Pork Empanada Recipe (2024)

Pork Empanada is a type of pastry that has been stuffed with pork. In this pork empanada recipe, we’ll be making pork picadillo, which be stuffed into our homemade empanada dough. Isn’t that interesting? Here’s the good news, making empanada dough does not need to be all-manual and labor intensive. We can use a food…

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By: Vanjo Merano 7 Comments Updated: 9/2/18

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Pork Empanada is a type of pastry that has been stuffed with pork. In this pork empanada recipe, we’ll be making pork picadillo, which be stuffed into our homemade empanada dough. Isn’t that interesting? Here’s the good news, making empanada dough does not need to be all-manual and labor intensive. We can use a food processor to speed-up the process.

Pork Empanada Recipe (1)

Let’s talk about the pork picadillo first, or what I call pork giniling with carrot, green peas, and potato. The way I call it sums up the components of the dish. It is simply made-up of ground pork cooked with the vegetables mentioned, along with raisins and Worcestershire sauce. The filling can be a main dish by itself. I often have it with rice and fried egg. However, we will be using it as an empanada filling,or stuffing, for this recipe.

The idea of making your homemade empanada dough is always interesting, especially if you have not made one before. Although it can be challenging at first, your hard work and perseverance will be rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment. This pork empanada recipe is all about making quality empanadas in the easiest and most convenient way possible.

Pork Empanada Recipe (2)

What are kitchen equipment for if we won’t utilize them? For this reason, I will be using a food processor as my assistant to make the empanada dough. This will eliminate the hard labor needed to blend the pastry, which is what we used in ourchicken empanada recipe. Instead of manually blending the flour and other components using a pastry blender, we only need to add the ingredients inside the equipment, one after the other, and let it pulse until all are well blended. There is a bit of manual work needed in flattening the dough, which requires the use of a rolling pin – but that’s it.

Pork Empanada Recipe (3)

I suggest that you watch the video below to see how I quickly secure the stuffing in the empanadas. There is no fancy technique involved, only a straightforward method that requires the tip of a fork.

Pork Empanada Recipe (4)

For questions, suggestions, and feedback, feel free to drop me a comment.

Try this Pork Empanada Recipe. Let me know what you think.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!

Pork Empanada Recipe (5)

Pork Empanada Recipe

This is a recipe for Pork Empanada Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 45 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 small carrot cubed
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • 1 small baking potato cubed
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cups beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Empanada Dough

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 10 tablespoons fresh milk

Eggwash

  • 1 Egg egg white only
  • 2 tablespoons fresh milk

Instructions

  • Prepare the pork filling by heating oil in a cooking pot. Add ground pork and cook until light brown.

  • Add the chopped onions. Stir and continue to cook until the onion becomes soft.

  • Add raisins, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Cover the pot, adjust the heat to medium, cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

  • Add peas, carrots, and potato. Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes Note: Add more beef broth or water, if needed

  • Put the brown sugar into the pot and season with salt and ground black pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Set aside.

  • Preheat oven to 400F.

  • Meanwhile, prepare the dough using a food processor. Put flour in a food processor and then add salt. Pulse until both ingredients are blended.

  • Slice the butter into small pieces. Add into the food processor. Continue to pulse until the butter blends well with the flour mixture.

  • Add egg and gradually pour the milk 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, while pulsing. Continue to process the mixture until all the ingredients are well blended.

  • Transfer the dough into a flat surface. Mold a large sphere out of it. Separate in half, and then create a disk shaped figure on each piece of dough. Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.

  • Flatten one piece of dough on a flat surface using a rolling pin. Note: Watch video below for more information.

  • Cut a part of the flatten dough using a circular mold, or anything with a circular tip such as a bowl. Remove the circular dough and set aside.

  • Assemble the pork empanada by placing 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pork filling in the center of the circular dough.Secure it by folding both sides of the dough towards each other. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the sides for it to cling to each other. Secure it even more by pressing the tip of a fork on the sides of the empanada.

  • Arrange the empanadas on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.

  • Prepare the egg wash by combining egg white and milk in a bowl. Beat the mixture until blended. Brush the egg wash all over the empanadas.

  • Put the pork empanada back into the oven. Continue to bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until it turns medium brown.

  • Remove from the oven. Let it cool down.

