Perfect home made dough for baked empanadas. This simple recipe can be use with your favorite savory or sweet fillings.
If making empanada dough from scratch intimidates you, don't let it!
What do you Need to Make this Recipe
This homemade empanada dough recipe requires only a handful of ingredients, all purpose flour, salt, egg, cold water and butter, and it comes together in under ten minutes!
I love using my food processor for my homemade dough because it is quicker and easier than making it using your hands. If you don't own a food processor or just prefer making it by hand, feel free. Follow the same directions, but use your hands instead of the food processor to mix the ingredients together.
How to Make Empanada Dough for Baking
Mix the flour and salt in the processor.
Add butter, egg and cold water to the flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Shape the dough into a ball and wrap dough with plastic.
Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a thin sheet and cut out discs using a large biscuit cutter.
Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the beaten egg to help better seal them.
Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges with a fork or your fingers. Brush the top of the empanadas with the rest of the beaten egg. Chill the empanadas for about 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
This homemade empanada dough can also be prepared ahead of time, just seal tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
A good empanada is all about the crust for me. Learn how to make it, then choose from one of my delicious fillings:
S’mores Empanadas (See recipe here)
Guava Paste and Cheese Empanadas (See recipe here)
Dulce de Leche and Apple Empanadas (See recipe here)
Chicken, Mushrooms and Cheese Empanadas (See recipe here)
Simple Empanada Dough for Baking Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 stick of butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- 2 eggs Divided, one egg to seal the empnadas
- ¼ cup ice cold water
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in the processor.
- Add butter, egg and cold water to the flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Shape the dough into a ball and wrap dough with plastic. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a thin sheet and cut out discs using a large biscuit cutter.
- Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the beaten egg to help better seal them.
- Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges with a fork or your fingers. Brush the top of the empanadas with the rest of the beaten egg. Chill the empanadas for about 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Norma Torres
Quite easy. I also like my machine for dough. Thanks for this recipe.
Anonymous
If all I have is salted butter, can I use that and not add the salt??
Or do I use the regular salt and salted butter?
Sam
In my experience, salted butter without added salt is ok 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes
A simple and quick pastry recipe, Erica.
Jazmin Melendez
Super easy! My go to recipe! XD
Anonymous
Easy and delicious! Thanks
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
I just love these classic basic recipes...especially when I learn they are easy. Pinned and yep all about the crust.
nelyjo
the list of ingredients has one egg which you add to the mixture, but you need an extra egg for brushing.
Erica Dinho
Yes,thanks!
Idalia Irizarry.
Yes, it calls for one egg, and I thought it was for brushing. When I read again I had already the dough ball formed then I added the egg. I almost threw everything away. But I kept working the dough and was able to make the disks. Came out great. So made a note 2
grace
this is so useful, erica! the results look perfect and i could use this dough for so many things!
Omayra
Can this ough be used for apple pie??
Erica Dinho
Hi Omayra,
I don't know...I only use it for empanadas.
Heather
I would say yes you could use it for pie. I would just reduce or eliminate the salt - other than that, it's basically the same recipe as pie dough. You just want to avoid the salty flavor biting into a piece of sweet pie.
Ashley
Could use for hand pies like taco bells apple empanadas. I'd just dust with sugar and bake or fry.
Anonymous
You need to have salt in a pie dough as well. Maybe just a teaspoon, but it needs to be in there. It counteracts bitterness which actually will bring out the sweet. You would also add sugar to the pie dough.
Peggy
This the dough u use for crust of the apple pie so the answer is Yes.
Ben
Minus the egg. And keep a little salt, makes all the difference!
april q
Can this be modified like other recipes with whole wheat. .perhaps half of the flour is whole and half is AP? Or a different ratio?
Erica Dinho
I didn't try it with whole wheat flour, but next time I would love to do it and I will post it here.
Abigail
Can I freeze these empanadas? If so do I cook them first?
Erica Dinho
You can freeze them uncooked.
Melanie Dietz
How many does the recipe make?
Erica Dinho
About 10 to 12 big empanadas or 20 small empnadas
Melanie Dietz
Thankyou
heather
Can these be fried instead of baked
Erica Dinho
The dough for frying is different. Here is the recipe:https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/empanaditas-de-carne-small-beef-turnovers/
cm1123
This is my first trying to make empanadas. I followed the instructions for this dough but find that I couldn't get it to come together in a ball after mixing it. It was all crumbly so I had to add a bit more water. Did this happen to anyone else? What did I do wrong?
Ben
With pastry dough, the amount of water needed can vary depending on the humidity, the season, and the like. Add as little water as possible to get a workable dough. You did exactly as you should have.
J
cm1123,
I had the same issue, I needed to add a bit more water so that it all formed up. It didn't really impact anything, so I think it's okay. I did use my hands instead of a machine, that might have something to do with it, or maybe it didn't, lol. In any event I think it's fine. 🙂
Elvira T.
Can I use my kitchen aide instead of food processor?
Thanks
Jennifer
I made this dough for Easter and it was perfect and very easy to make. Thanks.
I filled my empanadas with ground turkey.
Anonymous
Thank u very much for this recipe
rea
Can I use olive oil for brushing when putting in oven? Can I use this recipe without egg?
~ Suze
Hi Rea,
Olive oil will make a softer crust, where the egg wash will deliver a crispier crust.
Zara
Hi Erica, I made this dough to make beef empanadas and they were so good! My boyfriend's family loved them. The only thing is, the dough was extremely stretchy and nearly impossible to roll out. Am I doing something wrong? Has anyone else experienced this? Other than that, I love this dough and cant wait to try different fillings! Thank you for the recipe.
