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.
Thomas
I just made these for my Colombian mother who is in town, and they came out wonderful! The only slight adjustments I made was to double the ground meat. I also added a chopped up boiled egg and used a few dashes of Magi into the meat mixture, plus a pinch of comino. Thank you for helping me surprise mi madre with something we haven't had for ages! Next project: Pandebono. I just need yuca harina!
Andrea
Thank you for the recipies! I love spreading the Colombian taste all over the place is the best! haha I am from Colombia too.... I just love it
Isabela
Is it okay to replace the yellow pre-cooked corn meal with white pre-cooked corn meal? I imagine that i can and i will just have white empanadas. thank you!
Erica
Isabela- You can use white and add color to the mixture.
Heather
Erica,
Can Maseca Masa-instant corn masa flour be used instead? If so, is there a different preparation needed? Thanks for the great recipe!
Erica
Heather- I didn't use maseca for empanadas, so I don't know if it will work.
Ana | alcoholicos anonimos
Vaya que buena pinta tienen esas empanadas en cuanto tenga un hueco me pongo a hacerlas y os cuento.
Gracias y saludos.
catherine
Hi Erica!!!
I found this blog as a casualty i was lookim\ng for colombian recipies,you are so precise in your recipies and you explain them so well its very easy to follow. thanks so much for bringing some of the taste of our wonderful nation and exposing it to the world.
I married a palestinian who loves our food!!! i am always trying to make him some of our food, with all your recipies i am sure he will be delighted.
keep the good work
Juliana
Erica, how nice your empanadas...love the idea of using cornmeal on the dough...must be so tasty 🙂
Sabrina Diaz
I am so EXCITED that I found this website! I am half Colombian but grew up in a ver typical American home. I have been wanting to try my hand at cooking traditional Colombian food, however trying to get actual recipes on paper from my Colombian Aunts is next to impossible!!! Especially since I live far away from them.
I can't wait to start cooking with your website...i'm absolutely starting with my favorite Colombian food: Empanadas!
Kim
thanks soo much! they were wonderful.. my family and i really enjoyed them!
Catherine
Hi, thank you so much I'm a colombian living in Norway. I have made them twice and they were perfect. I couldn't get the sazon Goya but I used only azafran.
I know some people will think is too expensive but it worth it. And anyway is so powerful than I didn't need so much of it.
I used Masapan it's arepas flour but made in Venezuela, is great. I made my arepas with that too. I just add the water mixed with the salt and azafran warm for playing safe and wait until I could work the dough.
I will continue using this recipy, thanks again.
Mariana
These are amazing!!!! The whole family loved them!!!! Made them tonight and my dad is already asking when am I making them again. So delicious!
Natasha
There is a great Colombian bakery in Passaic, NJ that serves empanadas like these.
Lindsey
Hi Erica, I made your empanadas last weekend and they were delicious!! I want to make them again this weekend for a cook-off I'm participating in and the one thing I would like to improve on is the crispiness. I feel like perhaps I made them a little too soggy...is there anything I can do to make them come out crispier? Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Santiago
These are absolutely delicious!! Easy to make also. My wife, who loves empanadas, said it was the best empanada she ever put in his mouth!
Ester
Made these on a chilly day and they were great! Good for snacks, too.
Sue
We were wondering if you can bake them instead of deep frying to be less fattening. we lived in Baranquilla, Colombia for two years and loved them fried but would like to make them a little healthier. Let me know. Thanks, Sue
Erica
Sue- I didn't bake them before, but you can try it! let me know if they are good!
Maria
“Made these yesterday and all I have to say is OMG!”