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.
Mari
Que delicia, me fascina la empanada colombiana. Voy a ver si consigo la masarepa aquí para hacerlas.
Un saludo
Respondon
I finally made these today, with some adjustments for the filling based on what I had around (some shredded roast pork). They came out pretty decent, but for those of us who don't fry routinely (or at all), it's a reminder that deep frying is dangerous, messy, and kind of gross! Definitely use a dutch oven so you can keep the oil level way below the lip and therefore well away from the burner. I just used a 10-inch pan, and when the oil started getting out I shut down the operation even though I had a few left to fry. So get yourself a dutch oven and treat that hot oil with some respect!
Velva
Love empanadas! Beautiful. Growing-up in South Florida, I ate them often for lunch from food carts.
Jeannie
Wow! These empanadas looks scrumptious and tasty...would love to try these!
Bil
Gracias Erica,
En el verano pasado vivo en Santa Marta por un rato y cada manana compro empanadas en la calle para desuyunar. Nunca puedo copia el sabor. Tengo una novia alli y esperamos hasta puedes llegar en EEUU, entonces puedo disfruta la comida. Mil gracias por tu sitio porque vamos a poder preparar la comida tradicional para ella cuando llega. Gracias.
Bil
Michelle
Love your website. Just wanted to know if you can make the dough a day ahead, keep it refrigerated and then roll it out and stuff them the next day? I have a big party on saturday and am trying to prep as much as possible ahead of time. Have you ever made the dough ahead?
Erica
Michelle- I always make my dough the same day, but you can make the filling one day before.
Frances
I tested your recipe last night and it has become an instant hit my household. I made another batch today just to freeze them for future snacks! Beautiful!
cristina c.c.
Your recipes are wonderful and really easy to follow; I am so lucky I found out your blog recently. Thank you so much.
norma
Thanks Erica...i will post them on my blog when I make them
Samantha
This is honestly the best empanadas I've ever had! I have tried so many different empanadas and this one beats them all! My next goal: ground chicken, onions, bell pepper and pepper jack cheese! (of course with the cilantro, potatoes, ect.) I think it will be great! Thanks again Erica!
Anonymous
I made these and they were sooooo good. Thank you!
Kimberly
Hola Erica traté tu receta de empanadas y me quedaron espectaculares 🙂 mi novio es americano y le encanta la comida colombiana especialmente las empanadas pero trate el ají y es un pokito picante. Es posible de que me dez la receta para preparar el ají dulce? De todas formas gracias por todas esas recetas tan espectaculares
Anonymous
We made this for a party last weekend and all my friends were crazy about them!!!! These are delicious and your recipe is easy to follow. Thanks.
Tiy
Ola Erica,
Estoy francesa y vivo en Belgica.
Tu blog es fantastico, a mi me gusta mucho la cocina y la cultura de america latina, y la cocina en general. Voy a hacer muchas de tus recetas!
Pero tenga algunas preguntas... No pienso que hay harina de maiz precocida en belgica, est possible hacer la receta con harina de maiz classica?
Y que es exactamente el sazon goya con azafran? Puedo utilizar otra cosa?
Muchas gracias por sus respuestas!
Erica
Tiy- Gracias por tu comentario!!! sazon goya es condimento con color para comida, tu puedes utilizar otra clase como achiote or triguisar. tu puedes hacer tu propia masa con maiz peto.
Chiot's Run
I grew up in Colombia (American parents) and I love empanadas. They're my favorite. I've been making empanadas for my friends for quite a while, they all love them as well. (they also love bocadillo & cheese). I posted about it once on my blog as well, I'll have to link here to this recipe, mine's different each time depending on what I have in the fridge.
Do glad to see you're making properly with areparina and not pastry 🙂
vsanch01
Made these the other day and were great! thanks so much for your recipes...