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.
Notes
*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.
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 241mgPotassium: 316mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 98IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
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