Erica Dinho
Did you chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, before you make the empanadas? You can add about 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour if the dough is very sticky.
michel
I found if I overwork the dough, it becomes stretchy and hard to work with. I'm more careful now, and have had no problem since the first time.
Zara
I chilled the dough overnight actually, but I will try adding a little more flour next time. Thanks for the reply.
Anonymous
Hi Erica, thank you for this wonderful recipe! I actually used it with the filling of your Colombian Empanadas, because I didn't want to have to fry them and it turned out absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try your Aji Picante recipe next, I imagine that's the only thing which can make these Empanadas even better:)
Warm greetings and a big dankeschön from Germany!
Cheryl
Hi Erica,
I was thinking about making these for my kids school lunches. Have you ever experimented with cooking then freezing them and eating them cold or at room temp?
Trying to put some variety in their lunch boxes and these can be filled with many flavors and fillings! Thanks for the recipe, I'm going to try it today!
Erica Dinho
No, I usually eat them the same day, or I freeze them uncooked, but you can try it!
PEG
WHAT DO U STUFF THESE WITH?
Melissa
You can use any stuffing, from fruit to veggies or meats depending on what your looking into making, it can be a dessert or lunch or even dinner meals, I made dessert used granny apples peeled and cut and they came out great apples are nice and soft and the dough is good, I added a little sugar after applying the egg yolk on empanadas
Sotty
Hi Erika
I live in Colombia now and being new what do they call all purpose flour here? Also what about what they call self raising flour here? I can't seem to figure it out
Hope you can help me out! Gracias
Anonymous
Erika,
Self-raising flour has salt and baking soda included to help dough raise when making things like bread.
Gillian
Hi Erica can I make the empabadas then freeze them and bake later also what temperature should I use tks
Erica Dinho
Yes.
Melissa
Good evening Im not someone to like to prep dough or make it very often but I was craving something simple sweet and only using a little of home ingredients, followed instructions as is only added 1 TBSP of cinnamon and 2 TBSP of sugar to dry mix, even though I skipped the 20 min chilled when prepared they came out very good a bit crunchy at the edges and soft in the inside I used granny apples very good combination apples we're soft and left for 13 turned off oven still allowed them to sit 5 for min and ready thanks for the guidance and recipe made me look at dough in a new perspective
Mel
Angel Soto
The beef patty recipe looks good, I copy it down thanks I need to know where can I buy the squeeze r to squeeze the disc together?
Mark Merring
I bought some on Amazon
Courtneu
Is it okay if I use strawberry pie filling? I've been trying to figure out what to do with it that wasn't making a pie and love the idea of these. (Would it also be okay if I used a handover rather than a food processor? )
Heidy
What's the yield?
Anonymous
I made 10 very large ones, turn out very good my husband loved them
Anonymous
THANKS FOR THE DOUGH RECIPE AND MADE MY TUMMY SMILE
Ron
I use a tortilla press that I normally used for corn tortillas and it works perfectly.
Adriana
Hi Erica
Great recipe thank you for it ! With love from Italy
Lenoralee
Hi Erica, i was wondering how to double this recipe ? Thank you!
Laura
Hi Erica, I just made this recipe and it turned out great! I was wondering if the dough can be kept in the fridge for maybe 24 hours before making them? I'd like to bring these to a party but don't have time to do all in one night.
Thanks!!
Laura
Erica Dinho
I always use it the same day, but should try it!
Vera
Hi! Thank you so much for the great dough recipe. Baked or fried this dough works. I have both ways in advance to freeze and it still comes out perfect. Since I have been making a lot, I have doubled the recipe. So versatile!!!
Anonymous
Confused because I'm Colombian and this is more like a pie texture than baked empanadas I've tried even in Chile and Argentina. It's not bad but it threw me off.
Cassandra
Haha when I saw the title ‘Colombian’ it threw me off too.
Colombian empanadas are soooooooo yum with the corn flour that’s used. I had actually never seen empanadas out of this type of dough.
However they are yummy!
Melanie
Made these yesterday using gluten free flour and they were awesome! Gluten free beef empanadas for some friends were a dream come true. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Wayne
Do you brush both sides of the empanada with the egg wash or just one side normally?
Thanks
Erica Dinho
One side.
Virginia Villalobos
I’m just going to try making Empanadas with your dough recipe, but need to know can I cook in air fryer???
Erica Dinho
I don't know! I don't have an air fryer.
Jak
If you use an air fryer I would reduce the temperature to like 350 and check them after 10 minutes. It’s a super efficient small convection oven so sometimes dough things burn before they are cooked on the inside. You can probably get away with two at a time in an average air fryer. I bake things in mine fairly regularly as it doesn’t heat the house up as much
Aims
When you say 1 stick butter does it mean the whole butter?
Heather
You can use your choice of butter. 1 stick is 1/2 cup. They say stick just because it's easier to cut it into small pieces where when measuring out 1/2 cup from a container - you pretty much have to use your fingers to pinch it into pieces.
Anonymous
How much is a stick of butter? Can you give me a rough weight please?
Thank you
Erica Dinho
1/2 cup
Maria
Hola Ericka, me pregunto si puedo dejar la masa afuera en vez de refrigerarla?
Saludos cordiales!
Feliz 2022!
Kara
Approximately how big are the dough circles when cutting them out?
MAbe
Can I fill the empanadas, cover them well, refrigerate them and bake the following day?
Thank you.
Erica Dinho
Yes, but wrap them very good.