making
Anonymous
Thank you
Curtee44
I did full pound twice as I was also confused...mine were still SOOOO delicious, I served them to Colombian and Mexican friends who ate them all! Great recipe including the aji!
Curtee
I used a full pound both times I served these delicious treats to my Colombian and Mexican friends! The aji was great, too, and good for many dishes!
bill
Can these be frozen uncooked?
Erica Dinho
I always cook them the same day, but you can try to freeze them.
Ibelca
I made mine they look n taste good but they are not that crispy. How can I make them crispy like the restaurant
Julia
Hmm...this is different from the recipe my parents always made; maybe it’s because they’re Calenos...they never put bell peppers or cilantro in the filling, but they did season the meat with cumin & garlic; these gave the filling a wonderful flavor!!
lindsay
Can I make these and freeze and thaw before frying, We love them
Stephanie
Hi Erica, I made this recipe and they turned out awesome! However, I seem to have left over meat and potatoes.. I was wondering if you knew of another recipe I could incorporate it with?
Thanks 🙂
Ruth
Hola Erica,
me encanta tu blog! genial para dar a conocer la maravillosa cocina colombiana , seguro que tu abuela estará orgullosa de ti.
Yo tengo un blog sobre la vida en Alemania y allí publico algunas recetas de comida alemana en español, échale un vistazo: http://www.mientras-tanto.com
Saludos desde Alemania!