A folded pastry with many versions
An empanada is, at its simplest, a piece of dough folded around a filling and sealed. The word comes from the Spanish verb empanar, which relates to wrapping something in bread or dough. Versions of the idea exist across Spain, Portugal and much of Latin America, and the style that reached the Americas is generally traced to Iberian cooking, though the details of how it spread are not well documented.
In Mexico, the empanada is one member of a larger family of folded and stuffed foods. It sits beside the corn-based dishes more than it replaces them, and its identity depends on the region. In some areas the word means a wheat-dough pastry, and in others it describes a corn-based turnover. This article describes the most common patterns.
Dough types
Wheat dough. This is the usual dough for Mexican empanadas in many regions. It is made from flour, fat (often lard or butter, depending on the cook), salt and water, sometimes with a little baking powder or egg. It can be rolled thin for crisp, flaky pastries or kept thicker and softer. Wheat arrived with Spanish colonization, which is part of why this style is associated with the colonial period.
Masa dough. In some regions, the pastry is made from corn masa instead. The corn dough gives a heavier, more earthy bite and a distinct aroma. One well-known example comes from Oaxaca, where a folded masa turnover is traditionally filled with a seasoned yellow mole and shredded chicken, and cooked on a griddle. Since the filling and dough are both regional, it is better to learn it as its own dish than as a variant of the wheat style. Cooks can make this dough from fresh masa or from masa harina, and the two handle a little differently, so the dough may need small adjustments in water.
Puff and shortcrust styles. Some bakeries make empanadas from laminated or enriched doughs. These are sweeter and flakier and are more common in bakery settings than in home cooking.
Baked or fried
The cooking method changes the character of the dish.
- Baked empanadas are usually brushed with egg wash or milk for color. The crust tends to be drier and more bread-like. Baking is convenient when making a large batch, and it uses less oil.
- Fried empanadas have a blistered, crisp, sometimes bubbly surface. The dough is usually thinner, and the filling needs to be fairly dry so the pastry does not burst.
Frying calls for care. Use enough oil to float the pastries, keep the temperature steady and lower them in gently. Pat the surface dry before frying and never leave the pan unattended. Let the oil cool completely before moving or discarding it.
Either way, seal the edges firmly. Pressing with a fork or crimping with a rope-like fold keeps filling from leaking. A bit of cold water along the edge helps the dough stick, and it helps to chill the filled pastries briefly before cooking so they hold their shape.
Savory fillings
Typical savory fillings in Mexico include:
- Seasoned minced beef or pork with onion, tomato and spices, often known as picadillo
- Shredded chicken in a chile or tomato sauce
- Cheese, sometimes with epazote herb or strips of roasted pepper
- Potatoes with chorizo
- Fish or shrimp in coastal areas. In parts of the Gulf coast, empanadas filled with shark or small fish (often called cazón) are well known in places such as Campeche.
- Mushrooms, squash blossoms and other vegetables
The pasty tradition in parts of Hidalgo, linked to Cornish miners who worked in the area in the nineteenth century, is related but usually considered its own dish, with its own name and history.
A practical rule is that moist fillings should be cooked down and cooled before filling. Warm or wet filling steams the dough from the inside and makes sealing difficult. Cooked meat, seafood and dairy fillings should be kept refrigerated before assembly and the finished pastries cooked or reheated until thoroughly hot.
Sweet fillings
Sweet versions are popular in bakeries and at home. Common choices include:
- Pumpkin or sweet potato cooked with a little unrefined sugar and cinnamon
- Pineapple, apple or guava preserves
- Cajeta, a thick goat’s-milk caramel
- Sweet cheese or cream-based fillings
Pastries of this type are often dusted with sugar after baking or frying. For sweetening, many recipes use piloncillo sugar, which has a deeper flavor than refined sugar, though ordinary sugar works too.
Relation to other Latin American versions
It helps to keep the differences in mind, without treating any as the model.
- Argentina is known for baked empanadas, often filled with beef and different regions have their own folding patterns. The folds are sometimes used to tell fillings apart.
- Chile has a famous baked version, usually called empanadas de pino, with a seasoned meat and onion filling, and also cheese and seafood variants.
- Colombia commonly uses a corn-based dough that is fried, with fillings such as potato and meat.
- The Caribbean and other regions have their own turnovers, often under other names such as pastelillos.
Compared to these, the Mexican range is wide and regional. The same word can describe a baked wheat pastry in one city and a griddled masa turnover in another, which makes any single description incomplete.
Practical tips
- Chill the dough before rolling, since cold fat gives a flakier crust.
- Leave a small border so the edges can be sealed.
- Prick or vent baked pastries if the recipe calls for it so steam can escape.
- Freeze unbaked, sealed pastries on a tray and then bag them for later cooking.
Empanadas reward practice with dough more than any special technique. Once the folding and sealing feel familiar, the fillings can change with the season and the pantry.