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.
Johanna
My abuela, used to prepare batches of empanadas and freeze them before frying for future use. It made it easier if you were going to be serving them at a party or needed a lot and wanted to enjoy your company without spending all day in the kitchen.
She always made sure the filling was cooled before putting them together, then chilled them on a cookie sheet in the fridge before transfering to plastic frezzer bags to freeze.
Lucy
I've made these a few times for my husband who is Colombian and he loved them! I use ground turkey sometimes and it's just as good. They are hard to make at first, but after a few times it's really easy! I absolutely LOVE these empanadas!!!!
Miami Culinary Tours
Wonderful recipe! We conduct a Miami food tour in which we feature all about Colombian cuisine among other types of cuisine that make up the area. Guess what is most people favorite food in the entire tour? The Colombian empanadas that we taste at a great little Colombian restaurant here. When people take the first bite and combine the empanada with the aji sauce ... they all go "wow" this is amazing... Great recipe that I will pass down!
Cheers,
Grace Della
Comiendoenla
Gracias que di con tu blog, porque como buena colombiana, me fascina nuestra comida y los antojos al vivir fuera del país se alborotan más de la cuenta!
Una nueva fan y me fascinan tus recetas!
comiendoenla.com
Chris
These empanadas look simply delicious. Actually they seem pretty similar to the Brazilian "pastel" - also a popular snack that can have different fillings (ground beef, shredded chicken, shrimps, cheese and ham, etc.).
Chris - welovechicken.com
su
Hola!! muchas gracias por las recetas! En especial por esta! Siempre me había parecido muy complicado preparar empanadas, pero gracias a tu receta me di cuenta que no es así. Yo la verdad no sé cocinar mucho, pero para ser esta la primera vez en mi vida en preparar empanadas, creo que me salieron muy bien, además a mi esposo le encantaron. Aunque tuve un poco de dificultad en la parte de poner el relleno y cerrarlas por que se me partian un poco o cuando las puse a fritar unas pocas se abrieron... Pero igual creo que con algo de practica sera mejor la próxima vez. Una vez mas gracias por compartir tus recetas que me traen tantos recuerdos de Colombia... Saludos desde Canada!
Juliana Chavez
QUE RICO!!!!!
SOY COLOMBIANO!!!!
GO SHAKIRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jay
Erica, does your recipe call for a "total" of 1/2 pound ground beef and pork, or 1/2 pound of "each one"? Thanks!!! I'm trying them this weekend.
Andrés
your empanadas look so yummy, I can't way to give it a go. I have a cooking class for my Spanish students on friday and these empanadas fit like a glove. They will go nuts.
Obrigado from Brazil.
Beijo.
margarita
I love your Colombian recipes. I made these empanadas and the aji, they were fantastic, crispy and full of flavor. Thank you very much for taking the time and post all these recipes.
Rachel
What a wonderful blog! Your Colombian recipes are the best. I made these empanadas are they were delicious and I am going to make them again for father's day.
katherina
Deliciosas. Gracias por compartir sus recetas.
Sandra
Luv it!!!!!! all your Colombian recipes are the best!
Emily
ummmmmm yummy yummy in ma tommy empanasdas are also popular in Mexico they taste sooooo gooooood.
Alexandria Rubio
Yo soy colombiana y a mi me encantan las empanadas. Mi abuelita y mi abuelito hacen unas empanadas tan ricas y deliciosas. Mi abuelita me ensena como hacer mucha comida colombiana. Todavia mi abuelita me esta ensenando como hacer las empanadas mejor. Las empanadas son muy deliciosas.
Marcee
Hoy fue la primera vez en la cual cocine las empanadas usando tu RECETA!!! Querida te dio las gracias porque por ser mi primera vez nos encanto. Tu receta esta bien escrita y facil de entender. Sigue ayudadonos con tus comidas tipicas de Colombia!!! Ahora si me siento 100% Paisa......JAJAJAJAJA:)
GRACIAS!!!!