Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Savory with a small kick of spice.
Texture: The pastry crust is buttery and slightly crisp while the feeling is ultra satisfying.
Ease: Both the dough and the filling are incredibly easy to make.
Pros: Perfect for serving a crowd, taking to a potluck, or a perfect game day appetizer.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? 100% yes.
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These baked Vegetarian Empanadas are my new favorite savory snack. Or lunch. Or appetizer!
Perfectly flaky pastry. Black bean and corn filling packed with flavor. What’s not to love about these beautiful little pockets of heaven?!
Make sure to check out the pink tip box below, where I share all my tips for how to make empanadas of your dreams!
How to Make Vegetarian Empanadas
How to make vegetarian empanada filling:
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- 1 jalapeño (feel free to include as much or as little of the seeds as you prefer)
- Corn
- Black beans (rinse and drain first if using canned)
- Russet potato
- Seasonings: salt, paprika, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and ground cumin
- Celery
- Red bell pepper and green bell pepper
- Optional: shredded cheese (Monterey jack, Mexican blend, or pepper jack cheese would all be delicious)
To make the veggie empanada filling, start by heating the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and sauté. Once fragrant, add corn, black beans, potato and seasonings and stir together in the pan. After the mixture has come together, add the diced celery and bell peppers. Cook until tender.
How to assemble vegetarian empanadas:
- Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of the chilled dough and roll into balls.
- On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles.
- Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, if using. Be sure not to overfill your empanadas as you assemble, which is easy to do. Use a little less than you think to prevent any holes or tears in the dough and to prevent them from bursting open as they bake.
- Brush a small amount of egg wash lightly over one half edge’s border. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
- Brush with an egg wash and bake.
How can I make these vegetarian empanadas vegan-friendly?
We haven’t tested this ourselves, but feel free to omit the cheese and use a vegan butter in the dough if you prefer to make these empanadas vegan. For the egg wash, try using a non-dairy milk instead, just note the empanadas may not get as brown.
How long to bake vegetarian empanadas recipe?
I baked mine for 20 minutes, until golden brown. If you make empanadas that are smaller or bigger than the size created in the recipe, make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
What to serve with Veggie Empanadas:
- Green or red salsa
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Spanish rice
- Salad
How to store empanadas:
Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven until the crust has re-crisped and the filling is warmed through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
How to make Vegetable Empanadas ahead of time:
The empanada dough can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for one day before using. The filling can also be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day. The assembled unbaked empanadas can also be covered in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, no need to change the baking time.
How to freeze vegetarian empanadas:
Freeze the sheet of unbaked empanadas until solid, then transfer into a freezer bag. Frozen empanadas will keep for up to three months and can be baked straight from the freezer. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Fully baked empanadas can also be frozen, though they lose a bit of their flaky texture. To prevent freezer burn, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm in a 300°F oven or toaster oven, about 10 minutes.
More Empanada Recipes:
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Vegetarian Empanadas
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- pinch paprika
For the Vegetable Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) corn
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans
- 1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (or “Mexican blend” cheese), optional
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the water and butter, heating until butter has fully melted. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and paprika and make a well in the center. Pour a little of the warm butter mixture in and mix with your fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid, and work the dough with your hands until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
For the filling:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté jalapeño. Once fragrant, add corn, black beans, potato and seasonings. After the mixture has come together, add the diced celery and bell peppers. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until tender.
To assemble:
- Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of the chilled dough and roll into balls. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the balls into 1/4-inch thick, 5-inch diameter circles. Once your dough has been rolled out, place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, if using. Fold over the dough to create a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
- Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat together the egg and water. Brush the empanadas gently with the egg wash.
- Bake empanadas until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
- Refrigerate leftovers either plastic wrapped or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze cooked empanadas plastic wrapped in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, unwrap as many empanadas as you want and warm through in a 300°F oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Photos by Joanie Simon.
June 2022 Baking Challenge
This recipe was the June 2022 selection for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s empanadas:
Hi
Is it better to fully prepare the empanadas in advance and reheat or to store assembled in the refrigerator and bake the day of serving? I am concerned that if stored unbaked the dough will absorb moisture from the filling making it gummy and difficult to crisp up.
Thanks!
Hi Shelley! We’ve had success storing the fully-assembled empanadas in the fridge for up to 2 days (we did not find this method made the dough gummy or prevented it from crisping), and also storing the dough and filling separately and assembling and baking when you wish to eat them. Instructions for both these options, as well as make-ahead and freezing options, can be found in the pink tip box, right above the recipe. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
I enjoy so many of your recipes but this one missed the mark for us. Filling was so-so.
Hi Lily! I’m sorry to hear that this filling wasn’t your favorite. The best thing about these empanadas is how customizable they are! Next time, feel free to add a lot more spice, herbs, different vegetables – whatever you like! Taste the filling and add a little more spice from there, if needed. The crust is so amazing, it’s worth the experimentation until you nail the filling seasoning levels to your preference 🙂
Thank you for an amazing recipe! The empanadas were really tasty and the comprehensive layout of the website meant it was accessible for kids too. This is the first time I’ve used handle the heat but after this success I will definitely be using it again
hi, should the potatoes be boiled a bit first or the cook in the pan?
Hi Jess! You can par-boil the potatoes beforehand if you prefer, but we have found that as long as you dice them quite finely (as pictured), the quick sauté plus the bake time is sufficient to cook them through. Happy baking 🙂
Amazing! My family and I aren’t big meat people, so these vegetarian empanadas were a big hit!!
So excited to hear these were a hit, Emily!
Excellent recipe! Takes a little time to make all the empanadas, but totally worth it!
So happy to hear you found these empanadas worth the time, Tyler! 🙂
The empanada dough is DELISH. So buttery and flavorful. Loved the filling as well, I just felt like there was too much because I had a lot leftover! Can’t wait to make breakfast ones next!
Hi Alexa! Thanks for the comment! So glad you enjoyed these so much 🙂
So flavorful!
So happy you enjoyed these empanadas, Haley!!
Really delicious dough, easy to work with and extremely flavourful….I did haded extra smoked paprika so my empanadas tasted like they had choriço in them. I will repeat this recipe.
Sounds delicious, Edna! So happy you enjoyed them!
Second empanadas I’ve made. I will say I had lots of the filling leftover. Planning on using it for an egg scramble!
My husband loves them and we are planning on having them for dinner with homemade guacamole.
Sounds like a delicious way to use up the leftover filling, Jamey! So happy you and your husband enjoyed these empanadas!
Delicious empanadas
Hi Fithria! So happy you enjoyed these empanadas!!