  • Serve. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 6g

© copyright: Vanjo Merano

Watch the Video on How to Cook Pork Empanada

Pork Empanada Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the pork empanada story all about? ›

This is a story about a less fortunate young man who strived to reach his goal to buy the famous pork empanada in Frankie's Steaks and Burger. Bototoy was the name of the main character of the story.

How do you keep empanadas from cracking? ›

Handle the dough as little as possible. The more I handled each empanada, the quicker they seemed to dry out and start to crack. Do not overfill your empanadas. Trying to close your dough over a too-large mound of filling is just asking for it.

How do you keep fried empanadas crispy? ›

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Is empanada dough the same as pie crust? ›

While pie dough is designed to be flaky, empanada dough is meant to be more tender. Pastry for empanadas has a higher flour-to-fat ratio, making it sturdy and perfect for wrapping around meaty fillings. Some recipes use lard or an additional egg as the fat source, but our recipe keeps it simple and easy with butter.

Where does the story happen in pork empanada? ›

Pork Empanada takes place on Katipunan Avenue. Do you go to Katipunan often? You've probably seen Frankie's Steaks and Burgers, beside the new Cravings, near Lily of the Valley Beauty & Grooming Salon. If you've seen it, then you've probably seen Bototoy.

Who wrote the pork empanada? ›

A NEWS report reminds me of Filipino author Tony Perez's short story, “Pork Empanada,” from his anthology “Eros, Thanatos, Cubao.” Set in the bustling intersection of Katipunan, Quezon City, the story revolves around Bototoy, one of those “watch-your-car” boys in fastfood parking lots.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

What do you seal empanadas with? ›

Brush with egg wash along the exposed edges (this is your “glue”) and fold the dough over. Seal the empanadas! Use a fork to firmly press the edges of the dough together to seal the beef filling inside of the empanada.

Why do my empanadas fall apart? ›

Always cool your filling before assembling your empanada. The steam from a hot or warm filling may cause your pastry to become soggy and it may cause this to fall apart.

Is it better to fry or bake empanadas? ›

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

What oil is best for frying empanadas? ›

Oil that is too cool will make your fried empanadas greasy and sad. I normally use canola oil for fried empanadas because it's flavorless and has a high smoke point. Lard tastes better, but you end up frying very close to lard's smoke point, which is tricky; when oil gets too hot it will taste acrid.

What does egg do to empanada dough? ›

Texture: The empanada dough is to die for. It's buttery with the perfect amount of crunch and interior softness. The chorizo adds bits of meatiness, the potato adds starchy softness, while the eggs add fluffiness.

Can I make empanadas using pizza dough? ›

And while we love traditional empanadas, fussy pastry dough is a lot to tackle on a busy weeknight. Here, we use our favorite dough hack, ready-made pizza dough, for a quick-ready-to-roll crust. It's crisp and tender and works perfectly to enclose the grass-fed ground beef, bell pepper, and golden raisin filling.

Which dough is best for empanadas? ›

If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas. You may need to roll the dough out slightly thinner—it will produce a flakier result than typical empanada dough and is better for baking than frying.

Can you buy dough for empanadas? ›

Here's a delicious, flaky wrapper that's perfect for capturing all your favorite flavors: GOYA® Empanada Dough. Our line of ready-to-use flour dough discs are the #1 ingredient for preparing a wide variety of empanadas, a favorite in Latin America and around the world.

What is the explanation of a empanada? ›

empanada, a baked or fried pastry stuffed with any of a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients. Empanadas can be found around the world, especially in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.

What is special about empanadas? ›

From the sweet to the savory, there's no filling that isn't made better when it's wrapped in a delicate, flaky pastry. Therein lies the magic of empanadas. This popular Latin American food is renowned around the world as a decadent and filling main course.

What is the meaning of empanada food? ›

Empanadas are named after the Spanish verb 'empanar' which means to coat or wrap in bread. An empanada is a fried or baked turnover in the shape of a half-moon made with flour dough or corn flour dough.

What is the history of Spanish empanadas? ›

Since empanadas appeared around the time of the Moorish invasion of the area, it is believed that they came about as a modified version of samosas – Arabic meat-filled pies that are still made and eaten today. The name “empanada” comes from the Galician verb empanar – to wrap or coat in bread.

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