Recipes: Empanada Extravaganza

We're celebrating National Empanada Day with The Empanada Girl herself, Chef Stefania Fochi. She went from making empanadas as a side hustle to employing a team who now do almost 5000 every week! She's visiting the Dinner DeeAs kitchen to share not 1, not 2 but recipes for 3 varieties- a 'traditional' Argentinian classic recipe, an Italian - to represent the other side of Chef Stefania's family - and Guava and Cheese for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipes below. If you make any of them, send us a photo and let us know how they turned out! 

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Traditional Argentine Beef Empanada

Makes 12-15 Empanadas

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil of choice
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb ground beef
• ¼ cup sliced green olives
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1–2 packs empanada dough discs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Sauté onions in oil over medium-high heat until translucent.
3. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
4. Season with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper; let cool.
5. Mix in raisins, olives, and eggs.
6. Fill dough discs with mixture, fold, and seal.
7. Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Sausage, Peppers, and Cheese Empanadas

Makes 12-15 Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage (in casing)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp paprika
• aalt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1–2 packs empanada dough discs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Bake sausages for 10–15 minutes until golden brown or air fry at 400° F for 8 minutes.
3. Let cool, then slice into quarters lengthwise, then dice.
4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Sauté onions and peppers until soft.
6. Add garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. Stir in sliced sausage and cook for a few more minutes.
8. Cool completely.
9. Mix in cheese.
10. Fill dough discs with mixture, fold, and seal.
11. Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Guava and Cheese Empanada

Makes 12-15 Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 lb cream cheese
• 1 lb guava paste
• 1–2 packs empanada dough discs

Directions

1. Whip cream cheese using stand mixer, hand mixer, or food processor.
2. Add guava paste; incorporate as much or as little as desired. Mix less for more bubbles of guava paste within cream cheese, or mix more to homogenize filling.
3. Fill dough discs with mixture, fold, and seal.
4. Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes or until golden brown

Tips on Assembling Empanadas

• Add 2–3 tablespoons of filling to each dough disc center.
• Fold over, seal the edges, and crimp with a fork. 
• When filling the empanadas, less is more! Do not overstuff, or you will have trouble sealing them.
• Use an egg wash before baking if you are feeling fancy.
• Make bigger batches to freeze! Once frozen, store in zip-top bags for easy storage. 
• Once baked, reheat easily in the air fryer.
• If you are feeling adventurous, they can be deep-fried once assembled.
• The sausage empanada can be made with any kind of sausage you like!

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