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.
Vanessa
This recipe is perfect, they came out delicious, I would recommend to anyone to follow your recipe.
Erica
Vanessa-Thank you so much for your feedback!
Respondon
By the way, if you live in Washington you can get real colombian empanadas at La Calena bakery in Montgomery Village MD:
They'll even give you little aji containers. You're on your own for the lime, though. Their real business is roscones and other Colombian baked goods, which I'm not especially fond of, but the empanadas are very good and they don't freeze too badly if you blot them first.
Respondon
I probably won't be able to make them like Empanadas Colombianas of Calle 53 in Galerias, if they're still there, but this recipe looks like my best shot!
Ashley
Can you bake these?
Keri
All of your recipes sound delicious! My husband is from Cucuta, Colombia and misses Colombian food. These all sound relatively easy to make. Can't wait to try them!!
Roberto
Hola soy Puertorriqueño (casado con una Caleña) y me encanta la comida colombiana. Te felicito por tu blog, por fin encuentro un lugar de recetas colombianas con ingredientes que se pueden conseguir en usa. En la forma que explicas las recetas es excelente (sencillo y al punto), ademas el incluir fotos de los ingredientes ayuda a la hora de buscarlos en el supermercado...
Cuando publicas la receta de la torta negra? Mi esposa a cada rato me menciona que se comeria una torta negra pero en Atlanta es dificil conseguir un lugar que la hagan, ademas me encantaria darle la sorpresa un dia y prepararsela...muchas gracias y muchas felicitaciones nuevamente..tu blog esta brutal!!!
R
Erica
Hola Roberto,
Gracias por tu comentario! La receta de la torta negra es algo que voy a publicar pronto, no se cuando pero estoy trabajando en eso.
Susan at SGCC
I just recently discovered your blog and I love it! Your recipes are fantastic! I look forward to trying some of them out.
Erica
Hi Susan,
Thank you for the wonderful comment!
Melanie
It is now cold in NYC and these empanadas give warmth to a cold day. Thanks.
Erica
Thank you, Melanie.
Elisa
Erika, super buena la página tuya, cada vez nos sorprendés más. Por lo menos tengo una prima que heredó el talento culinario de la familia por el lado de la mamita y mi mamá. Podrias incluir la receta de las empanadas de iglesia que aunque son más sencillas son deliciosas para los que no nos gusta la carne. Felicitaciones por todos los comentarios
Erica
Hola Elisa,
Gracias por tu mensaje....Parece que lo tengo en la sangre 🙂 Ojala algun dia pueda ser tan buena en la cocina como tu mamá y la mamita. La verdad es que lo disfruto mucho. La receta de las empanadas de iglesia esta incluida en ese post.
Gracias de nuevo significa mucho para mi recibir mensajes bonitos de mis amigos y familia, por que todas esas memorias son las que escribo en este blog.
Las recuerdo mucho.
sandra g
Hola!, made your empanadas last night, they were awosome, by the way I'm dominican and my husband is peruvian, he said they're great, I'll will try making more of your foods, they all look yummy. Love sandra.
Erica
Hola Sandra,
Thank you for your feedback!
Viviana
Thank you so much for publishing traditional Colombian recipes. I'm Colombian, also from Medellin but born & raised in NJ. Unfortunately I really don't have the patience for cooking. But as a mother of two boys I am now desperate that they know about their mothers food & culture (their father is american). Yours is the only website that has the great pictures to describe the food. They totally remind me of my mothers cooking!!!!! Great job Paisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ps: would you be able to in the future to put the recipes in printable format?
Erica
Hi Viviana,
Thank you so much for the nice comment! That is my next step.
Erica
Thank you everyone for the comments!
Scott
A lifesaver! I have two Colombian boys staying the summer with me and they miss their empanadas. I cook a lot of Colombian meals, but have never found a good recipe for the dough! Muchas gracias!
lisa (dandysugar)
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. I love columbian empanadas but I have not tried making them yet. These sounds perfect, can't wait to try your recipe!
Nellson Najar
Is a pleasure to have new recipes. I am very please to find your page, my wife now (she is american) is preparing a lot of your recipes. Thanks.
Soma
I like empanadas tho i have never ventured to make these at home.. thanks for the recipe. I had once had pineapple filled ones. & loved it..are the sweet once traditional too?
nora@ffr
finally my kids are loving columbian dishes.. taste rili good.. thanx erica 🙂